The first ads hit Instagram this winter. Did you notice? Hopefully not.

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding how brands should use Instagram ads and if “favorites” or “followers” actually translates into dollars. I think I have déjà vu…Do you remember when people asked if “likes” or “retweets” meant anything? Then people started to realize that brand loyalty and customer engagement across social platforms measured up to business expectations. In my opinion, especially on Instagram, the answer is yes…”favorites” and “followers” mean that a consumer is interested. Instagram offers brands a very unique opportunity – the challenge to be thought provoking, genuine and strategic with the end goal of followers seeking them out in the marketplace (after they see the photo/video featuring the brand). (more…)