advertising on Instagram

The complete guide to advertising on Instagram

Have you tried advertising on google or other social media platforms? Are you in a dilemma about advertising on Instagram?  

Then there is no doubt that you cannot ignore advertising on Instagram. However, when you learn how to make the most of it, you may also prefer it to other types of advertising. 

So to learn the ins and outs of Instagram marketing, first, you need to know what it is and how it works. 

This article is your ultimate guide to advertising on Instagram.

Why you should be advertising on Instagram? 

Instagram ads are different types of content that a business pays to promote to users’ Instagram feeds. 

Although they are usually identified with a “sponsored” label, Instagram ads and regular posts on feeds and stories are very much alike, which is a very good thing for marketing. Therefore, if they are made creatively, and people find them interesting, they would like to follow them on the platform.

However, advertising on Instagram is not without its bonuses, the sponsored label, some extra CTA (Call-To-Action) buttons, and other e-commerce features, to name a few. Therefore, here is why you should be advertising on Instagram. 

Reason #1 – You can learn about your target audience

Instagram allows you to analyze your advertising performance to learn more about your audience’s demographics, interests, age, and more.

Reason #2 – Instagram ads could be informative as well as being fun

There are different creative ways of promoting your products with fun and informative content, such as tutorial videos. 

Reason #3 – Use Instagram ads to get more exposure

Every day, Instagram-users spend a lot of time viewing all types of content. So ads can put you under the spotlight by encouraging people to pay attention to you. 

Reason #4 – You can improve your impressions and reach

As we said earlier, advertising on Instagram could be fun and informative. So this can result in more people watching your content (reach) and even being intrigued to watch it more than once (impressions). In other words, keep in mind that These two figures are vital to Instagram marketing. 

Reason #5 – Statistics show that advertising on Instagram has great potential 

Instagram’s format and its visual nature have become hugely popular with businesses of all sizes. Instagram has been also rolling out new features for all types. The following statistics prove that advertising on Instagram is more promising than ever. 

  • Instagram is the sixth-most visited website and the 9th most popular Google query.
  • Over 1 billion people use Instagram every month.
  • Instagram has the 4th-most users of any mobile app.
  • 140 million people use Instagram in the US, while Europe had also seen 17% user growth in 2020. 

advertising on Instagram

How to advertise on Instagram? 

To answer this question, you need to choose your approach to advertise on Instagram first. To clarify, there are two ways:  

1. Advertising on Instagram from the app

Firstly, you should switch to a business or creator profile first. In addition, link your Instagram profile to a Facebook page. Then your profile is ready to create an ad directly from Instagram.

Here is a step-by-step guide to promoting your posts.

Step #1 – Open your profile and tap “promotions”.

Step #2 – Tap “create promotion” at the bottom of your screen.  

Step #3 – Now you can select the post you would like to promote and tap “next” at the top right of your screen.  

Step #4 – Define your audience, budget, and how long you wish to offer your promotion. 

Step #5 – Finally, tap “create promotion”. 

advertising on Instagram

2. Advertising on Instagram using Facebook ads manager

On the other hand, advertising on Facebook is usually what advanced advertisers choose for a larger ad set. Here is how it works. 

Step #1 – Choose your objective

Decide what kind of ad suits your campaign best. We will tell you what features every kind of ad can offer on Instagram later. 

advertising on Instagram

Step #2 – Name your ad or campaign

The name you choose can be the first impression you make on your audience. Pick it wisely to sound as relative and intriguing as possible. 

advertising on Instagram

Step #3 – Define your budget or placement

In the Placements section, you can decide where your ads will appear on Facebook and Instagram.

advertising on Instagram

Step #4 – Create your ad

Start by choosing the format you want to use for your ad. All the recommended image and video specifications are listed in the Facebook Ads Manager by the section to upload your media files.

advertising on Instagram

What types of advertising on Instagram suit your campaign? 

Every different ad format you choose has its own objectives and CTA buttons. The following can guide you with the choices you can make regarding each type of ad and its objectives.  

You can take a look at the following list.

1.     Stories ads

Features available on Instagram stories are effective tools for marketers and brands. Stickers, swipe-up links, highlights, and other features can boost up your engagement rate, impressions, and reach as well as your recognition.    

