How to Create Great Instagram Ads to Attract New Customers

All right, you caught me. I’m a targeted ad now. No idea what I’m selling. What’s up? Jamal, from HubSpot. I’m going to share some tips and tricks on how to create great Instagram ads that’ll help you attract new customers and get those sales. Like, subscribe– you already know what to do. And if you’re hungry for even more content on mastering Instagram, check out the link in the description for completely free courses on Instagram marketing and advertising.

The Power of Instagram Ads

We live in an age where Instagram is the place consumers go to discover new products and services. In fact, 50% of Instagram users become more interested in your brand after seeing an ad for it on Instagram. And because ads on the app are so good at targeting the exact people who’d be buying, there’s no reason that your business shouldn’t get in on the action. And it’s good action– like Michael Bay.

Types of Instagram Ads

When creating an Instagram ad, you need to grab the user’s attention in a way that compels them to click through to purchase or receive more information. For that, you’ve got six types to choose from: photo, video, Instagram stories, carousels, collections, and explore ads. Each ad type provides different benefits that you’ll want to consider when choosing a format.

Photo Ads

For an ad that features an upcoming promotion or offer at one glance, photo ads are your go-to. This type of ad is perfect for displaying high quality, organic-looking photos that will entice users to check out what your brand has to offer. They’re the easiest type of ad to create and align with your existing brand aesthetic, so they’re a great option to start out with. Photo ads work best when they naturally draw the user’s eyes, so this is the time to bring out your best photo material.

Video Ads

If you feel like you’ll need more than a single photo to tell your brand’s story or you want to make your ads more dynamic, consider using video. Video ads give you up to 120 seconds to get your message across, but shorter, GIF-like video ads are also super effective in catching users’ attention. To top it off, sponsored Instagram video generate three times more comments than sponsored Instagram photos. That’s insane, right? Video ads will take a little more production, but it’ll be well worth the effort.

Instagram Stories Ads

Instagram ads on stories are portrait-sized placements that are seemingly integrated into the user’s story-viewing experience. They’re so well integrated that, while you’re swiping through your friends stories, it sometimes doesn’t even feel like you’re watching an ad. Users are typically more open to advertising when they go through stories, so placing advertising here is a huge opportunity for you to appeal to only, you know, the 500 million accounts using stories daily. You heard me, 500 million accounts. [GASPS] Half of those are mine. You can also get really creative with your story ads by harnessing the power of photo and video as well as by using native story functions, like polling or multiple screens.

Carousel Ads

Now, what about if you need a way to show off multiple items in a clear, organized way, or you want to experiment a little and see what content performs best? Bring in the carousel ad. Whether you want to show off multiple products, tell a story in a series of photos, or just get creative with your content, carousels can be adapted for your purposes. On top of that, carousel ads can automatically optimize your gallery to show the photo or video with the highest click-through rate, so you can be sure your ad is putting its best foot forward. Enable the setting by setting it up in the Facebook Ad Manager.

Collection Ads

Collection ads can function in the same way as carousel ads, but definitely with more of a focus on featuring products. This type of ad is perfect for helping your user base discover and browse through your newest product line. The people have options, so let’s show them what they are.

Explore Ads

Last, but certainly not least, we’ve got explore ads. As the name suggests, this literally just means having your ads show up on Instagram’s Explore tab, which has some pretty impressive usage stats. And since the Explore tab’s entire purpose is for users to discover new content and accounts, what better way to reach new potential customers? The content featured on this page is curated for every user in the way that ads are shown on their normal feed, so consider placing an ad here in addition to one or more of the other ads we’ve just mentioned.

Examples of Successful Instagram Ads

Now that you know what your options are for Instagram ads, let’s check out some examples of ads done right. Let’s say you’re searching on Google for comfortable shoes that you don’t have to break in. Your friend Mary’s wedding is coming up real soon, and you know that you’re going to be on your feet all day busting out your best dance moves. And on top of feeling comfortable, it’s a given that you want your new kicks to make you look good.

The next day rolls on by, another great day for some Insta-scrolling. You’re going through your feed as usual, seeing what your friends are up to when– bam! You see this photo ad for shoes from Everlane– no-break-in shoes, right there in front of you. But hold up! How– and excuse my language here– the heck did Everlane know exactly what you were looking for? I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s called targeting. Targeting is the method of separating consumers into segments based on interest and demographic data. Effectively, you’re literally targeting a specific audience that would be interested in the solution you’re offering. Everlane’s ad was really targeted, using a combo of targeting options and internet cookies.

Setting Up Targeting

Since cookie use is not something completely in our control, though, we’re going to focus on the targeting options we can manage. Here’s how to set targeting up. The Ad Manager within Facebook is robust. You can use whatever combination of targeting qualities you want, such as location, age, interests, and many more. Be sure to do your research, though, on what audience you should try to target. You can see how specific your audience is using the Audience Definition gauge as well.

Coming back to the Everlane ad, here’s what else they do really well. They grab the viewer’s attention within the first three seconds with their text. In the first three seconds of this ad, “no break-in period required” grabs your attention. The text is short, informative, and eye-catching, and it’s right on the photo itself, so you can’t miss it. Kind of like when you’re walking down the street and you see someone with a really cute dog, and you’re like, I- I- that caught my attention, just now it did. Additionally, I didn’t even have to turn on any sound to understand the benefits of the product. Mwah, beautiful. Everlane, good stuff.

Using Captions and Accessibility

While sound can be a great addition to a video or story ad, you should assume that most users will have the sound off while they’re scrolling through their feed. So what does this mean for video ads with people speaking? Does this mean you shouldn’t use video ads? Of course not. People love to see things in motion, but you’ll just have to add in something a little extra. This brings us to our next tip for video ads or video in your story ads, which is to add captions like Canva does here. Not only does this make it easy for users to understand your ad without sound, but it also makes your ad more accessible to all viewers, and accessibility is good.

