How to do instagram story ads
8 Tips for Creating Highly Effective Instagram Stories Ads
Instagram Stories have captured the hearts (and eyeballs) of Instagram users across the world. So is it any surprise, then, that Instagram Story Ads are one of the very best ways to advertise on the platform?
With more than 500 million people using Instagram Stories daily, brands have a massive opportunity to make an impression. In fact, 58% of Instagram users report being more interested in a brand or product after watching their Stories.
So if Instagram is part of your brand’s social media strategy: it’s Story time, baby! Here’s everything you need to know about making effective, engaging Instagram Story ads.
What are Instagram Story ads?
How to publish an Instagram Story ad
Instagram Story ads design requirements
Meta ad guidelines for Stories
How much do Instagram Story ads cost?
8 tips for creating highly effective Instagram stories ads
Get your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.
An Instagram Story ad is paid content that appears as users are watching Stories on Instagram.
Source: Instagram Business
Instagram Stories are vertical, full-screen photos and videos that appear at the top of the Instagram app, rather than in the news feed.
Organic Stories disappear after 24 hours; Instagram Story ads will continue to be served up as long as your campaign is running.
Stories incorporate fun, interactive components like stickers, filters and effects. They’ve become incredibly popular since launching in 2017, and brands have reaped the benefits. In a survey of Instagram users, half reported visiting a business’ website to make a purchase after seeing it in Stories.
TLDR: For brands on Instagram, Story Ads are a powerfully effective avenue for sharing your message.
Get that ROI! Get it!
Source: Instagram Business
You’ll be creating your Instagram Story through the Meta Ads Manager on your computer or through the Meta Ads Manager app. (At this point in time, you can’t publish an Instagram Story ad directly through Instagram.)
1. Go to Meta Ads Manager and select the + icon (aka, the Create button).
2. Choose a marketing objective, like Website Traffic, Reach, or Page Likes. (One key note: “Post Engagement” does not offer an Instagram Story ad option.)
3. Select your creative from your camera roll or from an existing Instagram post.
4. Fill in the details (which vary depending on the marketing objective).
5. Then, tap on Placements. Toggle Manual to see all of your platform distribution options. Tap Instagram and select Stories.
6. Continue on to the next page to set your ad audience. You can select people who are already interacting with you (for instance, “People who engaged with your page”) or create a new target audience.
7. Set your campaign budget and schedule.
8. The final step will allow you to review and preview your campaign. Tap Place Order to seal the deal.
Instagram Story ads design requirementsFor best results, use Meta’s recommended dimensions and formats as you’re designing your Story ad. Otherwise, you may risk an unflattering crop or sketchy-looking stretch.
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
|---|---|
| Recommended Dimensions | 1080px x 1920px |
| Minimum Dimensions | 600px x 1067px |
| Video File Type | .mp4 or . mov |
| Photo File Type | .jpg or .png |
| Max Video File Size | 250MB |
| Max Photo File Size | 30MB |
| Video Length | 60 minutes |
| Supported Video Codecs | H.264, VP8 |
| Supported Audio Codecs | AAC, Vorbis |
In case this chart isn’t enough of an inspiration (ok, weird??), check out our list of 20 creative Instagram Story ideas!
Meta ad guidelines for StoriesBuying an Instagram Story ad doesn’t give you carte blanche to do what you want — this isn’t Westworld, people.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has policies in place to try to create a user-friendly experience. If your ad doesn’t meet these guidelines, it may not make the cut.
Ads should not violate Instagram’s Community Guidelines. You can read the full rundown here, but basically: don’t be a jerk! Here’s the bullet-point version of prohibited content:
- Illegal products or services
- Discriminatory practices
- Tobacco and related products
- Unsafe substances
- Adult products or services
- Adult content
- Third-party infringement
- “Sensational” content
- Personal attributes
- Misinformation
- Controversial content
- Non-functional landing pages
- Cheating and deceitful practices
- Grammar and profanity
- … plus a laundry list of predatory businesses like payday loans or multi-level marketing.
Wow, I guess Meta just hates fun??? (JK, JK, JK! Online safety: we love to see it!)
In addition to this list of outright no-nos, there is also content that Meta restricts, such as:
- ads for online gambling
- promotion of online pharmacies
- Alcohol related advertisments
- promotions for dating services
To advertise a business focused on these products or services, you’ll need to request special permission or comply with applicable local laws.
If you put together an ad in violation of Meta’s advertising policies (uh ohhh!), you’ll receive a notification that your ad has been denied, and it won’t run.
However, if you think your denial was unfair, you can always request a review of the decision. Typically, that review happens within 24 hours.
Dive deeper into Meta’s ad policies here, or Instagram’s Community Guidelines here.
How much do Instagram Story ads cost?Instagram Story ads cost as much as you want to spend.
As Instagram itself puts it, “the cost to advertise is up to you.”
A draft campaign is the best way to see what bang you’re going to get for your buck.
Set the budget, the duration, and the audience that works for you as you’re planning your campaign. This will give you a clear estimate of just how much reach you’ll get. Adjust as necessary.
We know you probably want a clear prescription here, but there’s honestly no best practice for how much to spend on Instagram Story ads. Sorry!
Start with a few bucks, see how it goes, and add on from there. We’re all social media scientists, just trying to make our way in this crazy, mixed-up life.
For more Instagram advertising wisdom, check out our 5 Step Guide to Instagram Ads.
