Advertising on Instagram – Everything you need to know from I to M

Instagram, as one of the most desirable platforms for advertisers, whose number of users is growing day by day, is a very profitable investment. Ads on Instagram are posts that individuals/businesses pay to be shown to specific target groups.

They appear on user feeds, stories and pages in the same way as organic content on other Instagram accounts. Paid posts on Instagram look similar to regular posts, but they always contain the sponsored tag, which indicates that it’s an ad. 

They also have more features than a regular post, such as links, CTA (A call to action) buttons, and product tags. 

The price of an Instagram ad depends on the total budget, the duration of the ad, the rate of competition, the goals that have been set for the ad or campaign, the time of year (costs usually increase during the holidays). 

The best way to estimate your budget is to draft a campaign in Meta Ad Manager, look for the audience definition modules and estimated daily results, which will tell you whether your budget settings will be enough to reach the audience you want.

How to advertise?

There are two ways to create Instagram ad campaigns: boosting an existing post and creating a new ad in Meta Ads Manager (Facebook Ads Manager). 

Method 1: Using Instagram Boost.

The easiest way to start advertising on Instagram is to promote one of your existing posts. If it already has a good track record in terms of engagement, in-app promotion is a quick and easy way to increase its success and expose it to new followers. 

In order for this option to be available, it is necessary that the user has a business account or a creator account. Also his Facebook business page must be linked to his Instagram account. 

Then follows the selection of the destination, where three options are available:      

● more visits to the profile, 

● more visits to the website or more messages  

● defining the target audience. 

Instagram can determine it automatically (based on follower data), and it can also be created manually. It’s necessary to choose a daily budget and the length of time during which the ad will be displayed.

Method 2: Using an ad manager for maximum advertising performance.

In Meta Ads Manager, a new ad campaign is created, a destination is selected, where there is an option to choose to pair ads with an existing campaign or start from scratch. 

Next comes the target selection. The key point is to connect people with the website or Instagram store. In this way, engagement will increase, i.e. posts views, likes, comments and shares. 

The amount of invested money and duration of the campaign are determinated in the budget and schedule selection. The offer includes a daily budget, useful for constantly running ads, and a total budget, where spending is set for the entire campaign. 

When determining the target audience, previously saved audiences can be used or new ones can be created. In the placement section, it is possible to decide where the ads will be displayed. 

It is also possible to change the name of the ad afterwards and add creative elements such as images, videos, headlines and calls to action. 

Regular checking of Instagram analytics is a must in order to make your ad performance more successful.

Types of Instagram ads 

There are many different types of ad formats on Instagram that provide a wide variety of options, all to suit the specific business goals of clients. Depending on the choice of ad type, the consumer’s call-to-action options differ to a greater or lesser extent. 

The first few seconds of the ad determine whether the viewer will stop scrolling and stay on the opened ad. Therefore, it is important to start the ad with the main message and introduce the brand in the first 3 seconds. 

Statistics show that 69% of users use social networks with the sound off. That’s why it’s important to design ads for silent use by adding subtitles to each audio track.

Photo ads

Photo ads allow businesses to use individual images to advertise their brands, products and services. They are best suited for campaigns with interesting visual content that can be conveyed in a single image. These images can be created from high-quality photos, designs or illustrations, and text can be added to them.

Video ads

Video ads are a format that presents the functioning of the product, highlights its unique features, and at the same time tells the story of the brand it represents. These in-feed ads can be up to 60 seconds long, however shorter videos are generally more effective.

Story ads

Story ads are full-screen images or videos that appear in user stories. Engagement with ads of this type is usually higher, as the format spans the entire mobile screen and appears much more impressive than a feed post. 

When designing this type of ad, the user can take advantage of all the organic features of Instagram stories such as filters, text, GIFs and interactive stickers. 

The format used can be a photo, video, carousel. The call to action is presented as a swipe up link at the bottom of each story.

Carousel ads

Carousel ads contain a series of images or videos that users can “swipe”. They can appear in both feed and Instagram stories, with a call-to-action option or a swipe-up link that takes users directly to the desired web page.

