There’s a lot to LOVE about Instagram, and millions do!
Instagram has taken the social media world by storm and has provided an outlet for people to communicate and engage their followers. With its ever-growing popularity, Instagram has come out with many new updates, including my favorite: an API Update!
Wahoo!
For those wondering what’s an API, it is an Application Programming Interface. In laymen’s terms, it enables apps and software to co-exist on a platform. They “talk to each other,” and share information, permissions, and aggregate data that is beneficial for both. The data is also beneficial for businesses that want to make life easier for their customers, while collecting information on user habits.
Instagram has added “Action Oriented” buttons below images. If a user wants to know more about that product, advertisers have a space for information, along with options to shop now, install an app or sign up for a service. When you click on these, it doesn’t take you out of Instagram completely. You will be directed to a mini browser within Instagram and once you are done, you are directed back into the app. How cool? It’s all within the app itself. Who knows…maybe next you’ll even be able to order food while you are instagramming?
Instagram (owned by Facebook) will be tapping into the information gathered in profiles on both sites to target potential customers based on who they follow on Instagram and Like on Facebook. This enables advertisers to pinpoint a more precise prospect and serve their ad to them.
With all of these awesome updates, I still have a bone to pick with Instagram.
Why can we still not schedule and post to Instagram from the Hootsuite platform?
On Hootsuite, Instagram is treated as an app – not a social media platform. This means you cannot post or schedule posts to go out on Instagram from Hootsuite, like you can with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. So, if you want to post to Instagram, you have to go into the app itself, and make sure you are in the right account- and post there, every single time you want to publish a photo or video.
You see the OMG headache factor here?
There are a few perks, admittedly, with the new API.
As with the other main social media platforms, you can still manage your Instagram page through Hootsuite because you can follow streams, “like” posts, comment on posts, monitor hashtags, and unfollow or follow people – all from one area in front of you. Also, you can manage more than one Instagram page. This will help social marketers who have multiple clients with an Instagram account. But, still, it would be nice to POST through Hootsuite.
We took to twitter when we learned of the new API and posed the question to @Hootsuite_Help. This is how it played out…
In 2014, Chris Brownlee said “Instagram does not sanction image posting outside of their mobile application and does not offer an API”.
You now have the API, so what gives?
We’re hopeful that Instagram will make it easier and allow image posting outside of the app!
Stay tuned!
