It looks like Instagram is trying to help some of its users see what they're missing by not clicking on the Instagram icon through its first ever re-engagement emails, "Highlights."
Instagram users who haven't kept track of their friends' lives through the app, the photo-sharing, video sharing and social networking service is sending a new email digest called "Highlights," which will contain the best posts from their Instagram friends.
Now, four-and-a-half-year old, Instagram is trying to ensure that its long-time users don't slip away from its app.
"Highlights" shows Instagram users the posts they missed from the people they really care about by not using the app. This also allows users to ignore all of those other account they follow that do nothing more than just clogging up their feed.
Social networking service, Twitter bought a full startup in a bid to power re-engagement emails giving a boost to the best tweets users might have missed, and now Instagram have started sending "Highlights" hoping to retain its current users and rope back those users who have eventually strayed from the photo-sharing service.
According to records on TechCrunch, this is the first time Instagram is sending any type of promotional or re-engagement email. In fact, its so new, it doesn't even offer a setting to control it. Moreover, hitting unsubscribe doesn't do anything as there are no email settings yet. There is no way to re-subscribe either.
While some users may not like the idea of receiving more email, especially one's they didn't sign up for, Highlights could possibly solve a common issue amongst aging social networks that show a live, reverse chronological feed of posts. Though this is common issue with networks such as Twitter and Instagram, it does not impact relevancy-sorted streams such as Facebook.
With a staggering 300 million subscribers, Instagram, just like every other social media app, is looking to monetize these eyeballs and by sending "Highlights," it's hoping to re-energize its users.
The highlights are ultimately meant to get users viewing more ads and with more active subscribers, the photo-sharing service can generate more clicks on ad impressions which eventually lead to more revenue, Phone Arena noted.
This means more money for Facebook, which acquired the photo-sharing app in April 2012.
That being said, the new move from Instagram to include "Highlights" is not well-received by all its subscriber as some users claimed that the app is no longer "cool" as it used to be.
