Table Of Contents
- What are Instagram Story advertisements?
- Why should you advertise on Instagram Stories?
- What is the best way to create Instagram Story ads?
- How to create successful Instagram story ads?
Instagram Stories Ads are an effective marketing strategy, with over 500 million daily users. Businesses account for one-third of the most popular Stories, and 60% of consumers utilize the site to find new products.
With those kinds of figures, it is tempting to throw up a random Stories Ad and wait for the clicks to pour in. However, given the amount of ad content currently on the app, turning ad views into purchases can be difficult for companies.
Do not be concerned. We've put up a guide on how to make compelling Instagram Stories Ads so your business stands out.
What exactly are Instagram Stories advertisements?
Instagram Stories Ads appear as a commercial break between your friends and family's video content on Instagram Stories. The only difference is that they are paid to be there by the company.
Like Instagram Stories, Stories advertising is full-screen and vertical, and they appear on top of your Instagram News Feed. They may be static photographs or 15-second videos, just like Instagram Stories.
Instagram Stories Ads have seven objectives that you may choose from when creating your ad:
- Reach: Get as many people to see your ad as possible.
- Views: Encourage as many people as possible to watch your video.
- Traffic: Send as much traffic as possible to your website or page.
- Conversions: Increase conversions such as email signups and purchases.
- Mobile app installs: Get people to download and install your app on their mobile devices.
- Lead generation: Open a lead generating form that fills in the users' information automatically.
When creating an Instagram Stories Ad, you must choose one of the six marketing objectives to determine the tone and style of the ad.
Why should you advertise on Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories Ads mix in seamlessly with regular Instagram Stories as consumers tap from video to video. In comparison to other platforms, Instagram users are more amenable to advertising, especially if the ad is entertaining and well-crafted.
Another advantage of Stories advertisements is the large number of people who might be interested in your brand. How does a daily user base of 849.3 million users sound for advertising? Likely, you're looking for a good return on your investment (because it is).
This equates to 14% of adults aged 13 and up. And Instagram's ad reach is rapidly expanding, with a 5.9% quarter-over-quarter rise as of late 2019.
Sure, using your brand's business account, you can post regular organic Instagram Stories at any time (and you should have a strategy for that channel, too). However, story advertising is especially useful for reaching out to new individuals who don't already follow you.
What is the best way of creating Instagram Stories ads?
Now you know why it is worth your time and effort to invest in Instagram Stories Ads. Let us see how to make one from the ground up.
1. Review the ad's specifications
Begin by studying the Instagram Stories Ads size and layout criteria. Your ad will load successfully in the app if you follow the rules.
The following are the requirements for an Instagram Stories image ad:
- Image resolution up to 1080 x 1920 pixels and no less than 600 x 1067 pixels
- Image ratio of 9x16
- The maximum file size of 30MB is allowed.
Requirements for Instagram Stories video ads:
- A vertical aspect ratio of 4:5
- Up to 15 seconds in length
- The maximum file size is 4GB.
- .mp4 or.mov are the most common file types.
- H.264 and VP8 codecs are supported.
2. Connect your Instagram and Facebook accounts
If you have not already, change your existing Instagram account to a professional account before you start advertising on Instagram. After that, link your professional Instagram account to a Facebook page run by your company or brand.
These two steps will get you access to Advertising Manager, which will allow you to create Instagram Stories ads.
To switch to a professional account, follow these steps:
- Tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner of your profile to open it.
- Select Account from the drop-down menu under Settings
- Change to a professional account and select Business.
Note that your professional Instagram account can only be linked to one Facebook profile.
If you want to grow an audience for your business on social media, you will need a professional Instagram account. It grants you access to business-oriented features such as Instagram Stories Ads and Instagram Insights.
3. Create Instagram Stories Ads in ads manager
Ads Manager is a simple application that can be accessed via Facebook. Verify that your ad shows on Instagram Stories once it has been authorized. To be authorized and to run on Instagram, your ad must follow Facebook's advertising guidelines.
