It has been reported that (finally!) Instagram is working on a range of new features to promote more advertising and brand activity, including analytics tools, the ability to buy Instagram ads via mobile and specific business profiles.
While there is no set date announced for the release of these new brand tools, it has been suggested that they will be available within the next few months. The company is already heavily testing the changes and the first images of the new brand pages for Instagram have now been spotted, or, at least, how the new brand profiles look at this stage of the testing process.
These changes include a prominent ‘Contact’ button and a category listing under the brand title. Once clicked, the ‘Contact’ option brings up a new menu with options to either ‘Get Directions’ or ‘Email’ the business.
The option to contact the business direct resolves one of the major headaches for brands on the platform, given the inability to include links in your content (other than the one available in your profile space). Giving users an immediate means to get in touch will make it easier for brands to connect with potential customers, they also won’t have to waste any bio space on putting their e-mail address into their description (in non-clickable format).
Clicking on the ‘Get Directions’ option brings up a map screen with the business location highlighted with a drop-pin.
The third significant addition is the categorization of the page, which will be visible immediately beneath the business name field. This is another tool for Instagram to use in categorizing each business for search, with a view to streamlining the connection process for people looking for specific products and/or services, while also helping users quickly see what the brand page is about.
It’ll be interesting to see how these new branded profiles affect Instagram engagement – the platform’s grown from 200 million users in 2014 to 400 million now, with their user base sharing more than 80 million photos on the platform every day.
If you would like further information about using Instagram for your dental practice, follow us @dental_design_products and speak to a member of our social media team who will be happy to help you.
Thanks to Social Media Today for the inspiration for this post