The Facebook-owned photo-sharing social media app is building an application programming interface (API) that will help companies and brands access their conversations with consumers and thus reach out to users in a better way.
APIs are tools that allow different applications to communicate with each other. Social media APIs are developed to allow third-party companies to build software tools to help brands and organizations interact with other users more effectively.
Instagram has stated that this development will better enable brands to manage their interactions with users on its platform.
“We are always working on new ways for businesses to connect with their customers. Stay tuned for more details,” said a spokesperson from the company.
Currently, Instagram operates a couple of important APIs that allow business accounts to reply to comments, check out the posts they are tagged in, and perform a host of related functions via third-party apps. There are, of course, loads of APIs for Facebook’s own social media platform, its messaging app Messenger, and WhatsApp.
While Instagram hasn’t revealed all the details pertaining to the development of this new API, it is clear that marketing agencies and brands are eagerly waiting for it. Social media has given companies the power to tap into a wider base of consumers, and target them with adverts in order to increase engagement with their products and services. The greater and better the volume of user data they have, the better the businesses are at targeting potential consumers.
Currently, brands have three options for managing their direct messages with Instagram users. They can use the consumer app, the Instagram website, or Creator Studio, which is a tool developed by Facebook for managing social media accounts with greater functionality. API access is not yet a thing, but according to Instagram’s latest announcement, it could be very soon.
