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More and more businesses are turning to Instagram for their advertising these days. Not only does Instagram have a very large user base, but it is also the social platform with the highest level of engagement. Instagram has made it easier for businesses by offering several types of ads:
- Photo Ads
- Post Boosting or Sponsored Ads
- Story Ads
- Video Ads
- Carousel Ads
In this article we’re going to break each of these ad types down for you, discuss what they are and how they work. We’ll include a few helpful examples as well.
Instagram Photo / Image Ads
Photo ads are the most common type of ad on Instagram. This is not surprising as sharing photos and images is the most popular thing to do on the platform. Many businesses are taking advantage of photo ads to promote their brands, their products and services, their upcoming launches and events and a great deal more.
When you use a photo ad, the image must be relevant to whatever you are promoting. You can add a compelling caption to your photo to persuade users to take the action that you want. Use the right hashtags in the caption, and you will extend the reach of your ad. Many large and small brands use a lot of photo ads for their campaigns.
What You Need To Know About Instagram Image Ads
Instagram Image Ads are a very popular choice for businesses. The main reason for this is that posting images is what Instagram is really all about. So what could be more natural than to see a single image from an advertiser which blends in well with everything else? Here, we will provide you with everything that you need to know about Image Ads on Instagram.
What is an Instagram Image ad?
Image Ads or Photo Ads are the most common type of ad on Instagram. There is a single image which has a caption where you can add some enticing copy, keywords and hashtags and a call to action that you want the Instagram user to take.
You can use the following calls to action with an Image Ad:
- Apply now
- Contact us
- Book now
- Learn more
- Get show times
- Call now
- Download
- Get directions
Types of Instagram Image ads
There are three types of Image Ad that you can use on Instagram. These are:
- The Landscape Image Ad
- The Square Image Ad
- The Vertical Image Ad
Now we will look at each of these in turn and provide you with all the important specification information that you need to know to get the best results. We strongly advise that you follow the specifications to the letter to have your ad accepted and to ensure that it will look the best that it can be.
Landscape Image Ad
The first thing you need to know about Landscape Image Ads is that they tend to be wider and as a result will not take up the conventional Instagram post full square. The real advantage of using a Landscape Image Ad is that they stand out when compared to the normal format.
You can use a Landscape Image Ad for wider images such as panoramic images to showcase a number of things going on at once. A lot of travel and outdoor companies use Landscape Image Ads to good effect. They tend to have a bigger impact than conventional images.
Here are the important specifications for a Landscape Image Ad:
- The image ad size should be 1200 X 628 pixels
- The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 315 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio is 1.9:1
- File formats can either be PNG or JPG
- There is a maximum file size of 30 MB per image
- A 2,200 character limit exists for captions but we recommend you go for around 150 characters
Square Image Ad
Again you will focus on width with a Square Image Ad just as with the landscape ad. A Square Ad doesn’t take up all the space for a post, and you would usually use this type of ad for a portrait image.
Here are the important specifications for the Square Image Ad:
- The size of the Square Image Ad is 1080 X 1080 pixels
- The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 600 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio is 1:1
Vertical Image Ad
Sometimes called a Portrait Image Ad, the Vertical Image Ad is the most common. This is because it is the format when you take a picture through the Instagram app or with other photographs you take with your smartphone.
Here are the important specifications for the Vertical Image Ad:
- The size of the Vertical Image Ad is 1080 X 1350 pixels
- The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 750 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio is 4:5
Post Boosting or Sponsored Ads
If you have a business account on Instagram, then you can boost posts that you have already made to extend the reach of the posts. Boosted ads will appear in the home feed of their target audience, and they can contain a direct website link, an online store or the user’s profile page.
Some businesses use sponsored ads to promote giveaways and contests. They do this to increase the amount of participation that the original post achieved. This can be very successful with increasing engagement levels too.
Instagram Story Ads
Stories are very popular on Instagram, and around 80% of the active users post a story at least twice a week. You can generate a great deal of traffic through stories as they are popular with Instagram users.
When you create a story ad, it will usually appear when an Instagram user is switching between one story and another. You can add a direct link to your website from a story ad or a link to your profile. Stories will only appear for a few seconds and once they are gone that is it. They are still a good ad choice, though.
All You Need To Know About Instagram Story Ads
Instagram Story Ads were only introduced in March 2019. This caused a lot of excitement among advertisers, as the story format is very immersive. Around 50% of brands that use Instagram have made story posts. Time spent on Instagram rose to around 28 minutes when they introduced the story format.
What Exactly Are They?
Stories are available to Instagram users at the top of their news feed. An Instagram Story Ad will display inside Instagram stories. Usually you will see a Story Ad as you are transitioning from one story to another. It is not easy to tell a Story Ad apart from a normal story post, so they tend to work very well and be accepted by the Instagram community.
As with all ads on Instagram, a Story Ad will have the word “Sponsored” on it. Whether you go for an Image Story Ad or a Video Story Ad, they will be full screen to the Instagram user. There are around 500 million Instagram users looking at stories every day, so you have a huge marketing opportunity with this ad format.
