Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MENLO PARK, Calif. — The popular photo-sharing social network, Instagram, could be launching ads on its simplistic app within in the next year, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Instagram, purchased last year by Facebook, was created in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and has since grown to 150 million monthly active users. The app is known for its clean interface and easy-to-use filters.
In an interview with WSJ, Emily White, director of business operations, detailed some ideas for possible advertising opportunities on the app.
White’s team is looking into non-invasive ads that wouldn’t harm the cool factor of Instagram.
"We want to make money in the long term, but we don't have any short-term pressure," White told WSJ.
Options may include promoting content in the Discover or search features. Advertisers have expressed interest in linking photos from their Instagram profiles to online stores, though White told the WSJ many mobile sites are not up-to-par for that.
Instagram users, mostly young adults and teens, pushed back shortly after Facebook purchased the app when a policy change would have made it possible for users’ photos to be used in advertisements.
