Instagram follows Twitter by testing new Notes feature, ads on profile pages

What you need to know

• Instagram has begun testing a new notes feature and a way for users to display ads on their profile page.
• The now-in-testing notes feature will limit users to a 60-character limit and will appear in their followers' IG Direct inbox.
• Per some snapshots, users will be able to toggle whether they want ads to appear on their profile page or not.

Instagram is testing two new features for its social media platform. One feature is a way users can write notes and allow ads to be shown on their Instagram page.

Both features are currently being tested, per Social Media Today. Social media consultant Matt Navarra posted some pictures about the new features in testing, showcasing how they may appear to users.

According to Social Media Today, the proposed Notes feature will allow users to create a "60 character long update." This note will be available for everyone associated with the creator and displayed at the top of their IG Direct inbox. These short blurbs could be seen as a way to engage with followers or to perhaps tease something to come without the need for a photo or a story.

Twitter recently began testing its own Notes feature, which allows users to publish longer-form posts to their accounts.

Instagram is also looking to allow individuals the ability to have ads appear on their profile pages. The setting could be another way for creators to gain revenue, as a recent iteration of the feature has been spotted, seemingly renamed to "Enable revenue sharing."

Sneaking more ads into users' lives is nothing too unfamiliar. Twitter also began testing ads in conversations late last year.

It's unclear if or when these features will be more widely available to users. These two new experiments can be seen as them continuing to refine and provide more ways of engagement and monetization for users.