Instagram ads are an opportunity for businesses to reach potential customers in new ways.
It can be a powerful tool that drives conversions and sales.
Instagram has become one of the most popular platforms for online advertising due to its creative capabilities, broad user base, and innovative features such as stories and Reels.
So let’s take a look at how you can get started with Instagram Ads!
What Do You Need To Start Advertising On Instagram?
Before you start, there are some things you need to consider.
- Make sure that your creative assets like videos or photos are ready, high-quality visuals are essential for success here.
- Set up both a Facebook page and an Instagram account if you haven’t already done so.
- Create a dedicated landing page or optimize your homepage for conversions in order to get the most out of that call to action button.
With these steps taken care of, you’ll be well on your way to rocking Instagram Ads!
Understanding The Basics Of Instagram Ads
What Are Instagram Ads?
Instagram provides businesses with the option to pay for targeted posts that appear in the feeds, Stories, and explore pages of specific audiences on Instagram.
These posts are presented in the same style as other organic content on Instagram accounts and can contain videos, images, carousels, or dynamic product galleries.
While they appear to be regular posts, Instagram ads are identified with a Sponsored label to indicate that they are paid content.
Additionally, Instagram ads may include more features than traditional posts, such as links, call-to-action buttons, and product tags.
How Much Does It Cost To Advertise On Instagram?
There is no standard or recommended amount to spend, But in Meta’s recommendation, it is suggested to start with a minimum of $5 per day.
The actual cost of running Instagram ads will be determined by various factors, such as your campaign budget, duration, and objectives.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the most important factors to consider:
- Budget: You can set a daily or lifetime budget for your ads with no set best practices for how much to spend. Factors such as specific audiences targeted, industry competitiveness, and time of year should also be taken into consideration.
- Placement: The cost of ads can vary depending on where they are placed. Ads shown on Facebook will have different costs than those shown on Instagram.
- Bidding Strategy: Maximum bids in each auction can be manually set by advertisers or optimized automatically by Instagram. Starting with lower maximum bids is recommended in order to gain experience in advertising through this platform.
Types Of Instagram Ads
Instagram Ads can be a great way to reach new audiences and promote your business, but it’s important to understand the different types of ads available first:
- Image ads are best for campaigns with compelling visual content and text overlay is limited for accessibility and better results.
- Story Ads appear full screen between users’ Stories which makes them more immersive and interactive as they offer filters, text, GIFs, stickers, and more!
- Video ads are perfect if you want to showcase your product, highlight unique features or tell your brand story in an engaging and eye-catching fashion.
- Reels ads can last up to 60 seconds, to seamlessly blend with organic Reels, your Reels ads should include sound or music. They will loop indefinitely unless stopped. Additionally, users can engage with Reels ads by liking, sharing, commenting, and saving them.
- Explore Ads allow businesses to be featured alongside culturally relevant content while Reels Ads let you advertise within Reels – up to 60 seconds long – complete with sound and music.
- Carousel Ads feature multiple images/videos that viewers can swipe through.
- Collection Ads combine carousels with shopping options allowing customers to purchase products directly from the app.
Why Advertise On Instagram?
The benefits of using Instagram Ads for your business are multiple:
For starters, it’s incredibly easy to use – even if you don’t have any prior knowledge of digital marketing or social media platforms.
Plus, with scalable pricing options available, there’s something for everyone regardless of budget size.
You can also enjoy robust reporting features so that you always know exactly how well your ads are performing.
How to advertise on Instagram Using Ads Manager
With Meta Ads Manager, you can create your very own custom ads in minutes and start reaching the right audience for maximum success.
Here’s how to get started:
- Step 1: Create A New Instagram Ad Campaign
- Step 2: Select The Objective Of Your Ad Campaign
- Step 3: Name Your Instagram Ad Campaign
- Step 4: Define Your Budget And Schedule
- Step 5: Define Your Targeted Audience
- Step 6: Define Your Instagram Ad Placements
- Step 7: Configure Your Instagram Ad Details
- Step 8: Publish Your Instagram Ad
Step 1: Create A New Instagram Ad Campaign
Click ‘+Create’ to begin creating your new campaign.
Step 2: Select The Objective Of Your Ad Campaign
Think of objectives like a compass – they keep you headed in the right direction and allow you to chart progress along the way.
