Earlier this year, Facebook acquired photo-sharing platform Instagram for $1 billion, and many anticipated some changes to Instagram following the move. This week, the Federal Trade Commission approved the deal, and the decision could begin a wave of integration between the two platforms. This development is beneficial for many social marketers, as Brafton cited a Simply Measured report that found 40 percent of top brands currently use Instagram to add a visual element to their social media marketing strategy.
One of the major issues Instagram users initially expressed is the platform’s integration with several other social networks.When Facebook announced the acquisition, it said that users could still share images on Twitter and other platforms. In fact, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg insisted the two social networks would remain entirely separate. However, the FTC’s decision essentially finalizes the deal, and it could lead to some adjustments to Instagram.
At the very least, increased integration could make social image sharing easier on Facebook, and this is good news for marketers given the value of visual content to drive engagement.
Furthermore, Facebook’s Timeline layout has made visual content especially useful for marketers by driving more interaction or content. Brafton highlighted a separate Simply Measured report that engagement per post has grown 46 percent since Timeline fully rolled out to brands in late March.
