Is history repeating itself with Instagram advertising? Did you know back in 2005 Apple was one of the biggest and earliest advertisers on the Facebook platform? They sponsored an “Apple Group?”

And back in 2005 you could also buy Apple stock for $10.48 US, that very same stock trading at around $172.29 US today.

Is it not amazing how times and the fortunes of both these organisations have changed?

Where you also aware that Instagram Advertising is now available to every brand? As they have recently opened up their API.

The opportunity this represents to a brand should not be misunderstood, and it should not be missed.

Instagram currently has over 55% of the 18 - 29 yrs online market using the platform. It is one of the fastest if not the fastest growing social media platforms in the world. There are now over 1 billion monthly active users.

History repeatedly shows that those who move fast and deliberately when opportunities present, consistently outperform their peers in the market.

In a period where thought leaders are discussing the rise of Exponential Organisations. Companies and brands that use information as acceleration for growth, and are "10x better, faster, and cheaper than yours".

These organisations currently categorised as Unicorns. A current list of which can be found here, or here. Often growing at 10x the market, and all having billion-dollar valuations.

Instagram advertising is one of those rare opportunities for a business to apply the model of information to accelerate growth.

Not since 2005, when Facebook opened advertising, have, brands had such a greenfield opportunity like Instagram advertising. Where both the interest and engagement of the audience is high, and advertising competition is low. Not to mention backed by the most sophisticated social media advertising platform - Facebook!

Brands lucky enough to have early Instagram advertising access showed ad recall at 2.8x higher than Nielson Norms. This is for online advertising.

Have no doubt that what you are witnessing here in terms of advertising is one of those rare moments. Just like the first television ads, radio ads, or even Billboard Advertising, they all had their moments.

In terms of advertising, this is Instagram’s moment. For many brands old and new, and some just about to be launched this will be a defining moment.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words and it is also the only international language that we all understand. Instagram advertising enables this language; it is how the platform works, and it is one of the reasons this social media platform grew so quickly.

For some brands, Instagram advertising will be a considered decision. Watching to see how brands perform and where it fits into the marketing mix.

For other brands like “Apple's” of the world, they realise that opportunities like this are rare. They realise moments are fleeting and will not waste time on executing, iterating and scaling.

We are living in a period where the application of information offers new and unparalleled opportunities.

Someone one day will write “did you know that back in August of 2015 Instagram advertising opened up to the world? One of the first advertisers was X ?” "There share price is now worth Y"

Is it not ironic that exactly ten years later those who may have missed the early days of Facebook advertising now have the same opportunity once again to act?

Don’t wait another ten years for an opportunity like this.

Instagram advertising is the opportunity of a decade!