How to Use Instagram Ads?
Instagram is one of the best social networks for advertising. It has become a major advertising platform, almost as significant as its parent company, Facebook. To succeed on Instagram, your best option is to share stunning images and high-quality photos.
If you want to further increase your reach, but you’re not entirely sure how to use Instagram ads or you’re concerned about their cost, continue reading to learn how to effectively run Instagram ads on any budget.
Why Should You Advertise on Instagram?
Instagram is rapidly growing, with 200 million business accounts on the platform, and this number is increasing.
Instagram’s advertising revenues could reach $18.16 billion by 2021.
Not only is Instagram experiencing significant growth, but it’s also bringing in substantial profits for businesses. It attracts numerous major brands because advertising on Instagram is worthwhile. Even if you’re not a multimillion-dollar brand, Instagram ads are still equally important for you.
How to Use Instagram Ads in 3 Minutes
Here are the reasons why businesses of all sizes should consider using Instagram as a way to promote their brands, services, or products:
- Anyone can advertise on the platform.
- Since Facebook owns Instagram, you can target audiences using Facebook data.
- Audience engagement is limitless. Businesses can interact with users in the comment section of their photos.
- Post ads appear like other shared posts on Instagram, making them feel less obtrusive.
- There are multiple ways to advertise on Instagram, including post ads, stories, videos, IGTV, and Shopping ads.
- Whether you want to increase brand awareness, drive more clicks to your website, make sales, or boost the download count of your latest e-book, Instagram can help you reach a vast audience.
What Are the Ad Formats on Instagram?
Instagram provides a range of ad formats that allow you to create compelling content and achieve your goals. Here are a few options to explore and information on how to effectively utilize each one:
Photo Ads
Photo ads appear organically in your Instagram feed as you scroll. An Instagram photo ad looks like a post from an account you already follow, but it includes a small “Sponsored” label in the corner to indicate that it’s an ad. These ads contain a call-to-action button at the bottom to direct people to a specific URL or your Instagram profile.
If you have a photo that truly resonates with your message, using photo ads can be beneficial. Keeping your approach simple can help you stand out and grab attention as people navigate through the platform.
You can use this format to promote past Instagram posts as well. Look for the most popular ones and click “Promote” to get started.
Carousel Ads
Carousel Instagram ads take photo ads to the next level. With this style, you can create a series of up to 10 photos or videos in a single ad.
Like photo ads, they appear in the Instagram feed, but each photo or video can be linked to a different URL or destination.
This allows you to showcase a collection or product range effectively.
When deciding between photo ads and carousel ads, consider what you’re trying to promote. Resist the urge to cram more photos into one ad by opting for carousel ads. They should work together and make sense as a unit.
Photo ads are like a single-page ad in a magazine or newspaper, while carousel ads are like flipbooks or mini catalogs. They’re great for announcing a new product line or seasonal collection.
Video Ads
Video Instagram ads are exactly what they sound like. Like photo ads, they appear in the Instagram feed. You can create video ads that are as short as one second or as long as a minute, or anywhere in between.
When creating video ads for Instagram, consider your objectives. You can choose to present a lot of information in the video, entertaining or educating your audience, or use it as a teaser to encourage viewers to learn more about your brand.
Again, consider what works best for you in the feed: photos, videos, or carousel ads. Videos allow for more dynamic content, but you need to capture attention quickly at the beginning of the video to keep viewers engaged.
Instagram Shopping
Instagram Shopping ads provide an interactive option to showcase your products in the Instagram feed or Explore section. Viewers can click on the ads to learn more about the products and even make purchases directly through the Instagram app.
To use this ad option, you’ll need to set up an Instagram shop. If your brand is already utilizing Instagram’s shopping feature, this is a smart next step to inform a new audience about your products.
You can use flatlays of your products, real-world images, or other detailed photos and create tags to direct people to places where they can make direct purchases.
Influencers
Social media influencers play a significant role in the world of content marketing these days. Influencer ads are a part of this landscape. They can consist of photos or videos that an influencer organically creates and shares, but are sponsored by another brand.
For this to happen, an Instagram influencer account would need to grant permission for a partner or collaborating brand to share a post on their behalf.
These types of ads are built on existing relationships between content creators and brands. If you’re already working with an influencer, this is a great way to showcase the organic content they’ve created featuring your products or services.
Reels
Instagram reels ads are ads between reel videos. Following the same format as an Instagram reels video, these ads seamlessly blend into the flow of reel videos. Instagram reels ads can be up to 30 seconds in length and are played in a loop on a full vertical screen. Think of them as Instagram’s answer to the TikTok format.
If you have short, attention-grabbing, and intriguing video content that’s likely to interact well and be shared, this could be the ad format for you. Keep the characteristics of a viral video in mind.
Stories
Every day, 500 million people use Instagram Stories. Like other types of Instagram ads, story ads are seamlessly integrated into the Stories platform, ensuring that your target audience sees your content while navigating through the Stories of accounts they follow.
For optimal use of this type of ad, Instagram suggests using message-driven, action-focused content that aligns with the fast-paced nature of Stories.
IGTV
IGTV is one of the latest Instagram ad formats offered to content creators. These ads play before IGTV videos, similar to how video ads work on platforms like YouTube. IGTV ads can be up to 15 seconds long, so it’s important to convey your message effectively within that time frame.
Join the best digital agency, made by iocaste.
You can follow us more closely and stay updated by connecting with us on social media. For the latest content, events, and more, visit our Facebook and Instagram pages. Start following us by clicking on the links below!
Facebook: facebook/iocaste.co
Instagram: instagram.com/iocaste.co
Join us to experience an interactive journey and enjoy staying informed!