Objectives:

App installs: Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Not Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Supported

Lead generation: Supported

Link clicks: Supported

Messages: Supported

Post engagement: Not Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Supported

 

Call-to-action buttons:

Apply Now: Supported

Book Now: Supported

Book Test Drive: Not Supported

Contact us: Supported

Check Availability: Not Supported

Donate: Not Supported

Download: Supported

Directions: Not Supported

Showtimes: Supported

Quote: Supported

Offer: Supported

Install Now: Supported

Learn More: Supported

Listen Now: Supported

Open Link: Supported

Order Now: Supported

Play Game: Supported

Preregister: Not Supported

Request Time: Supported

See Menu: Supported

Send Message: Supported

Shop Now: Supported

Sign Up: Supported

Subscribe: Supported

Use App: Supported

Watch More: Supported

 

 

2.     Photo ads

Whether you’re already crafting top-notch visual content or you wish to create new content, photo ads are a great opportunity to reach a new audience. 

Objectives:

App installs: Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Supported

Lead generation: Supported

Link clicks: Not Supported

Messages: Supported

Post engagement: Not Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Not Supported

 

Call-to-action buttons:

Apply Now: Supported

Book Now: Supported

Book Test Drive: Supported

Contact us: Supported

Check Availability: Supported

Donate: Supported

Download: Supported

Directions: Supported

Showtimes: Supported

Quote: Supported

Offer: Supported

Install Now: Supported

Learn More: Supported

Listen Now: Supported

Open Link: Supported

Order Now: Supported

Play Game: Supported

Preregister: Supported

Request Time: Supported

See Menu: Supported

Send Message: Supported

Shop Now: Supported

Sign Up: Supported

Subscribe: Supported

Use App: Supported

Watch More: Supported

3.     Video ads

Video ads on Instagram can be up to one minute long, so they give you a chance to give users a closer look at your brand, your business, or your products. 

Objectives:

App installs: Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Not Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Supported

Lead generation: Supported

Link clicks: Not Supported

Messages: Supported

Post engagement: Not Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Not Supported

 

Call-to-action buttons:

Apply Now: Supported

Book Now: Supported

Book Test Drive: Supported

Contact us: Supported

Check Availability: Not Supported

Donate: Not Supported

Download: Supported

Directions: Not Supported

Showtimes: Supported

Quote: Supported

Offer: Supported

Install Now: Supported

Learn More: Supported

Listen Now: Supported

Open Link: Supported

Order Now: Supported

Play Game: Supported

Preregister: Not Supported

Request Time: Supported

See Menu: Supported

Send Message: Supported

Shop Now: Supported

Sign Up: Supported

Subscribe: Supported

Use App: Supported

Watch More: Supported

 

4.     Carousel ads

Carousel ads are made of multiple photos or videos that are viewed by swiping or clicking. A great way to show off the details or variations in one specific product.

Objectives:

App installs: Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Supported

Lead generation: Supported

Link clicks: Not Supported

Messages: Supported

Post engagement: Not Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Not Supported

 

Call-to-action buttons:

Apply Now: Supported

Book Now: Supported

Book Test Drive: Supported

Contact us: Supported

Check Availability: Supported

Donate: Supported

Download: Supported

Directions: Supported

Showtimes: Supported

Quote: Supported

Offer: Supported

Install Now: Supported

Learn More: Supported

Listen Now: Supported

Open Link: Supported

Order Now: Supported

Play Game: Supported

Preregister: Not Supported

Request Time: Supported

See Menu: Supported

Send Message: Supported

Shop Now: Supported

Sign Up: Supported

Subscribe: Supported

Use App: Supported

Watch More: Supported

 

5.     Collection ads

The next one on the list is the Instagram Collection ad. It offers an effective e-commerce feature that users are directed to an Instagram storefront when they click on the ad. Giving an option to buy directly from the ad is a unique opportunity to make sure your audience will finalize their purchase. 

Objectives:

App installs: Not Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Not Supported

Lead generation: Not Supported

Link clicks: Not Supported

Messages: Supported

Post engagement: Not Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Not Supported

 

Call-to-action buttons:

Apply Now: Not Supported

Book Now: Not Supported

Book Test Drive: Not Supported 

Contact us: Supported

Check Availability: Not Supported

Donate: Not Supported

Download: Not Supported

Directions: Not Supported

Showtimes: Not Supported

Quote: Not Supported

Offer: Not Supported

Install Now: Not Supported

Learn More: Supported

Listen Now: Not Supported

Open Link: Not Supported

Order Now: Supported

Play Game: Supported

Preregister: Not Supported

Request Time: Not Supported

See Menu: Not Supported

Send Message: Supported

Shop Now: Supported

Sign Up: Not Supported

Subscribe: Not Supported

Use App: Not Supported

Watch More: Not Supported

 

6.     Instagram Explore ads

Explore is the Instagram screen where users discover new content and accounts. Over 50% of Instagram users access Explore every month. Increasing the number of people who view your content is the first benefit that Instagram explore ads offer.  