How to create incredibly successful Instagram story advertisements?
You have made it through the section on how to put up your ad. Now comes the fun part: creating a standout ad! With so many Stories advertising on the app and viewers' short attention spans, creating a simple ad and hoping for the best is not enough.
Here are some pointers for making (relatively) tap-proof Instagram Stories ads.
1. Use Feed-Native Content; Experiment with User Generated Content (UGC)
Nobody sells your product better than the people who adore it.
In an era of personalization and representation, your consumers are your single greatest online billboard for your products, and no marketing plan is complete without UGC.
There is something inherently intimate about realizing you are a member of a wider brand community and seeing "yourself" in the mix.
However, genuinely adopting UGC as more than simply a one-time ad requires a high level of faith in their capacity to shoot excellent photos that seem both authentic and polished enough to be used.
UGC builds rapport and immediate identification with a brand and product line.
Looking at your company's items through the eyes of your customers? It gets simple to understand why it is popular. Destination marketing firms (or DMOs) are frequently the best-in-class category for UGC
Experiential companies excel in the social sphere by using visual storytelling and generating a feeling of belonging, allowing consumers to preview their own journey through the eyes of someone else.
The finest DMO advertisements do not use staged views of exhibits, attractions, or cityscapes. Although they all have a place in marketing, the best one is user-generated content (UGC) which lets you portray the destination through the eyes of visitors and lets you "experience" what it is like to be there.
2. Use video Instagram Stories advertising to get people's attention
When it comes to social media advertising, initial impressions are crucial. Video typically captures people's attention five times longer than a picture on social media.
When compared to a five-second picture, a video ad allows you more time to get your message through, fifteen seconds to be exact. Those fifteen seconds are your time to show off your product with graphics that will make users chuckle, or at the very least make them wonder, "What am I watching?"
The Waterdrop bottled water brand's Instagram Stories video marketing campaign is a great example of how to use video effectively. The commercial depicts an actor carrying a bottle of water through a metropolis, with the clear, delicious-looking water mirroring the surroundings. It is straightforward, interesting, and simple to follow.
3. Increase engagement by using the carousel option
You can include up to three "cards" in your carousel ad for Stories. Each card can be a photograph, a 15-second video, or a mix of the two. They are ideal for displaying a variety of items or telling a story in sequential order.
Carousel advertising on Instagram Stories is being used by several large businesses, like Gap, to keep consumers interested and make the most of their ad time.
4. Create a uniform appearance
Creating your brand's "voice" is an art form in itself. However, after you have discovered yours, use it in your Stories advertisements. As people read through their Stories, this will make it easier for them to recognize and remember your goods.
MeUndies, an inclusive underwear business, is an excellent example of how to create a consistent, approachable style that is targeted to their target market. They efficiently interact with customers and stay loyal to their brand by using Instagram Stories advertising that encourages inclusiveness, diversity, and entertaining items.
5. Make the most of the vertical space available to you
The arrangement of Instagram Stories advertising is vertical. Make the most of this by developing an ad that takes up the full ad area. Crop and resize photos and videos to fit within the vertical layout.
6. Keep the ad copy brief and to the point
Remember to channel your inner Marie Kondo and keep clutter at bay.
Whether you are creating an image or video commercial, always keep the visuals the main focus and the messaging secondary. Keep your text short and sweet, with just enough information to entice consumers to "Swipe Up" or read your message.
The messaging should be simple to read and comprehend. In most circumstances, your brand's brief tag line (not more than 10 words) is enough to convey all of the information your ad requires.
Morhipo, a fashion business, developed an Instagram Stories photo ad campaign that showcased their logo and branding in a clear, but not excessively showy, approach. They experienced a large increase in user interaction, partially due to the simplicity of their messaging, which helped to balance out the ad's aesthetics.
