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Facebook confirms it will 'monetize' Instagram

Facebook confirms it will 'monetize' Instagram

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Since Facebook acquired Instagram earlier this year, people have wondered how the service might be changing. We're still not sure, but Facebook VP of Global Marketing Solutions Carolyn Everson has confirmed that monetization is coming in some form. Talking with Business Insider, Everson avoided the question of whether ads would start appearing on the photo sharing service, but she said that "eventually we'll figure out a way to monetize Instagram." Shortly after, she reiterated that the Instagram team was still relatively small and fairly new, but maintained that it would eventually start generating funds for Facebook. "There are many brands that use Instagram right now to try to get a feel for how to engage with their followers. We will definitely be figuring out a monetization strategy."

It's very likely this means ads, and Everson's comments aren't really surprising, especially since figuring out a way to get more money from mobile services has been a recurring issue for Facebook. But it does mean both that the company is already looking to bring Instagram into the world of revenue generation and that the timeline still seems highly uncertain.