It is best to use Story Ads if you want to promote a limited time offer. Why? Because all stories will disappear from Instagram after 24 hours. You can use a variety of call-to-action (CTA) buttons with Story Ads, including:
- Apply now
- Book now
- Call now
- Contact us
- Download
When you create a Story Ad, you will be able to create a target audience (or use a previously saved one) and also specify how often your audience will see your Story Ad. You can enhance your Story Ad with filters, video effects and add text to make your ad really appealing.
Stories Image Ad
If you choose to go with an Instagram Stories Image Ad, then you will be able to add up to 6 images and a swipe up facility that will guide your viewers to a destination URL (your website or online store). The ad will last for five seconds.
Here are the important specifications for an Instagram Stories Image Ad:
- The recommended resolution for an Instagram Stories Image Ad is 1080 X 1920 pixels
- The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 1067 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio is 9:16
- Image format can be either PNG or JPG
- The maximum size of any one image is 30 MB
One of the things that you need to be careful about with Instagram Stories Image Ads is the amount of text that you overlay on any image. If you go too far with this, then Instagram will not accept your ad.
Stories Video Ad
When people are browsing through stories, nothing captures their attention more than a video. One thing to bear in mind though is that when users are viewing stories, they don’t usually turn on the sound. So you need to be able to deliver your advertising message with a Stories Video Ad with or without sound. The video length is 15 seconds.
Here are the important specifications for an Instagram Video Image Ad:
- The recommended resolution for an Instagram Stories Video Ad is 1080 X 1920 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio is 9:16
- Use either the MOV or MP4 movie format
- The minimum resolution of a Stories Video Ad is 720p
- Video size must not exceed 4 GB
Instagram Video Ads
Video is an immensely popular choice of media with social users, and this is certainly the case on Instagram. The view rate for videos is much higher than it is for other media types. You can post a 30 to 60-second video ad, and these can be full ads or teasers.
If you create the right kind of videos, then video ads will probably bring you a lot of success. You can get some high viewing numbers with the right video ad, and you can add direct links and a call to action in the caption.
Instagram Carousel Ads
If you want to showcase several products in your ad, then you need to go for carousel ad. Instagram’s users are used to swiping through a few different images in a carousel, and this usually means higher engagement levels.
As with the other type of ads, you can add a captivating caption with a call to action and a direct link back to your website, store, or profile. So, use carousel ads when you want to get the word out about a range of your products.
Each Instagram slide is a different popular character from the film.
What You Need To Know About Instagram Carousel Ads
Another new feature introduced by Instagram in 2019 was the Carousel Ad. With this, an Instagram user can swipe through a number of images or videos (just as you would with a carousel) and there is a call-to-action button which will send the user to your website or your online store.
You can do a number of interesting things with Instagram Carousel Ads. For example, if you have a number of products that you want to showcase, then a Carousel Ad is one of the best ways to do this.
What about if you want to share a story in multiple parts? Again, it’s Carousel Ads to the rescue. Or perhaps you want users to take a deep dive into one of your products or services? This is easy with an Instagram Carousel Ad.
Facebook introduced the carousel advertising format some time ago. They work very well on Instagram because it is a visual medium. You should think carefully about your audience with Carousel Ads. Showing a carousel of different products to a customer is likely to have a much more positive effect than if a user has never seen your products before.
What are Carousel Ads?
You can spot an Instagram Carousel Ad as there are dots at the bottom that are there to persuade users to scroll through the carousel. Some businesses use Carousel Ads to take users on a journey through their business. This is a good way to enhance the connection that a user has with your brand.
Instagram users are used to going through content at a really fast pace. When you use a Carousel ad you will keep them looking at your content for a longer period of time. There are two types of Carousel Ad which are the image and video types.
These are the calls to action that you can add to your Instagram Carousel Ad:
- Apply now
- Download
- Book now
- Call now
- Contact us
The Carousel Image Ad
You can add a number of images to create a Carousel Image Ad. When you create the ad, the images will be automatically linked together so that an Instagram user can scroll through them using the dots.
Here are the important specifications for an Instagram Carousel Image Ad:
- An Instagram Carousel Image Ad has a recommended resolution of 1080 X 1080 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio for a Carousel Image Ad is 1:1
- The image formats need to be either PNG or JPG for an Instagram Carousel Ad
- The maximum file size per image for a Carousel Image Ad is 30 MB
- You can add between 2 and 10 images to your Carousel Image Ad
The Carousel Video Ad
You can add as many as 10 videos to your Instagram Carousel Video Ad. Be careful when you’re creating the short videos to ensure that you have the correct balance of content, so you do not overwhelm users that view your Carousel Video Ad.
Here are the important specifications for an Instagram Carousel Video Ad:
- A Carousel Video Ad must have a minimum resolution of 600 X 600 pixels
- The maximum resolution for a Carousel Video Ad is 1080 X 1080 pixels
- The correct aspect ratio for a Carousel Video Ad is 1:1
- The recommended file format for the videos in your Carousel Video Ad is MP4
- There is a file size limit of 4 GB per video
- The length of your video must not exceed 60 seconds
- You can use between 2 and 10 videos for each Carousel Video Ad
