Instagram advertising is a way to reach a larger and more specific audience by paying to post sponsored content on Instagram. There are many reasons for a business to advertise. Some of the reasons are increasing brand awareness and website traffic, generating new leads and moving current leads further down the sales funnel (and hopefully towards converting). Instagram is all about pictures, so text ads don’t work here. To reach your audience with Instagram ads, you need an image, a set of images, or a video (which can include text).
Different kinds of Instagram ads
Photo Ads
Since sharing photos is the most popular thing on Instagram, it makes sense that these are the most common kind of ads there. Once upon a time, the photo-sharing option was just a way for Instagram users to send pictures to people they followed or connected with through Instagram. Today, things are different, and people use photos to promote products, services, brands, and events. Photo ads need to have content related to the ads. Creative captions tell people more about the product or service, tags of the brand(s), and the people involved. The right hashtags mean that the right people can find the post faster.
Sponsored Ads
Sponsored ads are something that business accounts on Instagram can promote their posts by paying for ads. These ads show up in the home feed of the target audience and have a direct link to a website, an online store, or the brand’s profile. This makes it possible for the brand to sell their product or service directly to their TG, which increases their reach and following.
Sponsored ads are also an excellent way for brands to get more people to enter contests and giveaways if they have any. It’s also essential to get more people involved, and sponsored ads help drive people to the business’s profile.
Story Ads
Instagram stories are viral, and almost 80% of Instagram users post stories at least twice or three times a week. There is also a big group of users who post stories regularly, which means that stories bring in much traffic. So, story ads are all about intelligent placement and targeting.
Before the next story comes up, story ads only show up for a few seconds, and once they’re gone, you can’t see them again. This is likely the only problem with the choice. But most users know this, so if they’re curious enough, they’re more likely to “swipe up.”
Video Ads
Many brands make video ads just for digital media because the number of people watching them is much higher than other media. Instagram usually lets you post videos between 30 and 60 seconds long. Hence, brands change their video content to fit either post-full-fledged ads or teasers for the ads (which takes them to another video platform like YouTube).
Video ads that are creative and interesting work well because so many people watch them. The videos can go viral in hours if the content is relatable, unique and strong.
IGTV ads
Instagram’s IGTV is a relatively new feature that brands and influencers use to post videos that aren’t ads but aren’t necessarily promotional either. It worked out pretty well for the brand, and more and more people are asking for more videos like that. On IGTV, people can post videos up to 20 minutes long.
Carousel ads
If posting one photo or video isn’t enough, carousel ads are good alternatives. With these kinds of Instagram ads, users can swipe through 3 to 4 images that promote the same ad, keeping them on the same post for longer. If a post with several photos is enabled, a carousel ad can also be a sponsored ad.
Backlinking is possible, and it’s an excellent way for brands to promote a new product or service. Brands don’t have to put all their content on a single photo or video. Instead, they can split it up and share more information so that viewers can get a better idea.
How Important Are Instagram Ads?
More people tuning in
Instagram is one of the social media sites that is growing the fastest. Each month, 1.2 billion people use Instagram. More than 200 million Instagram users regularly check at least one profile. So, with this massive audience growth, Instagram ads can be the best way to grow your business on social media.
Brand Awareness
On average, Instagram users spend 30 minutes a day on the site. Aside from that, 130 million Instagram users click on shopping posts every month, and 81 percent of people use Instagram to look into products and services. 11% of people in the U.S. who use social media to shop do so on Instagram. According to the numbers, putting ads on Instagram makes people aware of products or services.
The ability to hit the target well
Since Instagram uses Facebook’s advertising system, it can be sure to reach the right people. The whole ad system lets you choose the location, age, gender, interests, shopping and buying habits, and more of the people you want to reach.
Conclusion
It can be hard to decide which Instagram ad format is best for your business. You can choose from eight different kinds of ads, and each one has its benefits. If you want an excellent place to start when deciding which type of ad is best for your business, try running quick campaigns with all eight formats. You can see what works in just a few days or weeks and get a good idea. It would help if you also looked at how well organic content on your official Instagram page did in the past. This will help you figure out what will work best based on who has interacted with your posts in the past. You can then choose between options based on detailed analytics, such as looking at your competitors’ ads or making custom audiences from scratch. Do get in touch and visit our website for more information.
