Tamar Weinberg says, “Instagram has just released three new features to its Stories that show that the brand is unique enough to stand on its own. The features include allowing links, mentions and its unique video loop, Boomerang. With the support for links, currently only available to verified Instagram accounts, a hyperlink can be added to an individual story, and viewers can tap on the link to view the website within the Instagram app. Links are created when the Story is uploaded, and a user will have to tap See More to get more context, allowing the user experience to seem less cluttered... [...]

Blaise Lucey says, “When I log onto Twitter or Facebook, it’s like a million voices cry out… and never stop talking. It can get tiresome. I don’t see updates from the people I want to see. I know that could change if I took the time to reorganize things, create a list, silence people and unfollow or unfriend others — but then what’s the point of even having the platform? Twitter’s woes have been documented for a while now, but Facebook user engagement is reaching a plateau, too. Original content from Facebookers users has declined by 21 percent, reported tech news site The Information.... [...]

Patricio Robles says, “Instagram is no longer just a place for celebrity selfies and FOMO-inducing travel snaps, and even companies like The Financial Times are finding success on the platform, which now counts 500m monthly active users. Now, the Facebook-owned service is looking to support brands that want to use Instagram to sell their wares. Last week, Instagram announced new functionality that aims to give brands the ability to more effectively promote their products in their Instagram posts. Here’s what marketers need to know about the new functionality. How it works Instagram’s... [...]

Tim Peterson says, “Ever seen a brand post a photo of a shirt on Instagram and thought, “I want that. How can I get it?” But then realized in order to get it, you need to see if the brand put the shirt’s name in the caption, then switch out of Instagram to your phone’s browser, search for the retailer’s site, then search on the site for the product’s name to get to a page where you can buy it. It’s a hassle. But not for long. Next week, Instagram will start testing a way for you to be able to see a product in a retailer’s photo and buy it from the brand’s site without leaving... [...]

Jonathan Long says, “Instagram is hands-down one of the most popular social media networks. There is so much available attention to capture, which is why building a large following is such a top priority for brands and individuals. A friend of mine, Jessica Sorkin, better known as @thehandyj on Instagram, has built a very engaged following of more than 277,000 in a very short period of time. Warning: some of her content is NSFW. She received her masters in marriage and family therapy, but discovered the best therapy was laughter and found she could bring lots of laughter to a large amount... [...]

Patricio Robles says, “Facebook-owned Instagram is home to many brands, and is particularly popular among industries that lend themselves to stunning photography, like fashion.  But brands in industries that aren’t as photogenic can find success on Instagram. Case in point: The Financial Times (FT). As detailed by Digiday’s Lucinda Southern, the FT, which has invested heavily in its digital efforts, grew the number of followers on Instagram from 40,000 last year to over 286,000 today. And it has strong momentum, with thousands of new followers being added every day. What has... [...]

Sujan Patel says, “With more than 400 million active monthly users, Instagram has grown into a social network that businesses need to pay attention to. It’s more than just a photo-sharing site — it’s a way to engage fans and show off the best side of your business. Just look at this list of 25 companies that have mastered their brand focus on Instagram. 1. Lowes Lowes does a smart job of promoting its products on Instagram: The company connects with users by showing people real-world applications for the products it sells. 2. Starbucks To promote its brand and connect with customers... [...]

Antony Maina says, “Back in spring, Instagram brought its filter driven social network to Windows 10 Mobile. Now, it’s doing the same for tablets and PCs running on Windows 10. As a small business owner, you no longer need to rely on Android and iOS apps to manage your Instagram account. You can do all that right from your Windows 10 tablet or PC. Instagram for Windows The app offers native Windows 10 features such as notifications and Live Tiles. It also, for the most part, offers Windows 10 mobile app functions such as explore, search and Instagram Direct messaging. The biggest feature... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Some 30% of Fortune 500 companies and 22% of Inc. 500 companies have active Instagram accounts,according to recent research from The Center for Marketing Research, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. The report was based on an analysis conducted in July 2016 of the social media accounts of Fortune 500 andInc. 500 companies. Some 149 companies on the Fortune 500 list have active Instagram accounts and 110 companies on the Inc. 500 list have active accounts, the analysis found. Nearly half (49%) of the top 200 companies on the Fortune 500 list are active on Instagram;... [...]

Andrew Waber says, “Much like with Facebook, the team at Instagram regularly tweaks the ad experience in a bid to improve advertiser results over time. You’ve probably already seen one of the most recent examples of this, with Instagram rolling out a major change to ad calls to action (CTAs) on the platform back in mid-June. After conducting a two-month-long study on the change as part of my work at Nanigans, we observed gaming advertisers seeing noteworthy improvements in terms of cost per install, click-to-download conversion rates, and click-through rates”. What marketers should know... [...]