Instagram Ad Strategies That Drive Good Results

Social media marketing has become inevitable for businesses today. The benefits of social media marketing are not unknown to us. Any social media marketing agency will tell you that you need a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes search and display ads on Google, ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and even industry-related social sites. Instagram is another platform that has been gaining popularity in recent years. You cannot ignore it anymore because it provides a space to tell visual stories in many ways. 

As of 2021, it has 1 billion active users every day. And we all know that that count has only grown. Instagram marketing benefits access to potential customers among them. The platform claims that 60% of users discover new products on the platform, and 75% of Instagrammers take action after being inspired by a post. Now, how can your business stand out on Instagram? That’s where Instagram advertising comes in.

What is Instagram Advertising? 

Just like advertising on any other platform, Instagram advertising includes paying to post sponsored content. Being a visual platform, Instagram’s marketing strategy does not focus on text ads. You need images/videos accompanied by text. While the way in which it is done might be different, the ultimate aim is to reach a larger and more targeted audience.

Is Instagram advertising right for your business?

To answer this question, you should first know who uses Instagram. Who will see if you advertise on the platform? Around 55% of Instagram users fall in the age range of 18-29. 28% of them are 30-49 years old. Only 11% of Instagram users are adults between the ages of 50-64, and only 4% are over 65. 

Besides that, around 32% of Instagram users live in urban areas with 28% in the suburbs and around 18% in the country. Statistically, there are more women on Instagram than men, but the gap is not significantly large. 

Even if your target audience is not a majority, it is still not useless. The popularity of Instagram is growing, and more adults seem to be signing up for the platform. Even if you are working with the minority, you can always target the demographic directly. Similar to other platforms, you can target specific genders, age ranges, locations, interests, behaviors, etc. to a certain extent.

The cost of ads on Instagram is slightly costlier than on Facebook. They are based on a variety of factors like (cost-per-click) and CPMs (cost per impression). It includes everything from your audience to your ad feedback. The prices are determined according to Instagram’s ad auction. 

On the bright side, you have control over how the budget is allocated. You can set your ad schedule, delivery method, and mode of setting your bid. You can choose between a daily budget to limit the amount spent per day, or you can choose a lifetime budget where you set up your ads to run until the budget is depleted.

If you are new to advertising on social media, learning how to do them might feel overwhelming at first. But if you have been advertising on Facebook, it will be quite easy. In fact, Instagram ads can be configured through Facebook Ad Manager itself.

Instagram Ad Formats

Instagram has six ad formats you can choose from.

Image Feed Ads: It is the most standard ad format. It is likely the one you see the most on your feed. These are the single images that appear as you scroll through your feed. The most interesting thing about these ads is that they don’t even look like ads if they are done well.

Image Story Ads: These are the most common ads seen on Instagram stories.

Video Feed Ads: If you can make good quality videos, then you should be promoting them through your Instagram feed. While Instagram supports most video files, there are recommended standard parameters that the platform suggests.

Video Story Ads: Instagram users often expect to see videos on their stories. So, they don’t feel forced. 

Carousel Feel Ads: In these types of ads, you can use a series of scrollable images rather than just one single image. You can choose up to 10 images or videos within a single ad.

Canvas Story Ads: The latest addition to ad formats, these are ads that allow you to create a 360 VR experience within the story. Even though they are only supported on mobile devices, they are extremely customizable.

Instagram Ad Strategies that drive good results

Now that you know about the type of Instagram ads, here are some Instagram marketing tips that will help you get a good reach.

Humanize your ads: Whatever the mood of your ads is, be it funny, goofy, or emotional, do not keep it generic. Humanize it. People use Instagram to be entertained and amused. Use that to your advantage and create ads that appeal to your audience’s emotions.

Create ads that are contextually relevant: Different social platforms cater to different types of audiences. As a result, not all ads will work equally across all platforms. You wouldn’t run the same ad on LinkedIn and Instagram as people are in completely different states of mind while browsing through both. Instagram is mainly used for enjoyment and relaxation. Make sure that your ads are not overly sales-driven.

Use Hashtags wisely: Instead of using generic hashtags, get creative, and search for hashtags that are more likely to be searched by your audience. But then don’t overdo it. Even though Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post, you do not want to use that many as it may look desperate. Cut it down to at least a 10.

Conduct Contests and Giveaways: People love competition and free stuff. Especially if they are having fun in the meantime. Promoting contests and giveaways is one of the most effective ways to reach more people via Instagram advertising.

Post your ads at Optimal Hours: As Instagram is crowded with content by the second, it is easy for your ad to get lost in the algorithm. In order to ensure maximum reach, you need to find out when your target audience is likely to engage on a large scale. If you are not sure, conduct a trial and error, and you will eventually get the hang of it. It helps to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and think about when they are most likely to perform activities that are related to your business.

To sum it up

Instagram is a platform that keeps evolving every day. If you want to come up with successful Instagram marketing strategies, you need to keep up with the changing algorithm and trends. It is not easy for business owners to keep a tab on every new development in each platform while managing their business. Under such circumstances, consulting a good digital marketing agency will go a long way in helping you with successful social media strategies.