With its wide global advertising audience, it’s no wonder that Instagram has great potential for marketers and advertisers. The idea of using Instagram marketing isn’t new, but the competition is getting stronger each year, so marketers have to be creative when promoting their products and services in-app. There’s a proven way to cut through the noise and achieve your business goals–Instagram ad campaigns. According to Instagram’s data, 70% of users don’t mind watching ads, and the platform has over 2 million monthly advertisers.
More and more businesses invest in Instagram ads, but just a few realize the power of ephemeral ads that catch engaged users while scrolling other Stories. Back in 2016, when Instagram Stories appeared on the platform, no one could have predicted its popularity would result in a new powerful ad format like Instagram Story ads. What are Instagram Story ads? Instagram launched its advertising feature ten years ago, with its first iteration only supporting still photos. Today, many years later, marketers have the choice of reels, carousels, shopping ads, collection ads, explore ads, and Instagram story ads. Here’s a handy infographic on Instagram ad formats with the correct sizes.
But if you’re going to focus on one ad format, lay a bet on Instagram Story ads. When Instagram Stories launched, everyone knew it was a Snapchat copycat. But soon, Instagram Stories became a game changer for the app, garnering hundreds of millions of daily users and beating the original in its own game. Just take a look at the numbers below.
What’s more, just like all the other ad formats available on the platform, Instagram Story ads are seamlessly integrated into the user experience. As people tap through their friends’ Stories, branded ads may appear in between. The ads are vertical, occupy the whole screen, and could be a photo or a video. Unlike regular Instagram Stories that expire after 24 hours, Instagram Story ads end after your specified duration.
The popularity of Instagram Story ads
Instagram Stories quickly became one of the app’s most popular features. There was less pressure to post “Instagram-worthy” content and more space for fun. This meant users spent more time scrolling and posting on Stories than on their main feeds. Instagram Stories grew faster than feeds. Instagram Stories was regarded as one of Meta’s “smartest moves.” Not only was it able to slow down the growth of a direct competitor, but it also ushered in a more engaged user base and eliminated the pressure of posting picture-perfect moments. Back in 2018, TechCrunch claimed that Stories were growing 15x faster than feeds. Just before Instagram Stories launched, Instagram feed content was infamous for being too filtered. Feed posts were reserved for special moments such as vacations, fancy meals, and glamorous events, which meant the ordinary person couldn’t post daily. From posting occasionally on their feed, users began sharing content multiple times a day through Instagram Stories. Instagram has almost doubled the amount of time users spend on the app ever since they introduced the feature. Ephemeral content keeps users engaged. Instagram Stories changed the way people use social media. Because Stories only last for 24 hours, there is less pressure to be perfect. It became a platform where people can show their authentic selves and not worry about getting likes or comments. Knowing the content will disappear after 24 hours gives users the fear of missing out (FOMO), which means the moment it appears on top of their feeds, they’re more likely to click immediately. This is probably why Instagram Stories is still the most popular video format on the platform despite the introduction and heavy promotion of new features like Reels. Stories have built-in features to achieve business goals. On top of the general features that allow your customers to learn more, contact, or buy now, Instagram Stories has exclusive features that enable you to create more engaging ads. With interactive stickers, your customers can engage with your content and generate more impact for your campaigns. For example, you can add a polling sticker, which has proven to keep users viewing ads longer than usual. Depending on your business goals, you can also add “Get a Quote” stickers, shopping tags, swipe-up actions to drive web traffic, and more. Instagram Story ads vs. feed ads. There’s no simple answer to determine which ad format is better, as it all depends on your campaign goals. The length of a single-frame Instagram Story ad is 15 seconds. Anything longer will be separated into another card, with a maximum of four cards and a total time of 60 seconds. Similarly, In-feed ads have a maximum limit of 60 seconds, but you won’t have to split the content into multiple cards. Obviously, Instagram Story ads and feed ads look different to viewers, and the example below illustrates it well. Instagram Story ads generally have better engagement rates compared to in-feed ads because of their immersive format and interactive features. Talking about the costs, both ad formats allow you to set a budget, which means there’s no fixed cost per ad format. However, Instagram Story ads seem to be more expensive than feed ads because of their additional features, but again, it will depend on the parameters you set for your campaign. One study has found that Instagram Stories placement brings results cheaper than in-feed ads. In a nutshell, Instagram Story ads may be a great solution for businesses of all sizes and niches that want to reach their potential customers fast and keep these viewers engaged. If you’re ready to give this ad format a try, keep on reading to find out how to create Instagram story ads that bring results. 8 steps to create Instagram Story ads that bring results. Instagram Stories is an excellent tool for brand discovery, especially if you’re trying to reach a younger audience. But simply having placements on Stories won’t guarantee results. Since your audience is bombarded with all kinds of content, you have to work extra hard to stand out. We’ve listed down some tips to help you. Decide on the best ad objective for Instagram Stories. You already know that running ads can help you reach a wider audience. But to run a successful campaign, you must nail down your business goals and objectives. When setting up an Instagram Story ad, you’re given five marketing objectives to choose from: Awareness, Traffic, Lead generation, App installs, and Sales. Having a clear business goal before setting up your ad can help you plan your creative execution and, more importantly, accurately measure your campaign performance. Invest in creating eye-grabbing Instagram Story ad videos. The immersive experience of Instagram Stories is what makes the ad format so powerful in the first place. Not only does it occupy the entire screen, but it also allows users to pause, tap, swipe, move forward, and interact with ads like never before. But without eye-catching visuals, people will quickly skip over your ad. It’s not enough to ensure you maximize the screen real estate. You’re also competing with other brands and content creators, so you need to prioritize the most popular content format available — video. The demand for video content is at an all-time high. People don’t just watch videos for entertainment purposes. They now expect brands to post more video content, too. Thankfully, creating video content is no longer as time-consuming and resource-heavy as before. With the intuitive video editing apps available in the market today, virtually anyone can shoot, edit, and create thumb-stopping videos with ease. Team up with a relevant Instagram influencer. There is a lot of controversy attached to the term “influencer,” but like it or not, they are an effective marketing tool. Collaborating with an influencer can help you reach a wider audience and build trust with your target market. When choosing an influencer, make sure their content aligns with your brand and their followers match your target audience. Create a compelling story. Instagram Stories is all about storytelling. To create effective Instagram Story ads, you need to tell a story that resonates with your target audience. Think about the emotions you want to evoke, the message you want to convey, and the call-to-action you want to include. Keep it concise, engaging, and visually appealing. Utilize interactive features. As mentioned earlier, Instagram Stories have built-in features that allow for greater user engagement. Take advantage of these features to make your ads more interactive and memorable. Use features like polls, quizzes, question stickers, countdowns, and swipe-up actions to encourage viewers to interact with your content. Optimize for mobile viewing. Instagram is a mobile-first platform, so it’s crucial to optimize your Instagram Story ads for mobile viewing. Make sure your videos are in vertical format, use subtitles or captions if necessary, and ensure that your ad looks visually appealing on small screens. Test and analyze your results. Once your Instagram Story ads are live, it’s important to constantly monitor and analyze their performance. Test different variations of your ads, track key metrics such as reach, engagement, and conversions, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns. By continuously testing and analyzing, you can improve the effectiveness of your Instagram Story ads over time. Conclusion. Instagram Story ads present a unique opportunity for marketers and advertisers to reach a highly engaged audience. By following these steps and implementing best practices, you can create Instagram Story ads that stand out, resonate with your target audience, and drive results for your business.
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