Collection ads

Collection ads are a combination of carousel ads and shopping ads. They display products directly from the catalog. They are best suited for e-commerce brands because they allow users to purchase products directly from the ad. When a user clicks on an ad, they go to the Instagram Instant Shop where they can learn more about the product and continue shopping.

Explore ads

Explore ads don’t appear in the Explore Network or on topic channels, but instead appear after someone clicks on a photo or video from the browser (the magnifying glass symbol).

Reels ads

Reels ads appear between the so-called reels with features similar to ads in stories (vertical full-screen videos) and can last up to 60 seconds. They must include sound or music to integrate well with organic reels. All Instagram Reels ads display a sponsored sign below the account name and users can like, share, comment and save them to their profile.

Choosing a goal for your Instagram ads

First of all, it’s necessary to determine the target audience. Basic demographic factors such as age, gender, language and location are the first step in narrowing your target audience and showing your ads to relevant users. They can also be defined based on their interests, behavior and activity on Instagram. 

This approach ensures that ads are shown to users who are interested in the featured content. The audience can be targeted on the basis of location – city, region or country, thus reaching the users who are most relevant to the geographical location of the one placing the advertisement. This is especially important for those who own a real store. 

Different audience segmentations can be used for each goal. Lookalike audiences and custom audiences are powerful ways to expand your potential client base and acquire new customers by using existing data about them.

Promotion of a post or profile – engagement

By choosing this goal, you encourage the target audience to interact (liking, commenting, sharing posts), thereby gaining the opportunity to gain new followers. Users who click on your ad will be directed directly to your profile. If the profile itself includes your products and services, this type of promotion is an ideal option.

Sale

A useful option for ads aimed at selling products and services. If you need additional sales conversions and want people to browse your catalog, this is the best way to promote the services and products you offer. Interaction is achieved with an audience that has already shown interest in a particular brand, by individuals leaving some of their data or viewing one of the existing advertisements.

Traffic

People who click on the ads you create visit your website. This goal is among the most ideal options if you want to sell a product through a special offer, by directing customers online and thereby providing additional traffic.

Awareness

If your goal is to increase your brand awareness (getting attention to your product or service) and show your ads more than once to the people most likely to be interested in your brand, you should use this advertising model. Whether the customer wants to take action or not, this way you stay in their subconscious and have the opportunity to show what makes your business valuable.

Leads

Although reaching potential customers is the goal of any business, it’s quite challenging. Instagram ads can make it much easier to reach your goal with conversions, although they won’t necessarily mean that a product has been purchased or a service started.

Sometimes customers tend to leave Instagram in order to take some action – leave their e-mail address for a newsletter, download an e-book, join a club of special benefits that you offer, etc. In that case, you can use this campaign, with which the target audience enters their data into a form, and it will even automatically fill in the data available to it, e.g. name and surname, e-mail address. In this way, you will gather the largest number of people interested in your service, and its quality will determine their further action.

App promotion

If you have a mobile app, this is a goal that will help you find new people to install it. As the title suggests, this marketing method will be useful if you want to direct your target audience to a link where they can download your app.

What photo and video dimensions to use for advertising

1. In photo ads, as the name suggests, an image is used that can be displayed on the homepage feed, in the Instagram store or on the story. Images can be in horizontal, square and vertical format. It’s important that main parts of the ad posts are not covered by profile pictures, account names or scroll buttons. The share of text in the ad image should not exceed 20%. Otherwise, Instagram will show the ad to fewer people.

Video format

2. The video model enables advertising through feeds and stories, and its length varies depending on that. Videos are used in vertical 9:16 format.

Carousel format 

3. Carousel ads use both photos and videos. A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 images or videos can be in one post. This advertising model mainly uses square format content.

Story format

4. Story ads prefer a vertical format (either image or video), because that way the space for advertising is used to the maximum.

Reels format

5. Reels Ads uses videos of a maximum length of 30 seconds and vertical format video is generally preferred. 

6. Ads in the Instagram store support both video and photo formats, where a person clicks on an ad and is directed directly to the website, where they get details about the product.

The most popular visual size currently used on Instagram is square ads, because a product of these proportions looks much more prominent on mobile screens. 

