Instagram reveals the ins and outs of its new sponsored ads

Photo and video sharing site Instagram has made an announcement regarding its new sponsored ads, which are to launch in the United States over the coming week.

The statement included the following: ‘You’ll know a photo or video is an advertisement when you see the “Sponsored” label where the time stamp normally would be. Tap this label to learn more about how advertising works on Instagram.

‘We want ads to be creative and engaging, so we’re starting with just a handful of brands that are already great members of the Instagram community. If you see an ad that doesn’t interest you, you can tap the “…” below it to hide it and provide feedback about what you didn’t like. This will help us show you more interesting ads in the future.

‘Our focus with every product we build is to make Instagram a place where people come to connect and be inspired. Building Instagram as a business will help us better serve the global—and ever growing—Instagram community, while maintaining the simplicity you know and love.

As always, you own your own photos and videos. The introduction of advertising won’t change this.’

The move is one kick-started by Facebook, Instagram’s owner, to build the company into a more sustainable business. eMarketer predicts advertisers will spend an impressive $9.52 billion on social network ads worldwide this year, accounting for around 8.1 per cent of their total digital marketing budgets.