You can do this in Facebook Ads Manager, but this method will require further editing from you. A better solution is to use a service to create SubRip subtitles, SRT files, and upload those directly. There are a few things to be mindful of when displaying captions on video. First off, you want to make sure the captions don’t cover the text in the ad itself. Then, definitely make sure the image used in your ad fits the ad type dimensions outlined by Instagram. Sticking to these guidelines not only ensures that your picture isn’t stretched out or too small for the screen, but also that your ad looks organic and amazing overall. Check out the resources in the description for a guide on the different dimensions used in Instagram ads.

General Tips for Effective Instagram Ads

Our next few tips for you can be applied to Instagram ads of all kinds. Let’s start by talking text. The less text, the better. And I wish that applied to the papers I was writing in college, but it’s clear that my professors were not ad experts. Make sure that anything you write, whether it’s ad copy or description, is as concise and descriptive as possible. This is especially true if you’re running ads in the Instagram feed and on the Instagram Explore tab. In these placements, you’re given a limited number of characters. You want to get your message across in the ad without requiring your user to do any additional work, like clicking to expand the description.

The next tip comes down to the aesthetics of your ad. Most effective and engaging Instagram ads blend organically into your viewers’ feed. Basically, your ad should feel like it just fits in. These ads resemble organic posts and use lifestyle imagery that meshes well with the overall aesthetics of Instagram. Check out this video ad by novelty food brand Fancy Sprinkles. The Fancy Sprinkles ad does a great job of, honestly, not actually looking like an ad at first glance. Instead, you’re treated to a fun summer image of wine that glitters in the sun. I’d love to be there right now. The ad uses a lot of contrast with color. And even though there aren’t any words in the video, it’s very clear what the product is and how it works. Another big plus is that the ad was probably shot with an iPhone, just like an everyday Instagram user might do.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

Now, when it comes to the content you feature in your ads, definitely don’t be afraid to take advantage of user-generated content, testimonials, or influencers in your Instagram ads. People gravitate towards content that feels like it was made by somebody who shares their interests, tastes, or opinions. Instagram is, on many levels, a popularity platform. And when it comes to ads, you should use that to your advantage. For example, Pimsleur partnered with a YouTube language influencer, Ikenna, to talk about their language learning app. Viewers can easily see this partnership with the “paid partnership with” text right below the ad itself.

Including a Call to Action (CTA)

Onto the next tip. Please, please make sure your ad includes a call to action. You’ll thank me later. You’ve put in all this time and effort into creating a great ad, so of course you want your viewer to act upon it, too. Aim for your CTA, whether it be “buy now,” “contact us,” “learn more,” or another immediate action step, to appear central to your ad. For stories, You can also utilize the swipe up feature for your CTA, too. Once you have identified your CTA, be sure your next step meets your prospects’ expectations.

For example, if a user views your Instagram story ad on their mobile device and they swipe up to learn more, your site needs to be optimized for mobile. What happens if it’s difficult for the prospect to engage with the CTA? It’s simple, really. If the user has a poor mobile experience after they click your CTA, you can say goodbye to your potential sale. Say goodbye. I know this is going to be hard for you. You guys went through a lot together, but they’re going to move on.

Optimizing for Mobile

Now, before you freak out, there is something that can help with mobile optimization, and it goes by the name Wi-Fi connectivity. When videos are viewed on devices not connected to a Wi-Fi network, the experience can be spotty. You’ve likely experienced this frustration firsthand, finding yourself scrolling right on to the next post. To ensure your video ad provides the best viewing experience, you can set it to only be shown to users connected to Wi-Fi. You can also do this easily in the Facebook Ads Manager by selecting “only when connected to Wi-Fi.” And, of course, have fun with your ad. Seriously, have fun. This goes back to understanding who your buyer is and what they may enjoy. Instagram is a platform where users seek out entertainment, so you may have some room to be lighthearted, joke with your viewers, and ultimately grab their attention. And, personally, I’m a big fan of memes. Maybe throw a little– a little meme in there.

Moderating Comments and Tracking Performance

So, you’ve invested all this time into creating a well-designed, attention-grabbing ad, but can you tell how your audience is reacting to it? To start, you can moderate the comments and feedback that your ad receives. There are two ways to do this: via the mobile app or via desktop. To moderate comments via mobile, search for engagements in the notification section. Scroll down until you see the thumbnail of your ad, then click on it to access the ad as your user sees it. You can then choose to moderate or respond to comments with an emoji or text by swiping left on each one. Moderating and responding to comments via desktop is a little bit more complex. To learn how to manage comments using Facebook Ads Manager, check out the resources section in the description below.

And last, but certainly not least, you can take advantage of the tracking to measure the success of your advertisement. There’s a variety of tools that you can use to do this, but Facebook Ads Manager will do the trick for the basics. In the Ad Manager, you can filter through multiple ad metrics by going to the platform, clicking on the name of your Instagram ad campaign, then selecting the columns dropdown to choose what you want to see. Performance, audience, engagement– it’s all there. Compare your ad’s performance to objectives you set for your ad campaign to make sure your ad is on the right track. If you need some help with defining your advertising goals, check out our Instagram advertising guide in the description box or our social media marketing course for more.

Conclusion

And there you have it– a bevy of tips and tricks that will take your Instagram ad strategy to the next level. I’m looking forward to seeing your ad in my feed soon. [DING] Ooh, there’s a laser. It’s a little laser pointer. Oh, wow, it’s a laser. Whoa– OK…