10 tips for an effective Instagram ad
Advertising on Instagram, how do you get the most out of it? There are countless factors to consider: your target audience, the message you want to convey, your ultimate goal, your house style, and your brand identity. Everything must be precisely aligned because an incoherent appearance causes confusion. In this article, we provide you with practical tips for optimizing your Instagram ads. These ensure more engagement and a greater impact of your Instagram Ads. This dynamic platform offers the opportunity to increase your online presence, strengthen your brand, and generate engagement with your brand.
All our Instagram advertising tips at a glance
- Focus on your target audience
- Create relevant Instagram ads
- The ’20 percent’ text rule
- Convince the reader with text
- Pay attention to the format of your ad
- Aim for engagement
- Using influencers
- A catchy Call-To-Action (CTA)
Reach and engage your target audience
When building an advertising campaign, understanding your target audience is crucial. What matching factors or interests can you use to select your target audience as accurately as possible? For example, if you have a webshop for cooking utensils, you target cooking enthusiasts probably of a certain age. Make sure the message and presentation fit the target audience. Want to reach a younger audience? Then use gifs, emojis, and reels to create a connection based on their interests in a form that suits their way of communicating. A targeted approach is essential for effective branding.
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Create a valuable ad
On Instagram, people look for inspiration, entertainment, or information. If it is too obvious that you are trying to sell something, people quickly scroll past your ad and you won’t achieve your goal. Make sure your ad is valuable to the viewer. Keep it light, share useful tips, or offer something for free, such as an e-book.
20 percent text rule
The ’20 percent text’ rule is a well-known guideline for those familiar with Facebook ads. This rule, which states that an ad image may contain a maximum of 20 percent text, applies not only to Facebook. Parent company Meta also applies this rule on Instagram.
To still communicate effectively with your target audience within these limitations, you have two strategies at your disposal. You can choose concise text in the photo, supplemented with more extensive text under the ad or a clear Call-to-Action. An alternative approach is to use no text in the photo but instead rely on a powerful image and add text only under the ad.
Convince the reader with the text
A common misconception is that extensive text is not effective. But when advertising on Instagram, it is essential to remove objections with the text. Also emphasize the main benefits of your solution so that the customer clicks on your ad. In short: the image in an ad attracts attention, the text ensures conversion. Don’t forget to always refer to a call-to-action, so people are encouraged to click that button. Keep in mind that there is limited space for this approach in stories; this applies only to ads in the newsfeed.
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Instagram advertising tip: pay attention to the format of your ad
Instagram is designed as a mobile app and still focuses on that. The vertical orientation of Instagram Stories, also known as Storyinsta, makes horizontal videos less suitable.
For advertising on both Stories and the newsfeed, for both Instagram and a large part of Facebook, it is therefore smart to use square or vertical images. This ensures consistency and attractiveness across different platforms. Thoughtfully choosing aspect ratios increases the visibility and effectiveness of content.
The image shows the different formats for a good Instagram ad.
Aim for engagement
Engagement, another word for interaction, is essential when reaching your target audience. Why? It increases the reach of and involvement with ads. Creating this interaction doesn’t have to be complicated. Setting up a poll or including a question in the text can be enough. This gives your target audience a reason to respond to your ad. Engagement on Instagram can increase an account’s visibility, resulting in a larger follower base and a more active audience. It also promotes direct interaction, making the account more authentic and creating a community feeling.
Using influencers
Instagram is the platform for influencers, people with a large number of followers who usually blog, vlog, or post about specific topics such as fashion, sports, lifestyle, cars, and more. Since the followers of these influencers are very likely interested in these themes, it is smart to promote or have your product tested via influencers. Often the recipient doesn’t even notice it’s advertising, but the product does come onto their radar. It is not always necessary to provide this form of advertising with a call-to-action, but if an influencer shares a discount code, for example, this can be effective. And it helps to clearly measure the effect of your campaign.
Essential: a catchy Call-To-Action (CTA)
Just like on Facebook, Instagram offers advertisers the option to add a Call-to-Action (CTA) to their ads. You can think of various CTAs that can be displayed under the ad, such as ‘Apply now,’ ‘Book now,’ ‘Contact us,’ ‘Call now’ (video only), or ‘Download now.’
It is essential to ensure that the chosen CTA aligns with the specific ad and links to a relevant landing page. This page should not only provide more information to the target audience but also be optimized for an optimal user experience on various mobile devices.
Still find it difficult to set up a good Instagram ad after these tips? Our team specializes in setting up effective Instagram ads and is happy to discuss an approach that fits your brand and ambitions.
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Instagram advertising tips for B2B organizations
We have just discussed eight general tips that apply to anyone who wants to advertise on Instagram. Now we focus specifically on companies targeting B2B marketing, with two additional tips that are crucial for maximizing impact and achieving business goals on this versatile platform.
1. Optimize your Ad Content for Business Success:
When advertising on Instagram for B2B organizations, it is crucial to present the right content that addresses the business needs of your target audience. Use high-quality visual content, such as professional images or well-produced videos, to demonstrate the value of your products or services. Focus on highlighting concrete benefits and solutions relevant to business challenges.
Use clear, concise texts that convey the core message without unnecessary frills. Avoid jargon unless absolutely necessary, but if you use industry-specific terms, make sure to explain them clearly. This ensures that both experienced professionals and people without in-depth knowledge of the field understand and appreciate your ad.
2. Target your Audience Effectively with Targeted Ad Formats:
Instagram offers various ad formats that you can use to achieve specific business goals. Carousel ads, for example, allow you to present multiple product features, while video ads are a powerful way to convey complex business concepts simply.
Also consider using Instagram Stories to stimulate direct engagement. With short, catchy stories, you present your company in a personal way and generate interest. Keep your ads focused on the needs and challenges of your business audience and test different formats to discover which is most effective.
Always monitor the performance of your ads and adjust your ad text and images based on the insights gained. This helps you maximize the impact of your Instagram campaigns and create valuable business connections.
Curious whether Instagram is also the right platform for your brand and how we can use it for more visibility, brand awareness, website traffic, and leads? We will talk with you and show you based on examples and data that Instagram offers many opportunities for your online marketing strategy.