Noticed something different with Instagram?
If you regularly use Instagram, you can’t have missed it. In fact, take a quick scroll through your feed now and you’ll spot it straight away…
That’s right: Instagram now has advertising. And whether you like it or not, Instagram releasing ads was kind of inevitable.
After all, Instagram has 400 million active users who post 3.5 BILLION photos every day – and that’s a massive potential audience for businesses around the globe. And if you weren’t aware – Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion back in 2012, so it had to start earning revenue at some point. (Darn businesses having to earn money – gosh!)
So anyway, besides knowing there’s a HUGE potential audience out there for your business, just what do you need to know about Instagram ads?
Let’s take a look…
What do Instagram ads look like?
Instagram ads look almost like any other Instagram post. The only difference is, they have a blue tag that says “sponsored” and they will come from an account you probably don’t already follow. Make sense?
Here are a couple of ads that popped up in my feed recently:
The best part about Instagram ads? Links!
In the past, Instagram has famously made it very difficult for people and businesses to include external links to other places on the net. This has been an absolute pain in the backside if you’re a business that’s trying to drive traffic to your website…
But with Instagram ads, you can now have a ‘shop now’ or a ‘learn more’ button that will link and send consumers to your shop or wherever you please – hooray!
What kind of ad options are there?
Instagram ads are pretty similar to your regular Instagram post options, with just a couple of points of difference:
- Photo ads
A photo ad is clean and simple, just like normal posts. A no-frills canvas for showing people a different side of your brand or inspiring them to take action. Beautiful images only! - Video ads
Instagram videos have been around since 2013, so there’s not really anything new here, either. The biggest difference? You get twice as long to tell your story. (30 seconds instead of the normal 15 second limit – get creative!) - Carousel ads
Carousel ads are the brand spanking new feature: a series of images (like an album) that users can swipe through if they want to see more. (I’m actually yet to see one in my feed, but they sound cool.)
Are Instagram ads for your business?
Instagram has a highly engaged (almost captive) audience who are in a creative, high-quality, visually driven environment (did we use enough buzz words?). Basically, Instagram is a dream combination for businesses who have a story to tell – especially if it’s visually orientated.
Want to use Instagram to push your product? Proceed cautiously – Instagram isn’t a direct sales channel, and it’s users have attacked businesses that have been overly ‘salesy’ with their foray into Instagram advertising.
How to get started with Instagram ads
Keen to kick off an ad campaign?
Instagram ads are managed through Facebook’s Power Editor, so you’ll need a moderate level of expertise when it comes to setting up and deciding on budgets for your campaigns.
Want a hand?
We’re learning more about Instagram ads each and every day – and we’re keen to partner with businesses who are serious about running Instagram advertising for their brand.
Contact us if you’re keen to chat about Instagram for your brand.
