What Are the Types of Instagram Adverts?
Instagram adverts run in three main forms. Photo, Carousel and Video. Each type of advert can create different outcomes and it is important to be aware of your call to action when designing or planning an Instagram advert. Whether your aim is to increase brand awareness, engage with your audience or promote visits to your website, paid social advertising on Instagram can help. In this post, we’ll try and outline which option of Instagram advertising is best for your business.
In order to promote posts on Instagram and create an advert, you can either use Ads Manager or Power Editor. Or the easiest way if you’re just starting out? Pay to boost a post. You pay to boost your post and it appears as a “sponsored” post in the feeds of your selected audience. The more money you boost the post by, the more people will see it. More money = larger reach.
Photo Adverts
Photo adverts are the easiest type of Instagram advertising. You don’t have to be a professional photographer, but having a high-quality image definitely does help. Ensure the photo is shot in natural light and is eye catching. After all, this may be the first interaction your target audience have with your brand. Don’t over complicate the image with too much text either, this is what the caption is for. Use the caption to reinforce your message and emphasise your call to action. Whether you’re encouraging people to “shop now”, “learn more” or “sign up” your image and caption should all align and work towards the same outcome.
Photo ads are great for seamlessly blending into the organic feeds of your audience, just ensure the image is directly relevant to them. Research your target audience prior to going live with you Instagram ad and ensure the image you’re boosting will appeal to those people you’re targeting. A photo ad on Instagram should visualise your brand and start to attract an audience. Simple photo ads appeal to user’s visual nature and allow you to tell your story through a clean, simple image.
Carousel Adverts
This type of Instagram advertising is our favourite here at Omni. Carousel adverts are a better version of the trusty Photo ads. With multiple images on one post, you can really tell a story with your advert. Users swipe along to see additional images and a call to action button takes them to your site to learn more.
Carousel adverts allow advertisers to be more creative with their message and can be used in a variety of ways. For example, each image on the carousel could show a new product, or highlight the features of one single product on different images. These ads are beneficial to both advertisers and potential customers. Advertisers can showcase their products or services in different lights, and allow potential customers to view and retain more information about the brand that they are likely interested in.
Video Adverts
Everybody is talking about how video is the digital marketing tool of the future. It’s immersive, enticing and immediately accessible. With the introduction of 60 second video ads, Instagram knows the worth of video advertising and understands every brand has a story to tell. Video adverts need to be of a much higher quality than Photo adverts, which means that there are some production costs to consider. However, if you have all the tools to create a high-quality Instagram advert, then you should definitely do it.
There is no better way to market to your audience than through video advertising. You get the same visually immersive quality as photo adverts, but with the added bonus of sight, sound and motion. The first 30 seconds of any video are the most important. If you can interest your audience in that first 30 seconds, they’re much more likely to engage with your advert.
If you’re a small business, we would initially recommend photo adverts because of their ease to create, and no real production costs. All you need is a call to action and good imagery. Video has the highest rate of engagement, so Instagram video adverts are brilliant. Even if you put a small amount of budget into boosting them, your audience will immediately be drawn to video. However, if you’re looking to produce a high-quality advert that stands out, production costs can be high. The middle ground, for those of you who have a story to tell and products to promote would be carousel posts. As easy to set up as Photo ads, just with more content for your audience to see!