The internet has been a buzz lately with the news that Instagram plans to start using ads within the next year. While everything is speculation at best right now, we do know that this is coming. It is inevitable. So, the question is, what does this mean for you?

If you're not yet using Instagram, why should you care about this? And if you are using Instagram, what does this mean going forward?

Both are very important questions. So let's break them out separately.

First, if you're not yet using Instagram. And, I say "yet" because, now more than ever, you're going to want to start thinking about it. Instagram has taken off since it was acquired by Facebook. At the time of acquisition in 2012, Instagram had approximately 40 million users. Today, according to recent statements by Instagram, they have 150 million users. That's a growth of of 370% and more than 100 million users in one year.

News flash: Instagram is NOT a fad!

You can join Instagram anytime, if it's viable for your business. If your business is product related at all, you can absolutely use Instagram for your business. And even if you offer services, rather than products, I can promise you there's a way to use Instagram too. Visual marketing is becoming more and more relevant in social media. Yes, content is king, and any good business marketer knows this. But visual marketing is classic - it conveys emotions and responses immediately and inherently. And digital marketers are taking advantage of this with sites like Instagram, Pinterest, SnapChat, Vimeo, Vine, and so on and so on.

I know it can be overwhelming to think about adding another platform. Believe me, I deal with the same concerns you do when it comes to adding another site. We only have so many hours in a day! But if you are thinking of expanding your reach to another platform, you should have Instagram at the top of your list.

The not-so-good news, is that now that they're talking about selling ads on the platform, all the crazy, smarmy, spam-loving marketers will be heading over to Instagram to take advantage of the ad space. If you think last year's growth was big, wait until you see how much it grows when they introduce paid advertising!

Right now, Instagram is a beautiful, fun-loving, casual place to hang out. Inevitably, some marketers will try to disrupt this atmosphere when ads are released. This, like the ads, is inevitable.

But, the good news, is that you can get ahead of them. You can get active on Instagram now and establish your brand and your audience. Like any other site, it will take time to grow a faithful audience. It will take time to grow your follower count. So why not get a head start now? Now, when you have the advantage!

This way, once the ad-hungry marketers show up (late to the game of course), you won't need to spend tons of money on ads to compete. You'll already have the edge and the ad-makers will be competing with you!

Ok, so what about those of you who are already using Instagram? How is this news going to affect you? Well, the reality is that Instagram will change. I hope the ads aren't invasive, overwhelming, and disruptive to the simple nature that we are used to. But, we won't know until they let us in on their plans, how disruptive the ads will be.

For the next year, you need to focus on taking full advantage of the platform you already have. (Start thinking 2014 strategic plans.) You already have a strong base of followers. You already know the ins and out of Instagram and what works and doesn't work for your audience. You know the times to post and what to post. You've already beat the learning curve!

Use this to your advantage to get ahead of the late comers that will only join Instagram to take advantage of paid advertising - and who will so inevitably do it wrong. Cultivate and groom your audience so that you don't need to rely on ads to compete.

Think about those companies and brands who established themselves prior to Facebook advertising. Many of them have large followings and rarely have to invest in ads to grow - their audience does a lot of the work for them! But those of us who joined the party later, are at a deficiency thanks to Edgerank (or whatever they're calling the algorithm they're using now) and big spending companies who focus on ads for growth.

Now, to be fair, I would rather have 1000 loyal, dedicated fans than 10,000 non-committal fans. But 10,000 loyal, dedicated fans would be pretty awesome! It's hard to do this on any site. But if we can grow and nurture a committed fan base organically, the ads become a way to enhance that audience. They won't be what we rely on to get the majority of our fans.

But you also need to start thinking about ads and how you can take advantage of them. Even though we don't know how they'll be used or what the restrictions will be, start getting familiar with ad policies elsewhere. Start thinking about what ads you like, what ads seem to work well. Look at the other sites who actively promote paid advertising: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, for example. Familiarize yourself with the process and the purpose so that when ads are released on Instagram, you won't have to spend precious time learning these things.

On a final note, I'm pretty sure it's obvious how I feel about the spam-a-lot marketers who abuse social media to serve their ridiculous definitions of social media marketing. You may agree with me and you may not. You are entitled to market you and your company any way you like on any medium. But I warn you to stray from being too focused on ads and mega-phone style marketing. Get to know a platform for the true value that it presents. Market accordingly to the audience that is there.

Ads can be an amazing tool in the social media tool kit. And many of us will likely take advantage of Instagram ads. Many of us currently use Facebook ads and promoted posts successfully and properly. Learn these best practices and make sure that you are using Instagram ads to enhance your marketing efforts, not to dictate them.

Stay tuned for updates!

I'd like to know, what do you think ads will do for Instagram? Are they going to be a benefit? Sound off in the comments!