Instagram now lets brands share advertising ‘stories’

Instagram said today it has begun offering its advertising partners a new way to share their marketing “stories” on the photo-sharing service.

In a blog post, Instagram said it now lets brands share what it calls “carousel ads.”

“Carousel ads give brands more flexibility in telling their stories,” Instagram wrote, “by allowing people who view their ads to swipe left to see additional images and link to a website of the brand’s choice.”

Essentially, Instagram is looking at this as a way for brands to share what amounts to multi-page print advertisements on the mobile service, but also the ability to bring users to a Web site to see more. “For instance, a fashion company could use the carousel to deconstruct the individual products in a ‘look,'” Instagram said. “A car company might share an array of different features of a vehicle and provide a link to learn more about the new model. Or, an advertiser could showcase how multiple ingredients come together to make a delicious meal.”

Users can scroll past ads they’re not interested in.

Instagram said the new service will be rolled out on a limited basis, and that more users will begin seeing carousel ads in the coming weeks.