Instagram Launches Three New Business Tools In The UK

Instagram, the photo-sharing social media network, has unveiled three new tools geared toward advertisers on its website.

According to a report, the three new tools include business profiles, analytics and the ability to promote posts. The tools are being rolled out in the U.K. and are designed to enable its roughly 200,000 advertisers to stand out from the competition on Instagram. Amy Cole, head of brand development EMEA, said in the report that small businesses account for the lion’s share of the advertising on Instagram and also tend to be among the most creative and innovative of the Instagram community. The features are free and were the result of Instagram interviewing hundreds of business owners. For instance, the businesses said it is easier for them to reply to inquiries and questions from customers through email or phone then looking at all the comments on the Instagram app.

With the new business profiles tool, companies can more easily showcase their business on Instagram. Meanwhile, a “connect” button makes it possible for customers to reach out to the businesses via phone, text or email. The Insights tool enables businesses to see if their posts are effective on Instagram and shows the businesses how many people have connected on Instagram with the business. It relies on a simple format to make it easy for businesses. The Promote tool makes it easier for the businesses to promote posts on Instagram. The tools will hit the U.S., Australia and New Zealand in the next few months and around the globe this year.

When announcing Instagram was gearing up to develop business tools, the company said in a blog post two months ago: “With so many companies using Instagram and many people on the platform interacting with them, there was a desire from our business community to do more. So, we listened. And after hundreds of interviews with businesses, three key needs became clear — stand out, get insights and find new customers.”