Facebook and the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA) launched Instagram Academy, supporting young entrepreneurs and businesses to recover from the pandemic. 

Facebook and the Vietnam Internet Association launch Instagram Academy. Photo: VIA

The program includes four online training sessions, 60 minutes per session, at 9am every Saturday, starting from August 28 to September 18, 2021, on https://igacademy.via.org.vn/.

Featuring an interesting and completely free training curriculum under Instagram’s design consultation, Instagram Academy aims to provide 200 aspiring youngsters aged 18-35 with tools, knowledge, skills, as well as the confidence and tenacity needed to pursue their entrepreneurial dream. 

According to Instagram, there are about 25 million businesses worldwide leveraging Instagram as one effective selling channel. More than 90% of Instagram users follow at least one company on the platform. In Vietnam, nearly nine out of ten Millennial Z (aged 18-38) usually take a positive brand action on Instagram. More than just a platform for sharing photos, videos and getting updated with the latest trends, Instagram is becoming an increasingly popular channel for doing business.

Since the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic is taking its toll on the economy and businesses are facing huge difficulties in finding new customers and maintaining revenue, Instagram Academy is initiated to open a new direction for businesses, helping small-medium businesses in Vietnam attract customers, especially young ones, thus boosting sales and achieving the ultimate goal to recover and promote business activities. 

Vu The Binh, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA) commented: “We hope that the Instagram Academy program will contribute to promoting the application and the digital economy in Vietnam.”

Through the Instagram Academy program, the association expected to contribute to the widespread digital transformation in Vietnam, helping small and medium businesses and individuals find and maintain business opportunities on Facebook's compelling Instagram platform, he added.

The five most outstanding businesses selected will have the opportunity to attend and share experiences in successfully digitizing businesses at the special live streaming session on Instagram, along with other lessons learned from the program, and receive further consultation from the Mentor Board featuring leading startup experts in Vietnam.

Recruited participants will be added to the Facebook Group “Instagram Academy”, where they can directly discuss, respond to questions, and compete with each other throughout the program. Training sessions will also be a great opportunity for the instructor and participants to interact, share new updates, and answer questions. The video records for all sessions will then be uploaded to the program’s official website at https://igacademy.via.org.vn/ to extend the knowledge to the community. 

Nguyen Phuong Chi, Acting Head of Public Policy at Facebook Vietnam commented: “Instagram Academy marks the very first long-term partnership between Facebook and VIA. I hope the participants of Instagram Academy will not only gain valuable knowledge but also have a chance to engage and exchange experiences with peer entrepreneurs, thus achieving positive development for their own businesses.”  

Instagram Academy is a part of the “Instagram for Vietnam” campaign, which aims to encourage the spirit of the young generation, as well as promoting positivity among the Vietnamese youth community. 

Following the success of the “Facebook for Vietnam” campaign launched in 2020, the “Instagram for Vietnam” initiative continues the goal to support economic recovery and boost digital creativity amongst Vietnamese youngsters, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as in the long term.