The takeaways
- US and Turkey-based creators and brands that have not previously run Instagram ads will be able to do so in-app without the need to connect to a Facebook Business Page.
- Facebook has distanced the update from the ongoing #StopHateforProfit boycott against advertising on its platforms.
- Instagram is considered Facebook’s “best hope” for growing its ad revenues.
What happened?
Facebook announced last month that new advertisers in the U.S. and Turkey will no longer need a Facebook page to run advertisements on Instagram. Business accounts that have never previously promoted Instagram posts will now be able to do so within the app.
Before this update, brands and users linked their Instagram to their Facebook business accounts to access Instagram’s Promote and analytics features. As described on Instagram’s Ads Help Page, “If you are promoting a post from your Instagram business account for the first time, you won’t have to connect to a Facebook ad account or Facebook Page.” The service is only available to business accounts and all ads remain subject to Instagram’s standard review process.
What does this change?
Although Promote’s user interface remains the same, the update partially separates a previous core link between Facebook and Instagram’s platforms. Via Ads Manager, Facebook business accounts can monitor metrics on related Instagram accounts, but for new users, this connectivity is being de-emphasized, though not removed.
Instagram has been notably exempt from #StopHateforProfit’s ongoing boycott of Facebook ads over its moderation related to hate speech, racism and misinformation. Adweek noted that Facebook has distanced the new feature’s announcement from the boycott and has been quietly been testing the feature for several months.
Search Engine Journal describes Instagram as its parent company’s “best hope for continued ad revenue growth in the future [and it needs] to be protected”. Its “undeniable” growth needs to be protected, especially now that it is starting to attract the over-35 demographic as younger users move onto other apps.
