Instagram updates ads to include clickable links

Instagram also debuts "carousel ads," which feature multiple pictures that users can scroll through

Instagram began to run its first ad all the way back in 2013. It was a very successful and since then the photo-sharing has continued to cultivate its relationships with brands and advertisers. It has not, however, updated the ad product very much in that time.

Now, finally, it has introduced two new features that are advertisers have been asking for and will likely make them very happy.

First is the release of what it is calling "carousel ads," which basically means having multiple images in the same ad that users can scroll through, rather than the usual single image.

Instagram likens it to "multi-page print campaigns," except on a phone. So, for example, a fashion company coulduse multiple images to show off different looks, or a a car company can show different features including on their vehicles. 

For instance, a fashion company could use the carousel to deconstruct the individual products in a ‘look.’ A car company might share an array of different features of a vehicle and provide a link to learn more about the new model. Or, an advertiser could showcase how multiple ingredients come together to make a delicious meal.

"Carousel ads give brands more flexibility in telling their stories by allowing people who view their ads to swipe left to see additional images and link to a website of the brand’s choice," the company wrote.

The second, and more important, new feature are clickable links, which will come in the form of a "learn more" button. Embedded this feature is a no-brainer: what better way to show the engagement of an app than to know exactly how many people clicked on it?

The company stresses that it will be rolling out the news ads slowly, over the coming weeks. 

There is no indication now, but you have to wonder if Instagram might make these kinds of carousel ads available for personal use as well. There are a lot of really interesting and cool things people could do with a feature like that.

Instagram advertising

Instagram has had major success with advertising right from the start: its first ad, a picture of a gold watch, on a table, with some macarons next to it from designer Michael Kors, brought Kors a slew of new followers; 33,000 of them to be exact. That means that his number of followers jumped 16 times, from the 2,138 he was gaining on average at the time.

The original ads that the site runs look are meant to look like any other Instagram picture that you might see, except for big blue "sponsored" label in place of the time stamp. Clicking on the link will bring users to a page explaining how advertising works on Instagram.

In August of 2014, Instagram showed its seriousness about advertising when it hired James Quarles, who had been Regional Director at Facebook EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) as its new Global Head of Business and Brand Development.

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