Just last month, we covered the news that YouTube was testing forcing free users to watch up to five unskippable ads. And now Meta is trying to shove more ads into Instagram (IG). Why are they doing so?
They are running a business, so they need money in order to keep operating and paying their employees. Also, the whole world is experiencing inflation right now. Meta just had their first-ever revenue drop, and they just lost USD2.8 billion in the Facebook Reality Labs, responsible for augmented reality, VR, and the metaverse. So, Meta is trying to get as much money as possible.
Engadget reported that Meta is now allowing companies to place ads on the Explore page and they are currently testing ads placement in the user’s profile feed as well.
Meta said:
We will experiment with a monetization opportunity that will allow eligible creators to earn extra income from ads displayed in their profile feeds, beginning with select U.S. creators.
So if you are lucky enough to be selected, Meta will pay you if they have decided to allow ads on your profile feed.
In addition to that, the company plans to test augmented reality advertisements in both feed and Stories. According to Meta, companies may employ these to let consumers to test out virtual furnishings in their homes or get a closer look at cars.
Other than that, Meta is also experimenting with new ads format on Facebook and IG Reels. An example of this is the “post-loop” format, which consists of skippable advertisements that run for four to ten seconds following a reel. The reel will play once again when the advertisement is over. Additionally, the company is experimenting with picture carousel advertisements at the bottom of Facebook Reels.
Some users might be seeing more ads than others. Meta told Engadget:
The number of ads across the platform varies based on how people use Instagram.
