Instagram Ads

Discover How Instagram Ads Can Benefit Your Business

September 2021

What Are Instagram Ads?

Instagram currently has more than one billion active monthly users. And this is just one impressive stat. It’s also the second most used social network (behind Facebook) and is still growing. Nowadays, advertising on Instagram is an absolute must for most companies.

 

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Instagram Ads

 

Instagram Ads are a way for brands to advertise online and show off their creative side with images, videos, and other visual content. There are many different ways to create these campaigns, something which we will discuss more in depth in the coming paragraphs.

 

Launching an Instagram ad campaign requires you to have a Facebook advertising account (if you already use Facebook for promotional purposes, you can use the same login), or you can open Instagram business account. Instagram ads are managed via Instagram ads Manager or Facebook Power Editor.  

 

Key Instagram Statistics

  • According to Statista, there are over 170 million Instagram users in the United States alone. This number is expected to increase.
  • Over 50 billion pictures have been posted on Instagram so far.
  • About 60% of Instagram's users are between the ages of 18 and 34. 
  • Approximately 130 million people tap on Instagram product tags at least once a month.
  • Instagram has become the perfect place for discovering new content like articles, videos, pictures of friends, the daily lives of celebrities, brand posts, etc.
  • Instagram’s allows you to create and implement campaigns tailored to each stage of the conversion funnel.

From these numbers, it’s clear that Instagram ads are a force to be reckoned with. They can be extremely useful when it comes to helping brands reach their target market, improve sales, and increase brand awareness.

 

 

Types of Instagram Ads

Not all Instagram ads work the same way so it’s important to have a solid understanding of the basic concepts and options before you start creating a campaign. Instagram Ads appear on the newsfeeds of users you select to be a part of your target audience. These posts will be clearly labeled as “Sponsored.” In order to decide if an ad will be shown or not, Instagram has a selection criteria based on bids and the relevance to the user.

 

It’s also important to be familiar with the different types of Instagram ads which are at your disposal. Depending on your business’s goals, some ads may prove to be more helpful or relevant than others.

 

Instagram Ads With Pictures

As the name suggests, these advertisements a photographic element. The visual aspect of Instagram is crucial and, thanks to the clean platform interface, any image can be converted into a much more attractive format.  

 

Instagram Ads With Videos

If you want to offer a more immersive user experience, video-based Instagram ads are a fantastic option. The rest of the parameters remain the same but, as the name suggests, instead of an image, the ad consists of a video a video tailored to your target market.

 

Sequential Ads on Instagram 

If you want to show your target audience a series of pictures or videos, this type of Instagram ad is your best bet.

 

Types of Instagram Ad Campaigns According to Your Brand's Goals

Once you understand what kinds of Instagram ads there are, you can take the next step and create your own Instagram ads. This next step is based on understanding what types of campaigns you should run depending on your business’s goals and objectives.

  • Awareness: this type of campaign is geared towards raising brand awareness. If you want to increase your reach and make potential customers remember you, this type of campaign is your best option. It is also well-suited for local distribution.
  • Consideration: this type of campaign is very useful when it comes to achieving objectives like getting more clicks on your website or presenting your brand as a great option during the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey. These types of Instagram ads can also improve your reach and rate of interaction within your target market.
  • Conversion: if you’re looking for more app interaction, content downloads, lead acquisition, or increased sales, this campaign is without a doubt your best option.

In addition to knowing the different kinds of ads and campaigns available on Instagram, it’s important to define your business goals and to determine which platforms are best-suited to your needs before you create your Instagram Ads.

 

 

How to Promote Your Brand With Instagram Ads

Once you know how Instagram ads work, it’s helpful to know how you can use them to successfully promote your business. Let's look at some of the benefits your company is likely to see if you chose to use Instagram ads.

  • Improved visual impact. Getting your target audience’s attention by appearing on their newsfeeds is totally doable on Instagram. Your chances of achieving this go up if you launch campaigns with high quality pictures and videos.
  • Branding. Due to the importance of visuals in Instagram ads, advertising campaigns on this platform can majorly increase your company’s overall brand awareness among your target audience.
  • Community growth. Instagram ads can also help you grow your brand’s community. This means promoting a new line of direct communication which, in turn, could increase the frequency of sales and improve brand association within your target market.
  • Intentional marketing actions. Ads can also become tools that help you further certain marketing strategies. For instance, you can use them as a means of introducing new products, offering a secondary service, or even giving your clients a free product sample.
  • Contests and giveaways. Everyone likes a good contest and contests and giveaways are perfect for getting leads that can later be worked into your email marketing strategy. As an added bonus, contests and giveaways help boost brand awareness.

A word of caution: Instagram Ads are not miracles. If you don’t create relevant, high quality content for your account, Instagram ads will not give you the desired results. Therefore, it’s crucial to find the happy medium between the resources invested and the quality content produced.

 

Now that you’ve gained insight into how Instagram ads work, there’s just one thing left to do: apply what you’ve learned by creating your first Instagram ad campaign!

 

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