And so it begins: first ads begin showing up on Instagram

Instagram officially launched its advertising platform today, putting an end to its 3+ year-long ad-free streak. A ‘sponsored post’ from upscale fashion brand Michael Kors has begun appearing in user timelines.

But it’s not like we didn’t know this was coming. The launch comes just a week after the social network offered up a preview of what ads were going to look like on Instagram, and after months of several warnings…

We first got wind of Instagram getting ads back in December of last year, when Facebook’s VP of global marketing solutions Carolyn Everson confirmed her team was working on ‘monetizing’ the photo-sharing service.

And now the moment is finally here. There’s no more speculating on what the ads are going to look like, or what they’ll mean for its 150 million+ users. It’s done. So without further ado, here’s the first Instagram ad:

Unsurprisingly, we’re seeing mixed feedback on the initial Michael Kors sponsored post. While it’s already received well over 120,000 likes, it’s also prompted a number of negative comments from unhappy users.

Conventional wisdom says that most folks will simply complain and move on, but only time will tell how this new strategy will affect Instagram’s business. Will it lose a large amount of users? Will it make money?

For those who haven’t seen the ad yet, it looks and acts like other Instagram posts in your timeline—you can like it, comment on it, and tapping on the poster’s name takes you to the brand’s profile page for more info.

What ads on Instagram will look like

Anyone with a bit good common sense has probably been expected ads to come to Instagram for a long time, but it wasn’t until about a month ago that it was officiallyconfirmed, and even explained shortly after on the company’s blog.

Today, Instagram took to their blog again to give us an idea of how ads will look like and what we’ll be able to do about them…

The company announced that coming this week, users in the US will see the above ad in their feed. This is a one-time sample ad aimed at giving you an idea of what ads on Instagram will look like.

If you see this ad, you’ll be able to tap on the “Sponsored” link where the photo or video time stamp normally is. This will take you to a page with more information about Instagram ads. The blog post failed to explain how a user will be able to act on the ad. For example, will there be a link below the ad to take me to the advertiser’s website? Will I be able to double tap on the ad to like it or be taken to the advertiser’s site? This isn’t clear yet.

The company also reiterated that “We want ads to be creative and engaging, so we’re starting with just a handful of brands that are already great members of the Instagram community.” In short, they want you to understand they won’t pollute your feed with ugly ads but rather deliver targeted and tasteful photo or video ads. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nike and other premium brands as part of Instagram’s new advertising program.