Recommended image dimensions are:      

● 1080 x 1080 pixels, 

● ratio: 1:1, 

● formats: JPG or PNG, 

● maximum file size: 30 MB, 

● description length under the image: 2200 characters, 

● recommended: 125.

While the recommended square dimensions of video ads are:      

● minimum 600 x 600 pixels, 

● aspect ratio: 1:1.

When it comes to Instagram stories, the recommended video dimensions are:      

● minimum 1080 x 1920 pixels, 

● aspect ratio: 9:16, 

● formats: MP4 or MOV, 

● maximum file size: 4 GB, 

● maximum video length: 15 – 30 seconds, 

● maximum number of frames per second: 30 fps, 

● minimum resolution: 720p.

When it comes to the picture, the recommended dimensions are:      

● 1080 x 1920 pixels, 

● ratio: 9:16, 

● formats: JPG or PNG, 

● maximum file size: 30 MB.

How to track your ad conversions

To enable this option, it’s necessary to have a Meta Ads Manager account, a current or recently completed campaign, ad or ad set. 

Check the fields for the desired actions from the column drop-down menu. These columns will be displayed in the chart after application. The Meta platform also offers cross-channel reporting, which means it’s possible to see a conversion across devices, apps and sites (e.g. a customer sees an ad for a product on mobile but later decides to make a purchase via computer). 

The results viewed in Ads Manager can be further customized using the Ads Meta Report. This form of advertising offers the ability to advertise according to the set goals, by showing the ad to people who are more likely to convert. Major conversion events can also be created using the Meta (formerly: Facebook) Pixel.

How to add a Meta pixel to your site

Installing the Facebook/Meta Pixel on a web page is actually a simple process, and a standard installation can be achieved by following the instructions on Facebook’s interface.      

The Meta (Facebook) Pixel is a piece of code that helps track user actions on a web page and reports it to the Event Manager with the associated pixel ID (which the user owns). With it, it is possible to monitor the behavior of visitors on the website. 

From the moment it’s installed, if configured correctly, the Meta pixel starts collecting data about website visitors through pixel events. It’s possible to understand and classify potential customers according to the actions they take on the website they visit and thus plan an advertising strategy. 

This code can also cause harm, if installed incorrectly, as it will give incorrect data to its user.

In order for the Meta pixel to be added as a code on the site, it’s necessary to select manual code upload, copy and paste it into the header section of the web page. Then check whether it works via the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome tool and/or the Event Manager. If the error “Your Meta pixel is not active” appears, you need to go back to the beginning and check if the code has been added in the right place (Header) and on the right site. The ID of the Facebook pixel is unique for each user, when it is activated, the data is automatically updated.

How to pay for ads on Instagram?

In the internet age, social media platforms have become an effective tool for businesses to promote their products and services. Users can use them to enter their credit card information and start an advertising campaign according to the budget they set. 

Instagram, as part of this group, has great potential for advertisers. Its ads allow businesses to reach a wide audience and increase brand awareness. 

What is Instagram Advertising Debt?

Instagram advertising debt is the amount that advertisers have to pay for the ads they post on Instagram. Advertisers run their ads over a certain period of time or within a certain budget, and the cost of those ads is shown as a charge accumulated on their account. The Meta platform collects this debt depending on the performance of the advertiser’s advertising campaigns.

Advertising debt payment process

Meta offers various payment options to advertisers. Advertisers can pay their debts using methods such as credit card or bank transfer. The payment method can be checked in the payment settings of the user account. When advertising campaigns end, after a certain period of time, advertising debts on advertiser accounts are collected by Meta, which owns Instagram. The billing process is usually automatic and takes place within a certain date or period, depending on the advertiser’s payment method.

However, users may also encounter problems in the payment process. Here are some examples:

1. Calculation errors

In some cases, the amount owed on advertiser accounts may be miscalculated or misrepresented. In this case, it’s important that advertisers contact Meta to pay the correct amount.

2. Payment Options and Limitations

In some cases, the payment options available to advertisers may be limited or there may be technical difficulties in the payment process, which may make it difficult for advertisers to get paid.

