How do you maximize the results from advertising on Instagram? There are numerous factors to consider: your target audience, the message you want to convey, your ultimate goal, your branding, and your brand identity. Everything must be carefully aligned, as a disjointed appearance can cause confusion. In this article, we offer practical tips for optimizing your Instagram ads. These will increase engagement and the overall impact of your Instagram Ads, providing an opportunity to enhance your online presence, strengthen your brand, and generate engagement with your brand.
Online Marketing
10 tips voor een effectieve advertentie op Instagram
All our Instagram advertising tips summarized:
- 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
- Utilizing influencers
- A compelling Call-To-Action (CTA)
Reach and Engage Your Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is crucial when building an ad campaign. What common factors or interests can you use to select your target audience as accurately as possible? For instance, if you have a webshop for cooking supplies, you would target cooking enthusiasts of probably a certain age. Ensure that the message and presentation match your target audience. Want to reach a younger audience? Use GIFs, emojis, and reels to create a connection based on their interests in a format that suits their communication style. A targeted approach is essential for effective branding.
Create a Valuable Ad
On Instagram, people look for inspiration, entertainment, or information. If it’s too obvious that you’re trying to sell something, people will quickly scroll past your ad, and you won’t achieve your goal. Ensure your ad is valuable to the viewer. Make it light-hearted, share useful tips, or offer something for free, like 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, stating that an ad image may contain no more than 20 percent text, applies not only to Facebook but also to Instagram, as enforced by its parent company Meta.
To effectively communicate with your audience within these restrictions, you have two strategies at your disposal. You can opt for 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, relying instead on a powerful image and adding only text under the ad.
Convince the Reader with Text
A common misconception is that extensive text is not effective. However, when advertising on Instagram, it is crucial to address objections with text. Highlight the main benefits of your solution to encourage customers to click on your ad. In short: the image in an ad catches the attention, the text ensures conversion. 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; it applies only to ads in the newsfeed.
Instagram Advertising Tip: Pay Attention to the Format of Your Ad
Instagram was 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 much of Facebook, it is wise to use square or portrait images. This ensures consistency and attractiveness across different platforms. Thoughtfully choosing image ratios increases the visibility and effectiveness of content.
In the image, the different formats are displayed 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 engagement with ads. Establishing this interaction does not have to be complicated. Setting up a poll or incorporating a question in the text can be sufficient. This gives your target audience a reason to respond to your ad. Engagement on Instagram can increase the visibility of an account, resulting in a larger follower base and a more active audience. It also promotes direct interaction, making the account appear more authentic and creating a community feel.
Utilizing Influencers
Instagram is the platform for influencers, individuals with a large following who typically blog, vlog, or post about specific topics such as fashion, sports, lifestyle, cars, and more. Since the followers of these influencers are likely interested in these themes, it’s smart to promote your product through influencers or have them test it. Often, the recipient doesn’t even realize it’s advertising, but the product still gets on their radar. It’s not always necessary for this type of advertising to include a call-to-action, but if an influencer shares a discount code, for example, it can be effective. And it helps to clearly measure the effect of your campaign.
Essential: A Compelling Call-To-Action (CTA)
Just like Facebook, Instagram offers advertisers the option to add a Call-to-Action (CTA) to their ads. You can choose from various CTAs to display under the ad, such as ‘Apply Now,’ ‘Book Now,’ ‘Contact Us,’ ‘Call Now’ (video only), or ‘Download Now.’
It’s crucial to ensure that the chosen CTA aligns with the specific ad and directs 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.
If you still find it challenging to set up a good Instagram ad after these tips, our team specializes in creating effective Instagram ads and would love to discuss an approach that fits your brand and ambitions.
Instagram Advertising Tips for B2B Organizations
We’ve just discussed eight general tips applicable to anyone wanting to advertise on Instagram. Now, we specifically focus on businesses targeting B2B marketing, with two additional tips crucial for maximizing impact and achieving business objectives on this versatile platform.
1. Optimize Your Ad Content for Business Success:
When advertising on Instagram for B2B organizations, it’s 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 tangible benefits and solutions relevant to business challenges.
Use clear, concise texts that convey the core message without unnecessary embellishments. Avoid jargon unless absolutely necessary, but if you do use industry-specific terms, ensure you explain them clearly. This ensures that both experienced professionals and those without in-depth knowledge of the field understand and appreciate your ad.
2. Effectively Target Your Audience with Focused 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 encourage direct engagement. With short, engaging stories, you present your business in a personal way and spark interest. Keep your ads focused on the needs and challenges of your business target audience and test different formats to find out 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 if Instagram is the right platform for your brand and how we can use it for more visibility, brand awareness, website traffic, and leads? We’re happy to discuss and show you, based on examples and data, that Instagram offers many opportunities for your online marketing strategy.
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