Facebook Launches Video for Instagram

Facebook launched video for Instagram yesterday, a move that looks to rival Twitter”s Vine. We”re big fans of Facebook at Stryve Group. It”s the single most efficient and effective platform for connecting with consumers.

The max length of each video is 15 seconds long, a perfect length to run a video spot. Facebook is setting up Instagram to be a platform that can take advantage of the lucrative video ad space. As marketers, we”re ok with it, but if it happens too early, or disrupts the user experience it may push users away.

It will be a while until Instagram has the scale and framework to place video ads, but make no mistake, it”s coming. The digital video ad market isto $4.1 billion in the U.S. this year from $2.9 billion last year, says eMarketer.

We say bring it on. The video ad market needs to mature. It makes online marketing so much more effective and engaging. We”re surprised it hasn”t happened more quickly, especially with video integration into Google Ad Words.

These developments further our belief that Facebook has the scale, power and expertise to position themselves as a platform that”s in for the long haul.