Instagram is launching new video slideshow ads

Instagram is giving its advertisers more video options in an ongoing push to squeeze more money out of the platform.

The photo-sharing app just launched new video carousel ads -- much like the ones parent company Facebook rolled out last fall. The format will let advertisers show three to five videos or images at a time that users can toggle from side to side to view.

Airbnb, Taco Bell and Macy's are kicking off the beta version of the ads on Tuesday. Airbnb's takes you through a sequence of videos from various tourist attractions in Tokyo, and Taco Bell's are a spoof of Buzzfeed's popular Instagram-housed recipe videos.

Instagram first introduced image-based carousel ads last spring as it prepared to expand its advertiser base from an exclusive handful of big brands to any business large or small. 

They quickly proved to be about 2.5% more effective than single images, said Instagram's head of business and brand development, James Quarles. 

Since then, Instagram has also taken steps to make its video tools more amenable to advertising needs -- ditching the long-held square restriction, adding view counts and allowing videos up to 60 seconds.

"Video's better than static image and carousel's better than single image, and we've brought them together here," Quarles told Mashable. 

Throughout the process, there's been concerns that loosening up restrictions could lead to shoddier-looking ads -- more freedom and flexibility means it's easier for advertisers to dump existing photos and videos into Instagram without tailoring them to the platform.

Quarles said there are advertisers who seem to be simply repurposing content, but those who hew most closely to Instagram's artsy ethos have the most success.

"The best way to maximize impact is to do the format that is native and takes up the most screen real estate," he said. "Things that lack consistency or don't really represent the brand tend to, unsurprisingly, not move the metrics that matter."

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