Marketers Slow to Pick Up Instagram’s New GIF Feature

Marketers in Utah and elsewhere try to stay on top of video production trends, but some new innovations seem to be falling through the cracks. Particularly in social media, marketers play a large role in determining which innovations stand the test of time.

Their support and endorsement is crucial for developing technology. Had advertisers not given Facebook and Twitter a chance, they would never have grown so quickly or become so influential. The involvement of marketers in new technology can be a good indicator of how successful it will ultimately be. The struggles of a new app are bringing this fact into sharp focus.

Boomerang

Instagram, the popular photo-sharing platform, recently released a new app called Boomerang. It was aimed at amateur video production enthusiasts in Utah and elsewhere, designed to allow anyone to easily create and share endlessly looping GIFs.

Facebook, which owns Instagram, has been making a massive push toward video production and hosting. They have their sights set on YouTube’s market, and have been aggressively innovating and updating to reach their goal. Boomerang looks to be another Facebook-initiated idea geared to drive users to post more videos and multimedia on the app.

Slow and Steady?

Since the app was released on October 22, Instagram users have been creating and sharing GIFs quite happily. Social media influencers like models Karlie Kloss and Lilly Allen have shared media made with the app and endorsed it. However, AdWeek reports that larger brands have been slow to use the new technology.

“Brands’ social teams usually are quick to whip up posts when Instagram launches new features, but a quick scan of the app Thursday didn’t show many posts from marketers.”

Time will tell whether brands in Utah will ever embrace the boomerang app as a means of spreading their message. Without the boost from marketers, the app may struggle to gain a foothold.

Tanner Wadsworth writes for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. They write for many other clients as well. Follow on Twitter