This article was published on March 4, 2015

Instagram ads are now clickable and can include image carousels


Instagram ads are now clickable and can include image carousels

Instagram is making an important change to the way ads are presented on its platform: you can now click on them.

This only works on the new Carousel ads the platform is unveiling today, however. These ads allow you to swipe left and right to look through an image slideshow, and the links appear below the images.

The company says Carousel ads give make single posts a more flexible option for brands. For example, fashion companies could display many ‘looks’ for a single product, while restaurants could show off the different ingredients that go into the meal.

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Although Instagram doesn’t mention Carousels coming to user posts, it’s not a stretch to imagine it could consider integrating them if users respond positively to the new ad style.

Instagram is rolling out Carousel ads on a limited basis in the coming weeks; the company notes you might see formatting vary as it figures out what performs best.

The inclusion of links makes sense; allowing clickable links doesn’t add any distractions and could in fact be welcome if a user is interested in the product or information being shown off.

➤ A New Way for Brands to Tell Stories on Instagram [Instagram]

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