Back in August 2016, Instagram introduces Stories, a feature that allowed users to share photos and videos that are grouped together like a movie that their followers can follow as the day progresses. This was a clear Snapchat rip off and the stories also disappeared after 24 hours just like they do on Snapchat. Instagram was not shaken with this and the company says that more and more people are using the Stories feature every day.
Instagram Says that Stories now has 150 million daily users. This is quite a huge number given that Instagram has about 600 million registered users and the feature has been around for less than a year.
Video Ads Coming to Stories
With 150 million people using Stories on a daily basis, Instagram has announced that full screen video ads will soon start playing within stories. The company sees this as a big opportunity for it to make money and has announced that it will start by partnering with 30 different businesses before expanding this option to other businesses.
Instagram says that placing video ads on Stories is a good option given that most people (70%) watch Stories with the sound on. The company also says that 70% of users follow businesses and this makes the idea of video ads inside Stories a promising one. This makes Instagram appealing when compared to a platform such as Snapchat.
Besides the video ads, Instagram has also announced the new Stories insights for businesses. From here, businesses will be able to see stats such as impressions, reach and exits for each individual Story they share. With this, businesses will be able to know the ads that work best and which ones do not. This is sort of the data advertisers are looking for and it’s clear that Instagram wants advertisers to see its platform as the best one for those who want clear results they can track.
Instagram has just announced these features but said that users will be able to see them in the coming weeks and months. The company has not given an exact date as to when this will happen. We will keep our eyes open and inform you in case of any changes.
Also Read: You Can Now Mute Instagram Stories If They Interfere With Your Experience