Instagram Ads campaigns have six available objectives– Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App Promotion, and Sales.
Select an objective for your new campaign, make sure it aligns with both your short-term goals, then click continue.
Step 3: Name Your Instagram Ad Campaign
Make sure your campaign name is specific – This helps you stay organized and makes it easier for you to identify campaigns at a glance.
Once you’re done choosing a name, click Next.
Step 4: Define Your Budget And Schedule
From the left-hand menu click “New Ad Set”, then determine the amount you want to spend and the duration of your campaign.
There are two options available for your budget:
- Daily budget: This option allows you to set a maximum spend per day and is suitable for ads that run continuously.
- Lifetime budget: This option allows you to set a maximum spend for your entire campaign and is ideal for ads that have a specific end date.
Step 5: Define Your Targeted Audience
When setting up your ad campaign, you have the option to select a previously saved audience or create a new audience from scratch.
Saved Audiences are beneficial if you have your custom audience data, such as past website visitors, or if you have had successful campaigns with a specific audience in the past.
If you don’t have any saved audiences, you can create a new audience by specifying their demographics, interests, and behavioral targeting.
If you decide to create a new audience, you can target them based on their location, age range, gender, demographics, interests, behaviors, and language.
Step 6: Define Your Instagram Ad Placements
Within the Placements section of the Ads Manager, you have the option to select where your ads will appear.
There are two placement options available:
- Advantage+ Placements: This option allows your ads to appear in the most effective locations for your audience.
- Manual Placements: With this option, you can specify exactly where your ad will appear and where it will not. If you prefer to restrict your ads to only appear on Instagram, you can do so by selecting Manual Placements.
If you’re new to advertising on Instagram, it’s recommended to choose Advantage+ Placements.
If you opt for Manual Placements, the Ads Manager will provide the technical specifications for each placement option.
Step 7: Configure Your Instagram Ad Details
On the Ads Manager screen, you have the ability to customize your ad by editing its name, selecting from various Instagram ad formats, and adding creative elements like images, videos, headlines, and call-to-action buttons.
Additionally, you can include any text, website URLs, and tracking parameters within the ad.
For effective conversion tracking, it’s essential to choose the Facebook Pixel in the Tracking section.
Once you have connected your website or app to the Facebook pixel, you will gain insights into how your audience interacts with your business following the click on your ad.
Step 8: Publish Your Instagram Ad
After completing all the required fields, click on the Publish button located in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Your Instagram ads will now run on the designated budget and timeline.
How to advertise on Instagram Using Instagram Boost
Promoting your existing posts is a great way to get started with advertising on Instagram.
With the Boost Post option, you can quickly turn any post into an ad and increase its reach.
All you need is a business or creator account on Instagram, connected to your Facebook Business Page.
Simply click ‘Boost post’ on the post you want to advertise, select from three goals—more profile visits, more website visits, or more messages—define your target audience (or let Instagram figure it out), choose whether you want to run it on Facebook too, set your budget and duration for how long the ad will run, review everything before going live, and wait for approval by Facebook.
Once approved and running, keep track of results in the Promotions tab of your Instagram profile.
Tips For Effective Instagram Ads
Here are some tips to help ensure that your Instagram ads are as effective as possible:
- Creative: Make sure your creative is designed with mobile users in mind, featuring branding and messaging upfront so viewers don’t have to search for it. Get creative with sound, video, carousels, collections, shoppable posts – whatever will grab attention and keep your audience engaged!
- Analytics: Use analytics to measure effectiveness and inform future campaigns. Track impressions, reach, conversions, and click-through rates – these metrics can tell you how well certain elements of an ad performs compared to others.
This data will help guide decisions on what types of content resonates best with people. So take the time to think through each campaign carefully before launching – you won’t regret it!
Instagram Ads Wrap Up
Advertising on Instagram is a great way to reach your target audience. With the right strategy and budget, you can create ads that engage customers and drive conversions.
But it’s important to remember that there’s more to successful ad campaigns than just creating good content.
To get the most out of your Instagram advertising efforts, make sure you’re familiar with the different types of ads available, understand why people are drawn to them, and experiment with various strategies until you find what works best for your business.
By doing so, you’ll maximize the impact of your marketing dollars while engaging potential customers in an innovative way!
