Instagram introduces 30-second video ads

For the better part of two years, Instagram has been experimenting with ads inside its app. It's a tricky balancing act -- working out which formats will work for businesses while simultaneously keeping users on side. Today, it's clearly decided those sponsored snaps are worth it, because it's making them available in more than 30 new countries including Spain, India and South Korea. If you live inside one of these nations, you can expect them to appear in your feed from September 30th. If you're already seeing the occasional ad, however, the Instagram experience is changing for you too. The company now offers video ads that are up to 30 seconds in length -- double that which regular users can upload -- as well as landscape photos and videos. Finally, advertisers can pay for a service called "Marquee," which expands the reach of their sponsored images and clips for a short period of time. Ads are never a welcome sight, but as we've seen with Facebook, Twitter and even Tinder, they're a seemingly inevitable part of making money on mobile now.