Brands can now cost-effectively acquire ads using SnapMyAd, says an article by Mashable. Businesses that are on-board with SnapMyAd, a free iOS app, can trade discounted products or events to Instagram users for brand-centric photos.  

Using consumers to produce content, or crowdsourcing, is not a new marketing method. While it may sound like a fresh term, TV shows such as America’s Funniest Home Videos had found success in crowdsourcing consumer-generated content (CGC) nearly two decades ago. Now, with the widespread of mobile devices, companies are able to gather consumer-generated content at a much greater scale. Providing that crowdsourcing tools such as SnapMyAd remain convenient for brands, it is expected that more crowdsourcing tools will appear in the near future.