Advertisers are trying a new approach when it comes to digital marketing.

On Oct. 30, Instagram announced that video ads from select brands would begin to appear on users’ feeds, making them the last of the social media heavyweights to integrate advertisements. Tumblr and Snapchat began rolling out their video marketing campaigns earlier in October, while Facebook and Twitter users have been seeing companies’ promotions for months now.

Good advertisements should match the identity of the social channel, while not interrupting the natural flow of the app or website. Social networks have figured out creative ways to keep both the consumers and advertisers happy, proving that we’re in a new era of digital marketing.

Instagram has the right idea by having its executives handpick which brands can display ads, as well as working with its content teams throughout the creative process.

Instagram reviews all clips to ensure that they contain new content, fit the style of the platform and are not simply repurposed commercials from other outlets, according to an Oct. 30 Adweek article. By being so selective, these 15-second spots have a good chance of actually being entertaining and engaging rather than annoying.

“We work together from the beginning of a campaign — from the concept phase to production to final edit before a campaign goes live,” said Jim Squires, Instagram’s director of marketing in an April Adweek article.

Like Instagram, Tumblr’s executives understand the importance of seamlessly adding advertisements without alienating its dedicated following. Tumblr’s video ads are set to auto-play when scrolled over, but will be muted by default with the option to activate the sound. This gives users the choice of watching the ad or simply scrolling past without interrupting their browsing with unwanted noise.   

Snapchat’s features and interface provide an ideal situation for brands and users to coexist. Depending on the targeted demographic, ads will appear as a Snapchat Story in the recent updates section, viewable only if clicked on. Most users will check it out of curiosity and others will choose to bypass it if they aren’t interested — a win-win for brands looking to endorse their product while avoiding being bothersome.

There is a fine line between subtle promotion and invasion of our digital personal space, and companies are beginning to realize this. We’ve been trained to hate advertisements but with the addition of video, demographic targeting features and hands-on help from social networks, things are changing. Many ads are now tailored to our personal interests and are becoming something we don’t mind viewing.

As technology improves, so does companies’ marketing methods and awareness of users’ likes and dislikes. Though ads might never feel completely natural to our social media experience, they are starting to feel less and less like foreign entities that popped up in our feeds. Our favorite social networks may not be ad-free anymore, but with advertisers’ improved tactics, there is enough digital space for brands and users to coexist in harmony.

Aarick Knighton is a junior information management and technology major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at adknight@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @aarickurban.

Published on November 6, 2014 at 12:01 am