Instagram may be unveiling a major game-changer in the months ahead, a revelation sparked by some serious code digging. Though the photo and video sharing platform's plans for making it easier for businesses to reap the benefits of exposure have been known for some time, the latest possibility—the addition of a pay-to-boost feature—may come as a surprise for those already sweating the 'gram's recent changes.
One key phrase was discovered by expert decompiler Elliott Murray, with TechCrunchreporting its appearance deep within the latest version of the app (8.1.0) most likely points to a feature similar to Facebook's own Boost Post ability:
"Instagram, much in the same way Facebook currently does, will allow users (and more likely businesses) the ability to pay to boost their post’s reach across their network," Murray wrote Sunday. "Worryingly for businesses that have amassed sizable social audiences, is the prospect that this paid method of boosting may become the only way to efficiently reach followers, as many businesses found with their pages on Facebook."
As Murray makes clear, the feature would present a new set of obstacles for both business-related accounts and the average Instagrammer. Though it's likely the feature would only be available to businesses and advertisers, the idea of introducing it for all accounts is especially troubling for artists and other influencers who use the platform to organically develop their following without needing a massive advertising budget.
However, for those solely concerned with the bottom line, the prospect of a pay-to-boost feature is enticing. Instagram currently nets more than 400 million active monthly users who collectively share more than 80 million photos per day. We are by no means an authority on matters of math, but millions times millions usually equals a fair amount of $$$.
Instagram did not immediately respond to Complex's request for comment.
