Instagram is definitely not taking its foot off of the gas, even after being acquired successfully by Facebook. Today, the team is introducing a widget to help you spread the word about all of your great random Instagram photos, wherever you live on the web.
Since Instagram launched its web profiles, the thoughts of what Instagram could expand to past mobile has been a topic of heavy conversation amongst tech pundits and users alike. Today, you’ll be able to embed a “badge” on your website or blog, which leads back to your Instagram profile on the web, which as we noted is beautifully designed and easy to navigate and interact with.
We’re told that this feature was “highly requested” by users, so it’s nice to see Instagram giving back to the community with the goods. This is what the Instagram team had to say about these new understated and not overly flashy badges, and note that they specifically call out businesses, so you might start seeing these pop up on your favorite brands’ sites:
We’ve launched Instagram badges to help you link to and promote your Instagram web profile. Instagram badges are available in a range of sizes and can be added to your website, blog or anywhere that you want to link to your Instagram web profile.
There are two ways to access Instagram badges:
Navigate to your Instagram web profile page. Click on your username to access the drop down menu and choose “Badges”
Visit instagram.com/accounts/badges
To create a badge for your brand or business, make sure you are logged in online to the brand or business account. Select the badge you’d like to use, copy the code and paste it into your site.
Instagram badges are an easy way to direct new followers to your Instagram web profile. Add them to your brand website, campaign promotions or personal blog to help users discover and engage with your Instagram content.
Here’s what the badge creator looks like, it’s quite simple:
Here’s a look at what it’ll look like on your site:
Or, go with this one:
The badge is very…”iconic”, if you will. It’s iconic in the same way that the Tweet button has become for Twitter, the +1 button has become for Google and of course the Like button for Facebook. Yes, Instagram is moving up in the world, and on the web.
Why is this important? Because Instagram has been pigeon-holed by some as a “mobile application” and community since its inception. That clearly wasn’t the case, as you can’t keep a lion in its cage for too long. Facebook, and specifically its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, realized Instagram’s full potential as a property that could take complete ownership of the photo space on the web, mobile and desktop. This little badge might not seem like a big deal, but as I mentioned, if a brand like Starbucks were to pop that badge up on the top of it’s site, then it could generate a lot of traffic, engagement and signups. Count on that.
Facebook, Twitter, and even Spotify have launched these types of badges before. They help grow the audiences of their users, which locks them into their services. However, it also create free advertising for these web giants. By marching their badges across the web, it reminds other people to sign up or return to their own profiles.
To put into context how big Instagram has become, one of my favorite baristas at Starbucks now follows me on the service, since I often take photos of my cups. She now writes funny messages on them in marker, knowing that she’ll see them on Instagram. She also takes rad pictures and we’ve gotten a chance to connect on a whole new level. You might not have taken an Instagram in months, but seeing your friend promoting their pretty profile with a Badge could push you to reinvest in the photo app.
Yes, Instagram is that impactful, and yes it was worth every penny…in the same way that YouTube was for Google.
[Photo credit: Flickr/Instagram]