Objectives:

App installs: Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Not Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Supported

Lead generation: Supported

Link clicks: Not Supported

Messages: Supported

Post engagement: Not Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Not Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Not Supported

 

Call-to-action buttons:

Apply Now: Supported

Book Now: Supported

Book Test Drive: Supported

Contact us: Supported

Check Availability: Supported

Donate: Not Supported

Download: Supported

Directions: Not Supported

Showtimes: Supported

Quote: Supported

Offer: Supported

Install Now: Supported

Learn More: Supported

Listen Now: Supported

Open Link: Supported

Order Now: Supported

Play Game: Supported

Preregister: Supported

Request Time: Supported

See Menu: Supported

Send Message: Supported

Shop Now: Supported

Sign Up: Supported

Subscribe: Supported

Use App: Supported

Watch More: Supported

 

7.     IGTV ads

Instagram TV, known as IGTV, has been around for some time, it is growing bigger with more and more new ideas from creators and businesses to reap the advantages of the feature. From “how-to” videos to “behind-the-scenes” they prove the fact that Instagram has great potential for a longer format of content.   

Objectives:

App installs: Supported

Brand awareness: Supported

Catalog sales: Not Supported

Conversions: Supported

Engagement: Not Supported

Lead generation: Supported

Link clicks: Supported

Messages: Not Supported

Post engagement: Supported

Reach: Supported

Store traffic: Not Supported

Traffic: Supported

Video Views: Supported

How much does it cost to advertise on Instagram? 

There is no definite answer to this question because it depends on your marketing strategy, ad format, and the time or budget you choose to use. Actually, The first step is to choose the type of ad format and then set your budget on Facebook. Finally, they will show you the possible results of using the budget on your preferred ad and How much exactly it costs. 

Generally speaking, though, the average cost is between $0.20 to $6.70. for CPC (Cost-Per-Click) you may pay $0.20 to $2 per click, and for CPM (Cost-Per-Impressions) this will be $6.70 per 1k impressions. 

The good thing about advertising on Instagram is that you control the budget, whether it is 5$ a week or 50,000$. However, it is important to know that ad placement is not everything. Your budget plays a major role in highly targeting your audience. 

advertising on Instagram

What is the way to advertise on Instagram? 

As you already know, there are many aspects to advertising on Instagram. For example, Choosing the right approach, format, and budget. 

Here are 4 steps to advertise on Instagram as effectively as possible. 

Step #1 – Set your objectives

So knowing what your objectives are and what CTA buttons you need can help you pick the right type of ad format. 

Step #2 – Choose your target audience

Based on what you are advertising and how you have decided to do that, you should know your target audience’s following factors. 

  • Location
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Language
  • Interests 
  • Behavior

Step #3 – Pick your placements

As you must have created the ad specifically for the Instagram format, you are unlikely to want to also place it on Facebook. So if that’s the case, click “Edit placements”, otherwise you may let Facebook post your ads on both platforms automatically. 

Step #4 – Schedule your ad

This comes with trial and error, as well as experience. However, since you know your limits, it should not be a difficult task to set your budget and schedule your ad. 

Note that, today, many businesses use AI generator tools to schedule their content and automatically post them on Instagram for them. 

How can you improve your performance on Instagram? 

You need to keep an eye on everything if you wish to expand your business on the platform. Above all, managing your advertising on Instagram, choosing the right marketing strategy, and consistency are the main factors to stand out. 

We recommend using AiSchedul, and here is why. AiSchedul is an AI generator tool that helps you go beyond many and various boundaries on Instagram. It allows you to set a perfect calendar to post your content automatically on Instagram, search for the right hashtags and increase your reach organically, which is a very important thing on Instagram. 

Since Instagram has become pretty rigid about spam, forget about paying for fake followers and making any shortcuts. AiSchedul helps you get the most of your performance on Instagram and build up a closer relationship with your audience in the least possible amount of time. In other words, Instagram marketing is all about planning and creativity, so this makes AiSchedul a perfect choice for you. 

advertising on Instagram

Conclusion

Advertising on Instagram is a powerful tool to interact with your audience. Once you learn how to choose the best ad format based on your budget and objectives, whether using the Instagram app itself or Facebook to place your ad, you can see its huge impact on your business.

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