Facebook's Instagram rolls out new 'carousel' ads

Instagram will let brand marketers showcase more images on its photo-sharing smartphone app, the Facebook-owned service’s latest move to expand its money-making advertising features. The new “carousel ads” feature will let brands post multiple images, which users can scroll through by swiping their finger across the phone’s screen. The idea, according to a post on Instagram’s official blog on Wednesday, is to match the multi-page ad campaigns found in print magazines. An automobile company, for example, could highlight different features of a new car and include a link to a website with more product information. The carousel ads feature will initially be available in the United States to a limited set of advertising partners, Instagram said. Instagram, which Facebook acquired in 2012 for $1 billion, has 300 million monthly users. The new ad service marks the latest step in Instagram’s effort to position its mobile service as an online marketing channel. Instagram introduced photo ads in late 2013 and rolled out video ads last year. Company executives have stressed that ads will be incorporated at a measured pace, with Instagram’s main focus on boosting users. Reuters