In the biggest landscape of social media, a big company buying another big company is a regular thing. We would say that it the a strategic move for Facebook when they bought Instagram. Today we will be talking more about when did Facebook buy Instagram and what the reasons were.
Quick Answer:
In 2012 Facebook bought Instagram. When in two years Instagram gained 30 million users daily using it. So this tells a story that one must never stop being inventive. The buy-out benefited both parties.
Facebook bought Instagram because it had a great interface and visual storytelling ideas to offer to its audience. It was directed to the younger audience. This buy-out helped Facebook upgrade its game. And it came with many cross-platform features to make things easy for their audience in the future.
Instagram is a photo-sharing platform mainly but now there are reels shorts, stories, and everything going on. It has its uniqueness that makes it appealing to the audience.
Facebook is a big social networking friend where you can meet new people make friends and so on. The list goes on. There are groups you can join, and upgrade your business by making a new page.
It was surprising when Facebook bought Instagram. It was Facebook’s biggest business move. This shift came with many transformations. You can now link Facebook and Instagram together. We also talked about how to link Facebook and Instagram and one of our blogs. Do check it out!
When Did Facebook Buy Instagram?
The Timeline
Let’s now explore the timeline when Facebook bought Instagram. Both social media platforms have a great number of active users. This business move took every by storm when on April 9th, 2012, Facebook announced that they now own Instagram.
It was revealed that they purchased Instagram for about 1 billion dollars. It was quite a big amount for a company like Instagram which is only 2 years old.
Instagram was founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It gained popularity when its unique layout, interface, and artistic filters caught everybody’s eye. It was Instagram’s simplicity and visual attractiveness that had people loving it from around the world.
What Caught Facebook’s Interest in Instagram?
Before Facebook bought Instagram, Instagram experienced rapid growth. In other words, it surpassed 40 million users downloading in 2 years. It was a big success. It was its beautiful interface and visual storytelling theme that even Facebook loved.
With time Instagram become the top social media platform for people to interact on. Facebook was still dominating the market. So it decided to take Instagram in possession. This big buyout was the highlight of that time. It helped Facebook give access to more users to connect with on a different platform.
Yet Instagram’s Growth Continued
Even though it was bought by Facebook, Instagram still had its own image in the market. It independently used Facebook’s infrastructure for more growth and innovation.
Throughout the years Instagram changed over time. Facebook added several new features to Instagram for users’ ease. For example, stories, boomerangs, live video streaming, and cross-platform sharing. This means now people can connect both Facebook and Instagram. And also cross-post.
The Impact on Social Media World
This buy-out reshaped social media overall. Both Instagram and Facebook influenced users’ behaviour and changed the digital market forever. Here are the key impacts of this buy-out:
Diversification
Facebook’s portfolio expanded when it bought Instagram. Which in return diversified what they offer and helped them appeal to a bigger audience. They usually target younger audiences because they are always attracted to fascinating visuals.
Monetization Opportunity
The brotherhood of Instagram and Facebook grew like crazy. It also helped them change their ad infrastructure. And then comes new monetization opportunities for people with big businesses and brands. It enabled them to advertise their campaigns on both platforms.
Cross-Platform Activity
The buy-out made everything a lot easier, like sharing posts on both platforms at once. Cross-platform sharing and advertising became well-known too. It helped people enhance their reach and get more engagement for a better digital presence.
Increase Competition
When Facebook bought Instagram it changed a lot of things. Now more people are innovative and open to strategic partnerships. Yet the features Instagram and Facebook have are still competitive in the social media world.
Frequently Asked Questions
I work at Likes Geek as a marketing researcher and journalist with over 5 years of experience in media and content marketing. With a demonstrated history of working in the international news and financial technology publishing industries. I manage content and the editorial team at Likes Geek.