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.
[THEME MUSIC]
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
Last, but certainly not least, we've got explore ads.
As the name suggests, this literally just
means having your ads show up on Instagra'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.