Social media and everything online is the future, right? Well, according to this TechCrunch article from December, Instagram is thinking of taking a step back in time and offering their own printing services to transfer your favorite square, filtered snapshots onto physical "things" like paper, wood, glass, or canvas. This service is currently available from other websites, but not directly through Instagram. The problem with our recent online lives is that much of the stuff we create calls the cloud or hard drive home. It is rare if any picture taken on a iPhone makes it to a glossy or matte photo print that is safe from something traumatic that may happen on the inter-webs.
Printing Instagram photos can also be a huge money-maker for the Facebook-owned company during holidays and birthdays. There is undeniably something more personal than tagging someone in a photo online, or writing them a message on their Facebook wall, or an e-card, and it is a physical card with a picture and a hand-written message. Around these times of the year, a picture capturing a special moment can be mailed to someone on a card, or make the picture the gift itself on a piece of glass or wood. This is a huge opportunity, not just for Instagram, but for any social media website who can find a way to make their intangible product a physical reality.
Printing Instagram photos can also be a huge money-maker for the Facebook-owned company during holidays and birthdays. There is undeniably something more personal than tagging someone in a photo online, or writing them a message on their Facebook wall, or an e-card, and it is a physical card with a picture and a hand-written message. Around these times of the year, a picture capturing a special moment can be mailed to someone on a card, or make the picture the gift itself on a piece of glass or wood. This is a huge opportunity, not just for Instagram, but for any social media website who can find a way to make their intangible product a physical reality.
If Instagram follows through with this idea, I might possibly create a profile. I believe putting a picture or image on a piece of glass or wood is such a clever idea for post cards, letters, photos, and much more. For Instagram, this a major opportunity for them to boost their market and give Facebook and Twitter some competition.
ReplyDeleteI actually often use the photo shop at riteaid.com. I like the added possibility though of being able to have it printed on wood or glass. That would make some really beautiful home decor/ gifts. It's also interesting to note that there is such an ebb and flow of demands from the online world to the physical one.
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