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This article was published on May 10, 2016

Your leftover shopping cart items are about to show up as Instagram ads


Your leftover shopping cart items are about to show up as Instagram ads

Like your Instagram browsing with a side of advertisements? Well, you’re gonna get them anyway: Facebook today announced that it will begin implementing its “dynamic ads” on Instagram – bringing you ads for items you may have left in your shopping cart without purchasing.

Known as “retargeting ads” in industry speak, the ads track your online shopping behavior to surface ads that you may find relevant. Facebook users may have noticed them if they’ve been shopping on sites like Amazon before checking their news feed.

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Ads may include call-to-action buttons, such as this Seamless one.

The new ad format on Instagram allows retailers to upload their catalogue of products so they can be targeted to potential customers who may be thinking about buying the item, but haven’t bit the bullet or simply forgot. A joint study by Facebook and Instagram states that 60 percent of Instagram users say they discover new products through the app, and 75 percent admit a post convinced them to take action.

In many ways, the sponsored posts you see on Facebook and Instagram are already catered to you based on your Web consumption behaviors and demographic – but dynamic ads will deliver them a bit more timely.

The ads will begin arriving on Instagram today, and will focus on retail and travel vendors, with clients like Marriott Hotels on the list of companies signed up on the format.

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