After taking several steps to fully integrate Instagram into the Facebook ecosystem, both in terms of branding and advertising tools, a feature introduced Monday seems to go directly against that grain.
Instagram Monday added the ability for businesses to run ads on its platform without connecting to a Facebook ad account, saying that the feature is only available to brands and creators in Turkey and the U.S., and it is limited to those promoting posts on Instagram for the first time, as those who have already done so have likely already linked their accounts on the two platforms.
The Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing network said the new option is unrelated to calls to boycott advertising on Facebook over its role in the spreading of hate and misinformation, adding that it has been testing the feature for several months.
Brands and creators that wish to continue using Facebook’s Ads Manager to manage campaigns across Facebook’s family of applications must still link their Facebook ad accounts.
Instagram shared details in a help center post on how brands or creators promoting posts on Instagram for the first time, in Turkey or the U.S., can create ads, manage promotions and view insights, all within the Instagram app.
To promote a post, the advertiser must go to its profile and tap the post it wishes to promote, and then tap “Promote” below the post’s image.
Here, details of the promotion are added, including destination (where to send people who click on the ad), audience (who the advertiser wants to reach), budget (daily) and duration.
Once all of the above information is completed, the advertiser can tap “Next,” followed by “Create Promotion,” at which point the ad will be reviewed to ensure that it does not violate any of Instagram’s advertising policies. This process is generally completed within 60 minutes.
Once the promotion has been reviewed and approved, it will go live.
