Sorry, Instagram junkies, you鈥檒l have to wade through a few advertisements to review your next 鈥渟elfie.鈥澛營nstagram announced on Thursday that it will begin advertising through its massively popular photo-and video-sharing app. Last year, Instagram was acquired by Facebook for one billion dollars and has seen its audience grow to a staggering 150 million users.
But it’s never made a dime.
“We have big ideas for the future, and part of making them happen is building Instagram into a sustainable business,” explained a posting on . Advertisements will begin in a few months and include only a select group of firms. Instagram founder told early this year that Instagram must 鈥渇und its own future.鈥
For those concerned with ownership of their photos and videos, its users that 鈥渁s always, you own your own photos and videos. The introduction of advertising won鈥檛 change this.鈥
The move by Instagram is certainly not a surprise amidst a colossal social media boom. 聽that聽鈥渁dvertisers will spend $9.5bn on social network ads worldwide this year.鈥澛