ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK: Local brands decide Instagram is the picture of PR
In SA, Instagram's growth slowed substantially due to the high cost of data, but in the past year a seismic shift has occurred
A picture paints a thousand words, but sharing pictures on social media can produce something far more compelling: unimaginable profit. Instagram, the photo-sharing platform bought by Facebook for $1bn six years ago, is on track to reach $10bn (R142.2bn) in revenue next year. That comes off the back of passing the 1-billion user mark this year. In SA, its growth slowed substantially as it came up against the high cost of data, but in the past year a seismic shift has occurred. As the functionality of the platform grew, driven by video content and advertising opportunities, brands embraced Instagram and pushed it at their younger users. The heavy engagement of users with Instagram compared with most other social networks has also proved a massive attraction to other social-media users. Dramatic improvements in smartphone cameras have led to improvement in image quality - and to more people looking for a home for their images. All these factors contribute to the strongest growth Insta...
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