A Brand for social justice
In 2020, brands did something they’d never done before: They spoke up about race.
Still, the free app will generate profits in time, the company says
Instagram users fretting about ads clogging up their image feed can breath easy, at least for now. Facebook said Wednesday it has no immediate plans to put ads in its photo-sharing app -- though make no mistake, they are coming eventually.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked on the company's quarterly earnings call whether users will start to see ads popping up in their feeds, as they do already on Facebook. But growing Instagram's user base and building out the product are Facebook's main priorities, Zuckerberg said.
"The focus for now is just to increase the footprint for Instagram," he said, meaning Facebook wants to add more users. But Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has always been clear that Instagram, which is free to download, was intended to be a business, Zuckerberg said.
"We expect that over time we will generate a lot of profit from it, and that will probably be through advertising," he said. Facebook paid about US$1 billion to buy Instagram, which currently has about 130 million monthly active users, up from 80 million a year ago.
Facebook makes most of its money from advertising, but monetizing its services on mobile devices is seen as particularly critical to its success, as more users migrate away from PCs to smartphones and tablets.
During Wednesday's earnings call, Zuckerberg didn't mince words on this issue. "Soon we'll have more revenue on mobile than on the desktop," he said.
Facebook has been advancing steadily toward that goal since it first started running mobile ads last year. Mobile ad revenue made up 41 percent of its total advertising revenue last quarter, the company reported. That was up from 30 percent in the first quarter, 23 percent in the fourth quarter last year, and 14 percent the quarter before that.
But while Facebook may not be running ads on Instagram yet, businesses are still experimenting with it as a way to promote their products, said Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook.
General Electric is a prime example, she said. The company has posted dozens of polished photographs of jet engines, wind turbines and other machinery to its Instagram feed, which is followed by nearly 140,000 people.
Zach Miners covers social networking, search and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow Zach on Twitter at @zachminers. Zach's e-mail address is zach_miners@idg.com
In this latest episode of our conversations over a cuppa with CMO, we catch up with the delightful Pip Arthur, Microsoft Australia's chief marketing officer and communications director, to talk about thinking differently, delivering on B2B connection in the crisis, brand purpose and marketing transformation.
In 2020, brands did something they’d never done before: They spoke up about race.
‘Business as unusual’ is a term my organisation has adopted to describe the professional aftermath of COVID-19 and the rest of the tragic events this year. Social distancing, perspex screens at counters and masks in all manner of situations have introduced us to a world we were never familiar with. But, as we keep being reminded, this is the new normal. This is the world we created. Yet we also have the opportunity to create something else.
In times of uncertainty, people gravitate towards the familiar. How can businesses capitalise on this to overcome the recessionary conditions brought on by COVID? Craig Flanders explains.
JP54,D2, D6, JetA1 EN590Dear Buyer/ Buyer mandate,We currently have Available FOB Rotterdam/Houston for JP54,D2, D6,JetA1 with good and w...
Collins Johnson
Oath to fully acquire Yahoo7 from Seven West Media
Great content and well explained. Everything you need to know about Digital Design, this article has got you covered. You may also check ...
Ryota Miyagi
Why the art of human-centred design has become a vital CX tool
Interested in virtual events? If you are looking for an amazing virtual booth, this is definitely worth checking https://virtualbooth.ad...
Cecille Pabon
Report: Covid effect sees digital events on the rise long-term
Thank you so much for sharing such an informative article. It’s really impressive.Click Here & Create Status and share with family
Sanwataram
Predictions: 14 digital marketing predictions for 2021
Nice!https://www.live-radio-onli...
OmiljeniRadio RadioStanice Uzi
Google+ and Blogger cozy up with new comment system