Instagram Adds Direct Private & Group Messaging

At a media even today today Instagram, the Facebook owned social image sharing app, said that it had grown from 80 million to 150 million users over the last year. Half of those users use the site daily, according to the company.  But the big reveal was Instagram Direct, private and select group sharing of images.

Instagram users can now send images to a single person or groups of up to 15 along with a text message; and a check mark is added when the image is viewed.  It's part of a greater Instagram effort to elevate photo sharing as a communications tool – similar to, but better than straight texting, for example.

PROMO TIP: Run a contest that invites 15 winners to recieve images and messages from backstage or inside a recording studio via Instagram Direct.

There are 1 billion smartphones and 4 billion feature phones in use, according to Instagram. In 2011, users took 360 billion photos, up from 86 billion in 2000.