Less than two months after rolling out ads, Instagram has announced that its sponsored posts are working.
The company on Thursday shared early results for its first four completed ad campaigns, including Levi's and Ben &Jerry's. Over a nine-day period, Levi's reached 7.4 million people in the U.S., while Ben & Jerry's reached 9.8 million people over eight days.
For its analysis, Instagram focused on metrics such as ad recall, reach, and awareness rather than social metrics such as the number of comments and likes and post received. "All four initial ad campaigns measured were successful at delivering the broad reach our advertisers were seeking," Instagram wrote in a blog post.
Despite the company's enthusiasm, many users were less than thrilled when Instagram rolled out ads. Fashion designer Michael Kors's Parisian-inspired jewelry-gram was the first sponsored post on Instagram. It featured a $225 gold watch from the designer's Timeless collection, and garnered more than 94,000 likes, but also attracted a horde of angry comments, many of which included foul language.
Users were similarly outraged when Instagram first announced plans for ads, threatening to close accounts, and complaining that they were not consulted on the decision. Some came to Instagram's defense, though, arguing that people couldn't complain about a free service.
"Ads on Instagram are designed to support brands focused on reaching large audiences with memorable, high quality content," Instagram wrote on its blog Thursday. "We think this aligns with the way people and brands already use Instagram — sharing photos and videos that capture a moment, inspire others, or shift perceptions."
As of September, Instagram had more than 150 million users, more than 60 percent of which are located outside the U.S.