Incorporating an Instagram advertising strategy can be very good for brands and overall business. It can offer a fresh course of action, as well as a modern new audience for your product or service.
Did you know that there are over a billion Instagram users throughout the world every single month? A majority of them scroll through their feed for nearly an hour each day. This makes Instagram a worthy platform to consider, even if you need to readjust your budgeting to integrate some new ad goals.
Running Ads on Instagram
When Facebook purchased Instagram in 2013, advertising posts were tested out by a select few. Then, in 2015, ads could be purchased by all companies. By 2017, over a million businesses and individuals were advertising regularly. The same Ads Manager techniques are used on both Facebook and Instagram. This has proven convenient for targeting strategies and brand recognition.
When launching Instagram ads, you can choose to have them appear in a specific audience’s regular feed and in Story ads, which run in between user Stories that are accessed by users when they check out their friends’ and influencers’ accounts.
The algorithms in place with the Ads Manager paid ads are constantly tweaked and updated, so it does seem to be a worthwhile investment to use their platform rather than attempting the ‘organic’ route on your own. You can do both individualized and Ad Manager marketing on Instagram for the widest audience outreach. This may be the best practice for a lot of businesses.
Attract Your Audience Using Visual Appeal
Instagram does an excellent job of presenting content, brands, and ads in an aesthetically appealing way. As users scroll through and view the dynamic photos and posts from the people, companies, and influencers they truly enjoy, their focus is clear and absorbed. The beautiful presentation of so much information has a way of hitting the right notes in the viewers’ psyches.
When an equally appealing visual ad pops up, the user is in a good frame of mind and subconsciously sees the ad as something positive, too. It may skew them to try the product or simply learn more about it with an open mind. Since users enjoy shopping on this platform, you can use Instagram to increase conversions and grow your customer base every day.
Instagram Ads: Cost and Budgeting 101
There are a lot of factors that go into determining individual costs for Instagram ads. It depends on demographics, devices targeted, weekday choices, and entertainment event times. Target audience choices determine much of the cost fluctuations. You should put a good effort into finding your right Instagram demographics before investing.
The screen location of the ad matters, as well. The ads appearing in the right column are higher in price, while the Instagram feed and Story ads are much less expensive (less than $1.50 CPC).
Take a look at your advertising and marketing budget, see how and where these Instagram ads can help reach the big goals and markets, and be willing to spend a bit to help the overall end objectives.
A good rule of thumb is choosing to spend money on ads that you already know perform well elsewhere. Test them on Instagram, too, and they may deliver a great influx of new conversions or profits.
Consider These Instagram Campaign Steps
Creating ads with Facebook‘s Ads Manager tool is quite user-friendly and intuitive, and you can also use these ads on your Instagram account. The steps include:
- Choosing an ad objective. This includes a big list from which to choose, including brand awareness, traffic, reach, conversions, etc.
- Naming the campaign. This helps you keep track of specific efforts if your list of campaigns grows.
- Choosing ad placements. Select to advertise only on Instagram, or Facebook, too.
- Targeting the audience. An excellent, detailed feature that lets you pick ages, locations, genders, behaviors, and other demographics. It gets your ad to just the right eyes.
- Defining budgets and scheduling. Select when the ads will run and how much you want to spend running them, with daily and/or lifetime budget choices.
- Choosing the format. Select the format that fits, whether it’s a photo, video, carousel, stories, or more.
Many businesses, entrepreneurs, corporations, and individuals have had great success with an effective, well-researched Instagram advertising strategy. See how an Instagram Advertising Services company, like Make Your Mark Digital, can improve your brand awareness, generate more product sales and reach the right people. Have fun creating one that fits a ready and willing new audience among the Instagram devotees.
Further Reading: Instagram Advertising Tips and Strategies