Instagram, as it has long promised to do, will begin introducing advertisements into U.S. user feeds in the “next couple [of] months.” The company said it will roll out ads “for brands you don’t follow” slowly, and that it will distribute them as “high-quality photos and videos.”
Only a handful of brands that are already regular Instagram users will get to show ads at first. Instagram didn’t elaborate as to which companies will initially participate. The company said the ads feature was the next step in building a sustainable business. The announcement comes as no surprise to many people who anticipated that Instagram’s video feature was the first step into in-app advertising.
Users will have a little control of the photos and videos they are seeing. You’ll be able to hide an ad and send feedback to Instagram, similar to what you can do on Facebook and Pinterest.
Last month, popular image bookmarking site Pinterest launched a similar advertising feature. Both companies promise to keep the ads tasteful and stylish, an advertising tactic that might appeal to users.
“Our aim is to make any advertisements you see feel as natural to Instagram as the photos and videos many of you already enjoy from your favorite brands,” the company said in a blog post.