3. Support Services

The units or communication channels where advertisers can get support during the advertising debt payment process are important. Contacting Meta’s customer service or support team can help resolve ad debt payments.

How can I track my advertising debt?

You can track the current status of your advertising debt on your Instagram account. After logging into your account, you can see the amount you owe by checking your bill or payment card.

What happens if I am late with my advertising debt?

In case of delay, you may face consequences such as suspension of your account or restriction of your ability to advertise. That’s why it’s important to keep track of your advertising debt regularly and pay on time.

Are there automatic payment options for advertising?

Instagram may offer automatic payment options. Using these options, you can automatically make payments on a specific date or payment period. This can be useful for regularly monitoring your payments and reducing the risk of late payments.

What does Instagram charge for your ads?

The cost of advertising is usually calculated as cost per click (CPC) or cost per thousand impressions (CPM). Advertisers choose one of these payment models. The payment process is done through Instagram or Meta (Formerly: Facebook) Ads Manager. 

The cost of advertising on Instagram varies depending on a number of factors. Campaigns with larger budgets generally reach a wider audience, while campaigns with lower budgets can focus on a more specific group of people. 

Reaching a wider audience can often cost more. The goal set by the advertiser, such as getting clicks or increasing views, affects the price of the ad, while the budget set by the advertiser directly affects their frequency and interaction. 

The cost of advertising for specific geographic areas or specific time periods may also vary. For example, advertising costs more during peak internet traffic times or in popular geographic areas. Advertisers can create an advertising strategy that best suits their goals by taking these factors into account through Meta (Formerly: Facebook) Ads Manager.

What are the costs of advertising on Instagram?

Instagram advertising fees are charged in dollars in 2024. On average, Instagram ads cost $0.00 – $0.75 per click, $0.00 – $6.00 per 1000 impressions, and $0.03 – $0.08 per engagement. Pay per click depends on factors such as competition, bid amount and ad relevance.

Benefits of advertising on Instagram

Given the wide user base and demographic diversity, it’s safe to say that Instagram ads have serious potential to increase any company’s visibility and brand awareness.

Possibility of marking the target group

With a well-optimized Instagram ad campaign, one can appeal to the target audience according to their demographics and interests, thus reaching more customers, better engagement and sales.

Ability to analyze success and highlight brand in several formats

It’s possible to monitor the performance of posted ads with detailed analysis. On the other hand, Instagram ads give an opportunity to show brand creativity using different formats (photo, video, story, carousel, etc.). 

Attracting and influencing potential customers with impressive visuals and compelling messages is one of the biggest advantages of Instagram advertising. In this aspect, ads of this type play a key role in establishing long-term relationships with customers. Therefore, companies’ marketing strategies are becoming more digital-centric day by day, which increases the importance of Instagram advertising strategies. Promoting your business on Instagram can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates compared to other platforms.

Mobile devices allow us to advertise in everyone’s pocket

It is also important to consider that almost all Instagram users use mobile devices. This increases the importance of creating mobile-optimized ad content and makes it easier for Instagram ad campaigns to be effective. The target audience can access the advertising content anytime and anywhere.

Excellent analytics

The analytical tools offered by the Instagram platform provide valuable information for measuring the success of advertising campaigns, and thanks to statistics and feedback, the performance of ads can be monitored.

Considering all these possibilities, Instagram advertising has become an essential part of modern digital marketing strategies.

The best strategy Google ads + Meta ads

Combining Google search campaigns with Meta retargeting campaigns can significantly improve the effectiveness of your digital marketing. Google search campaigns allow you to attract a audience that is actively searching for specific products or services. These campaigns function as an entrance to the “sales funnel”, attracting users with a clear intention to buy.

After users visit your landing page through a Google ad, Meta retargeting campaigns take over. They follow users on Facebook and Instagram, remind them of your offer, and then bring them back to your page. This two-pronged approach allows you to retain the interest of potential customers, increase conversions and achieve maximum ROI.

Integrating these platforms provides a more comprehensive and efficient way to reach and convert your target audience, taking advantage of each channel in an optimal way.