Instagram Ad’s Are Coming To Explore Very Soon

The Explore tab is a popular place to hang out on Instagram.

According to research conducted by Instagram half a billion users access the tab every month, scrolling through it for inspiration, entertainment or just a bit of comic relief throughout their day.

Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised the photo- and video-sharing app will soon start rolling out advertisements within Explore, as it has in the past with its news feed.

With 80% of Instagram’s users following at least one business on the platform, it makes sense for Instagram to display products and/or services within the Explore feed. 

It’s a win-win situation for both the users and for businesses advertising on the platform. Throughout the past few years, Instagram has very much been the birth place of trends, especially for the Millennial and Gen-Z demographic.

It’s a no-brainer for Instagram to offer businesses the option to advertise within proximity to the most popular content on the platform.  

According to TechCrunch businesses will be able to buy ad space on Explore, just as they have done to get their ads in the Feed and in the Story space.

Initially, an advertiser will have to specify that they want their content on Explore, but eventually it will be the default scenario.

It’s important to note everyone’s Explore tab is filled with a unique variety of content, thanks to the elusive Instagram algorithm (i.e. everyone’s Explore looks a little bit different; no two Explore feeds look the same.)

If a user taps on a post within Explore, they will be redirected to that piece of content, which will be considered the “beginning” of thread. In the future, if they continue to scroll through that thread, they may see an ad or two inserted in-between organic content.

Instagram will be slowly rolling out this new feature; if it proves to be successful, then users can expect to see a higher inflow of ads within Explore in the future. 

Instagram says all of this is largely driven by their desire to make online connections between retailers and customers more meaningful.

What do you think of Instagram’s decision to bring ads into Explore? Let us know in the comments below.

Written by Anushé Samee. Video Credit: Josh Constine via TechCrunch.