Instagram recently announced some exciting new changes to their platform, specifically, they’ve begun rolling out advertisements for brands to use on the app.
In this post, we’ll take a look at how these ads work and how you can use them in a variety of ways for your business or brand to get website traffic.
Instagram Ads
Although many people knew that advertisements on Instagram were an inevitability after the social media platform was acquired by Facebook back in 2012, but it wasn’t until recently that these ads have become prevalent on the app.
Here’s what the ads look like when viewed from a mobile phone:
The two things to notice right off the bat here are the “Sponsored” tag in the top right of the image, and the “Learn More” button in the bottom right.
These are brand new features to the ads that aren’t available to non-advertisement images on Instagram. The “Learn More” button is actually a CTA that you can click on to be taken to a designated page the advertiser has chosen.
Both of these are monumental changes to the traditional Instagram feed, and it will certainly be interesting to see how this develops over time.
Why Ads on Instagram Make Sense
Since Instagram is owned by Facebook, advertisements on the platform give you access to a wide variety of targeted demographics. You can easily set up ads to target a ton of different markets, whether that’s by location, user age, user gender, etc.
And, with access to over 400 million Instagram users, you’ve also got a lot of reach to get your brand in front of people.
Plus, according to Kenshoo, Instagram users are two and a half times more likely to click on ads than on other social media platforms. That’s great news for brands that keep a close eye on their click-through rate (CTR), and it’s what makes Instagram such a platform to use to bring more people to your site.
How to Set Up Ads on Instagram
Before you set up your very first ad on Instagram, you’ll need to decide whether you want to do an image ad or a video ad. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you start.
Once you decide on a format for your ad, you have the option of choosing a square or landscape format for the ad. Up until recently, Instagram only allowed you to use a square format. This change allows you to make more creative ads, by utilizing the space in a different way. The next step is to set up your call to action.
Putting a CTA on Your Instagram Ad
For the most part, there are three different categories of CTA you can use for your Instagram ad, depending on your product.
- Website Clicks
- Video Views
- App Installs
You’ll have to decide which one of these three is your goal and how to create the most effective ad.
Instagram Ads Targeting Website Clicks
If you’re trying to get website clicks, you have a little bit more leeway when it comes to the CTA. Since you’re trying to get people to go to your site, the investment on the user’s part is not as high as it would be if you were trying to get them to download an app or watch your video.
You can choose from any of these CTAs for website clicks:
- Book Now
- Contact Us
- Download
- Learn More
- Shop Now
- Sign Up
- Watch More
What’s cool about these CTAs is that they’re all brand new features to the Instagram platform. Plus, they’re an actual clickable link that sends the user to your targeted page.
Instagram Ads Targeting App Installs
If you’re using Instagram to get people to install your app, there are also plenty of CTAs that target that type of action. You can choose from any of these CTAs:
- Install Now
- Use App
- Book Now
- Download
- Learn More
- Listen Now
- Play Game
- Shop Now
- Sign Up
- Watch More
- Watch Video
This gives you some more specific language, making it easier for you to tailor the app you’re offering to the ad you’re creating.
Instagram Ads Targeting Video Views
Trying to get people to watch your video is a little bit trickier. For a video ad, you have 30 seconds to use on your video. People can watch your video without needing to click on your CTA, but the CTA is still useful if you want your audience to watch a longer video, buy products mentioned in the ad, or something else.
Here are all the video CTAs available to you:
- Watch More
- Book Now
- Contact Us
- Download
- Learn More
- Shop Now
- Sign Up
Important Factors About Creating an Instagram Ad
You’ll need a valid Facebook account to create any ads on Instagram. You don’t need an Instagram account to create an ad, but it’s probably best to have one. If you don’t, your account will show up grayed out to users, and you won’t be able to respond to any comments on your ad.
How Brands Can Use Ads on Instagram
The great thing about Instagram ads is the reach they afford to brands. No matter what you’re selling, you’ve got an audience of over 400 million people.
The other great thing is that if your target market is part of the group known as “millennials,” you’ve got an even better opportunity to reach them with ads on Instagram. According to this statistic, 53% of online US adults (age 18-29) use Instagram. That’s great news for any brand that’s trying to figure out how they can market to millennials.
Plus, as we’re finding out more and more with SEO, people are spending more time on their mobile devices, making Instagram a key place for you to market to your target audience.
I would spend some time researching what kinds of hashtags would work best for your brand. Just like with Twitter, the right hashtags can put your brand in front of more and more people.
Some Examples of Brands Using Instagram
- Starbucks – One of the best examples of a brand that understands how to create relevant content for the medium. As of this writing, they have more than 5.8 million followers.
- Chobani – This frozen yogurt company fits Instagram into their marketing strategy by providing recipes, introducing new flavors, and using relevant hashtags. They have about 100,000 followers.
- Airbnb – With more than 600,000 followers, Airbnb utilizes travel photography and great storytelling for their captions to entice people to visit their site and book a room with them.
- GoPro – The ultimate in Instagram reach, with more than 6.4 million followers. They share a mix of photos and videos that are shared thousands of times by other users.
Hopefully, this post has given you some insight into how ads on Instagram work, and how you can utilize them to help market to specific audiences. Expect many exciting changes going forward as advertisements begin to roll out more and more on the Instagram platform.
Sources:
https://adage.com/article/digital/instagram-adds-clickable-ad-types-facebook-level-targeting/298839/
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/fashion/your-instagram-picture-worth-a-thousand-ads.html
