It might be doubtful that instagram would bring any cash value to Facebook at the moment, however on the brighter side the users are taking the full advantage of this app. Since the acquisition of Instagram, Facebook has been revolutionizing this free photo sharing experience.
Vine is a free video sharing app that allows users to record a six second looped video and share it with the broad community. Facebook saw the potential and replicated the success by adding the option to record and share a 15 second video on Instagram. It went viral since the update of the app. Me, myself is a very active Instagrammer and my first Instavideo was done under the peer influence ( Everyone was talking about it!). This new feature allowed users to connect in depth and share experiences in a lively manner.
While the firm might not yet figured out a way to turn the hype into monetary value, many active users have already taken the privilege to use the platform to amplify awareness. Hashtags, Hashtags and more Hashtags. the embedded hashtags allow users to explore pictures according to context and like-minded users are instantly grouped together this way ( Ways to gain followers!). Bloggers update their Instagram more frequently than their blogs, because this allows fast updates and real-time connection. By gaining more and more followers , many bloggers have also attracted business to sponsor them. For example, one of my favorite fashion blogger , Aimee from ” Song of Style” currently has one million followers on Instagram and an average of 12000+ likes on every photo that she posts (hooray for fashionista!) This phenomenon has attracted many big brands like Tiffany & Co , Luisaviaroma, Vita Fede , etc to sponsor her outfit or inviting her to their events as a spokesperson. ( I personally bought a Vita Fede bracelet because Aimee had it , What a fan I am ! ) Establishing a well rounded online appearance and amplifying awareness for many brands is crucial, so why not capitalizing on those opinion leaders’ influential power?
It might sound strange that this is also a C2C platform, but indeed many personal users find this cost free platform a great channel to promote their goods. If Facebook is realizing the potential business that is also driving Instagram’s popularity , shouldn’t it fast forward its track and perhaps change the business model? Perhaps add more valuable features at a cost of paying premium and maintain the existing features at a free cost? Perhaps a free-mium model like Linked-in and Skype? This is just a personal thought. Stay tuned for my next blog post!
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