Instagram released a new app today, Layout, that should prove to be a powerful creative tool for brands.
Layout is similar to Hyperlapse, the timelapse app that Instagram released last August, although it’s likely to get a lot more use. Collages are a hugely popular form of Instagram content — one in five monthly active users use a collage app at least once a month, TechCrunch reported.
Now people — and businesses — will be able to use an app within the Instagram stable, creating collages from their phone’s camera roll. When a user opens Layout — available today only on iOS, with a Android version said to be in the works — he or she sees previews of custom layouts using photos from the camera roll. Photos can be dragged and dropped to rearrange and pinched and puled to adjust size and the layout. Posting to Instagram is quick and easy.
For brands, many of which generate their highest social media engagement on Instagram, Layout should be sparking many ideas. This month Instagram announced a carousel ad product to give businesses the ability to serve multiple images in sponsored posts, but the product is being offered to a limited number of advertisers. Layout provides an option that is similar and organic.
Brands didn’t waste any time getting involved.
The Victoria’s Secret account went with the obvious and added a trump card — puppies:
A photo posted by Victoria's Secret (@victoriassecret) on Mar 23, 2015 at 11:33am PDT
Sephora created a step-by-step guide for applying lipstick:
A photo posted by Sephora (@sephora) on Mar 23, 2015 at 1:29pm PDT
And Shutterfly showed off a Layout enhanced version of its product:
A photo posted by @shutterfly on Mar 23, 2015 at 4:06pm PDT
For more information about the new app, read the Instagram blog post and the Layout help page.
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