7. Make your logo stand out
Your brand's logo should always appear in your advertisement. It should be visible in the initial few seconds of the video ad or on the picture ad (together with a tagline if one exists). Also, consider putting it in the middle of the ad to draw attention away from the "sponsored" tag on the top right.
But do not go overboard with the size of your logo. When users discover they are staring at an advertisement, they tend to click away.
Users don't know they're viewing an ad until they're already hooked, which is one of the reasons why advertisements like Waterdrop are so powerful.
Another brilliant example is a GymShark commercial on Instagram Stories. Rather than on the commercial itself, their logo is included in the model's outfit. This is a brilliant method to highlight your business without attracting too much notice.
8. Make sure it does not appear too polished
Instagram users are sophisticated and will immediately recognize an ad that screams "AD."
Stories advertising that looks genuine and natural, rather than too polished or contrived, have a longer shelf life. Adding individuality to your ad by including a welcoming message and design can also help it stand out.
Successful Stories advertisements appear less like advertisements and more like ordinary Stories posts with a logo and branding tossed in for good measure.
If your current branding is already more informal, this is extremely significant. Deviating from this mood simply because you are paying for an ad might be perplexing and drive people to swiftly tap away.
9. A call to action should always be included
Before you post a Stories ad on the platform, you should add a call to action (CTA). “Swipe for more,” “learn more,” and “shop now” are just a few of the CTA alternatives available on Instagram
Instagram's supplied Branded buttons that are not overly distracting or flamboyant are known as CTAs. When people land on your ad, they are a terrific approach to compel them to take action.
CTAs are important engagement elements that may help your ad produce more clicks and purchases.
Encourage consumers to visit your website or another external page where you do most of your business, such as a Facebook page or an online store, with an efficient CTA. Users may learn more about your business or purchase a product featured in your Stories Ad by clicking on a direct link to an external site.
Use music and audio to liven up your adverts
Users like to navigate around the app with the sound on, so a quiet ad on Instagram is a wasted chance. Include a bit of music or audio in the ad to grab consumers' attention. Perhaps your company already has a theme song or an audio tagline that you could use. You can also include audio from an existing branding campaign into the Stories ad.
10. Ensure that your targeting is in line with the desired outcome
Because of sloppy, reckless targeting, a lot of wonderful advertising has gone wrong. Making the ad appealing to the individuals you want to sell to is the lowest hanging fruit in advertising.
This necessitates them seeing it firsthand.
Basics like age, geography, and language, as well as working in client data and interests, are all table stakes in advertising, yet they are frequently overlooked in the drive for unique creativity.
The bottom line is that even the finest creative materials cannot sell to those who do not want to buy what you're offering.
They will not buy, and even worse, they may click and waste the budget, affecting MER, ROI, and ROAS.
11. Keep track of your progress
Don't just let your Instagram Stories ad sit there in social media limbo until it goes live. Use tools like Instagram Stories Analytics to monitor how well your ad is performing, pay special attention to any spikes in purchases, unique hits, or total traffic figures.
In the end, there is no correct answer to the question of what makes an Instagram ad “great.”
Ads that are both attractive and effective have a few common characteristics. They are well-targeted to the end-user, appeal to their core audience, and present the product in a clean, clear, and appealing manner.
This is it for today. Do share your feedback with me and share it with your friends too so that they could learn as well. If you want to optimize your personal or a business website for search engines, contact Prism, the SEO agency in Dubai and we will help your website reach the top position on SERPs. I will see you on the other size. Thank you and Goodbye.
About The Author: Lovetto Nazareth
Lovetto Nazareth is a digital marketing consultant and agency owner of Prism Digital. He has been in the advertising and digital marketing business for the last 2 decades and has managed thousands of campaigns and generated millions of dollars of new leads. He is an avid adventure sports enthusiast and a singer-songwriter. Follow him on social media on @Lovetto Nazareth