In a remarkable development, Instagram, the renowned photo-sharing social media platform, has unveiled a feature that allows the display of advertisements in search results via its Marketing API. This move, announced two months after initial testing, has been seen as an attempt to open new channels of ad placement and monetization on the platform.
The new feature will allow users to see ads that are directly related to their search queries. For instance, if a user searches for “Skin Care,” relevant ads for skin care products or services will populate within the search results feed. To distinguish between regular posts and advertisements, Instagram has added a “Sponsored” label under the account name on all ad posts.
Instagram has ensured that the new ad placement feature is convenient to implement. The feature is compatible with all current versions of the Marketing API, thereby eliminating the need for any upgrades. This means developers can easily update their apps to facilitate their clients in creating and previewing ads in Instagram’s search results via the API.
This development comes at a time when Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has been wrestling with a slump in advertising demand. After witnessing declining ad sales for three successive quarters, Meta reported a 4.1% increase in ad revenue in Q1 2023. To further boost its ad revenue, Meta introduced two new ad slots on Instagram and a fresh ad format for Facebook Reels. Additionally, the company expanded its advertising reach by allowing advertisers to place ads on Instagram’s Explore homepage and within profile feeds.
Simultaneously, Instagram announced the launch of Reminder Ads. Designed to streamline the notification process for future events or product launches, these ads serve to build anticipation and awareness among the users. The Reminder Ads provide users with the option to opt into reminders, enabling them to receive three notifications: one day before the event or launch, 15 minutes prior, and at the exact time of the event or launch.
This two-pronged approach – integrating ads within search results and introducing Reminder Ads – exhibits Instagram’s continued effort to innovate its advertising offerings. While it’s yet to be seen how users will react to this heightened ad presence, one thing is certain: Instagram is pushing boundaries in the digital advertising space, aiming to create a more interactive and dynamic user experience while simultaneously driving revenue growth for its parent company, Meta.
Source: https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2023/05/24/instagram-search-results-ads/
