Perhaps it’s the allure of potential Super Bowl advertising, or just an overall plan to bring more clients to the site. Either way, Instagram is upping its advertising game, enabling companies to post ads up to 60 seconds in length.
The update (via VentureBeat) doubles the 30 second length Instagram put into place September, which was 15 seconds longer than the videos users are allowed to post to their account. This extra time should prove appealing to advertisers, since it removes some of the restraints on their creative efforts, and doesn’t by force them to “cram” their message in.
Some advertisers have already begun taking advantage of the format, including T-Mobile, which posted this clip featuring performer Drake. Warner Bros. is reportedly prepping something as well, possibly related to the comic book films like Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Facebook previously reported during its Q4 2015 call that Instagram played a big part in its advertising program. Although specific numbers weren’t given, chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg did note that it was one of the “most important mobile advertising platforms” available on the market. With an increased length, it’s likely to get even stronger.
That said, there is some slight concern over how users are only allowed 15 second videos, now that companies can post videos going four times over that. Could we see a more relaxed video format coming in the future? Only time will tell. In the meantime, bring on the ads.
