Instagram ads come in three formats.
The most basic formats are photo and video ads. These are pretty self-explanatory. Both photo and video ads appear on a dashboard roughly the same as any other photo would with a caption and an option to like and comment.
The third type is the carousal ad. These ads are more in depth in that they allow you to display multiple photos at once. Users can swipe to the side to view a small album of photos instead of being limited to just one. This is the only ad format that Instagram offers that is not also offered to all Instagram users as a post format.
Ads are different from posting.
Posting on Instagram is in a sense free advertising, but it doesn’t have quite the same result as actually paying for an advertisement. For one, ads offer a call-to-action button where they can visit your website directly from the ad itself instead of following a link in your bio.
However, Instagram does give you the option to promote posts you’ve already made as advertisements. This means simply that a post you already made can be sponsored so that it appears as an ad in a news feed
Your activity impacts your ads.
That being said, the two are very closely tied. Your posts may not offer the same features as ads do, but they are still important to the success of your Instagram advertising. Instagram chooses which ads to show users based on who they are following, their interests, what they have viewed and who they have interacted with. This means that interacting with people and maintaining an active Instagram account is more than vital if your want your ads to be seen by anyone.
Setup.
Instagram ads are similar to Facebook ads, and they are very easy to create if you already have a Facebook page. You essentially set them up the same way, and they have about the same cost. You first start by selecting your target audience, then manage your budget and schedule. You also have the option of posting the same ad to both Instagram and Facebook while you’re at it, and you are given the option to crop the same image differently so it’s optimized for both platforms. From there, just link your ad to your Facebook page and your Instagram account and add a headline and call to action. Preview your ad before you place your order and you’re in business.
GTECH Designs is a Baltimore-based digital marketing agency that is committed to helping companies and business owners drive brand value through digital channels. We do this by uniting your brand with creative concepts and marketing. The result? Better ROI. Let’s start a conversation, we don’t bite:) Give us a call on 410-775-4011 or drop us a line at [email protected]. We are also social, connect with us via :