8 tips for creating highly effective Instagram stories adsNow that you know how to buy an Instagram Story ad, let’s dig into how to make the most of your moment in the spotlight.
When you’re creating your content for your Instagram Story ad, shoot it in a vertical format. That’s how your audience is most likely to be viewing it, after all.
Take advantage of the fullscreen vertical canvas and design creative specifically proportioned for the mobile experience.
Along those same lines: consider planning out which Stories add-ons and tools you’ll be using in the final product. That way, you can compose your video or photo scenes strategically to make visual space for stickers, polls, or effects.
Hotels.com, for instance, created this vertically oriented ad with space around their spokesperson to pepper in fun stickers.
Source: Instagram Business
Emphasize your CTAA CTA — or “call to action”— is what you’re asking the viewer to do. For instance: “Swipe up,” “Shop now,” “Get your tickets,” or “Place your vote.” (Explore our list of compelling CTA ideas here.
)
ClassPass asked the audience to Swipe Up for more info on a free trial. Even though the video itself is fast-paced, we don’t miss the point since that CTA is front and center: ClassPass would love if we just give a lil swipey.
Don’t let that important detail get lost in the thick of your graphic design or fun stickers: make sure your mission or ask is crystal clear for the person tapping by your ad.
Instagram reports that campaigns perform far better when they emphasize their CTAs and make the product or service the vocal point. Say it loud and proud!
Add text overlaysVisuals can say a lot but sometimes words can say it better. Instagram recommends pairing text with a visual focal point for best results in your Story Ad.
According to internal research, there’s actually a 75% chance of better performance with central-placed text for add-to-cart objectives.
Clinique layered in text onto dynamic, colorful product shots to hammer home the benefits of each of its new hydrating gels. Now I know it’s green and refreshing and treats irritation! I’ll take 12!
Here are 19 helpful tools for designing cool Instagram Story graphics and creating thumb-stopping text treatments.
Enhance your ad with audioSound can be a powerful tool to set a mood or hammer home the value of your ad.
Experiment with voice-overs and music to enhance your Instagram Story ad. Chances are, it’ll pay off; Instagram has found that 80% of Stories with audio (voiceover or music) enjoy better results than ads without sound.
This VW ad features fun (and dare we say, funky?) music to enhance the cool-factor of its mini car commercial.
Get interactiveElements like polls or “tap to hold” games give your audience a moment of fun.They also encourage users to actually stop and take the time to interact with your brand instead of flipping by.
For instance, this Doritos poll — sure to inspire a fiery debate.
Another cool idea: this interactive Ritz ad gave the viewers a surprise result when they hit pause. (Suddenly, I’m craving strawberries on crackers?)
Design with your brand in mindEvery second counts in the fast-paced world of Stories, so make sure you’re integrating your brand right off the bat. Elements like products or logos at the very beginning of your Story will help capture attention and build positive brand recall.
Sephora makes sure to start off its Instagram Story ads with its logo and beautiful, on-brand imagery.
Try one of our 72 free Instagram Stories templates to get you started.
Make those Stories moveMotion catches the eye and captures attention, so if you have the opportunity to enhance a static image with a little bit of movement… do it! Studies show that ads that use motion regularly receive more views and purchases than still images.
So get moving, why dontcha?
Arlo Skye’s Story ad flips between images of its carry-on suitcases, which creates a dynamic movement despite the fact that the product shots themselves are static.
Can’t wait to see your captivating Story ads as we’re flipping through our Stories soon. Want more marketing ideas for Instagram? Dig into our Instagram marketing cheat sheet here.
Manage your Instagram presence alongside your other social channels and save time using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can schedule posts and Stories, edit images, and measure performance. Try it free today.
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Bonus: Get the Instagram advertising cheat sheet for 2022.
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How to Use Instagram Stories Ads to Attract New Customers
Like a lot of platforms that have been around for a while, Instagram has evolved from its humble beginnings as a photo-sharing platform to become a thriving ecommerce referral tool. There are 25 million brand profiles currently on Instagram that share new products, offer discounts, promote upcoming events, and simplify the shopping experience. This approach seems to be working because 60% of users turn to Instagram to make their purchase decisions.
To encourage users to buy — not just browse — more brands have adopted a lot of the ecommerce features Instagram offers. For example, 71% of U.S. brands use Instagram Stories to promote their products and offers. And users are loving this because they can connect with brands in a way that’s comfortable and familiar to them.
Brands are also using Instagram Stories ads, which look a lot like organic Instagram Stories, to drive traffic back to their product pages.
Whether you’ve been using Instagram Stories for a while or you’re new to it, it’s time to explore the benefits of ads. Instagram is ripe for finding new sales leads, so Stories ads are worth it. Here’s a look at how Instagram Stories ads work and how to create your own to grow your business.
More than a picture-sharing network
Instagram has grown a lot over the last few years, and part of this is because it caters to users’ appreciation for visual content. There are over 1 billion active accounts worldwide with more than 500 million people currently using Instagram Stories every day. This is huge, especially when you consider that 75% of users go out of their way to find out more about brands and products. When they see something they like, they visit the online store.
Recently, Instagram added more ecommerce capabilities to the platform.
Now, users can buy products without leaving the site. With such a huge audience pool to dive into to find your ideal customers, features like these are really helpful for you to grow your business. By letting users buy products on the platform, Instagram has simplified the shopping experience so that in a few taps, customers have what they need. The benefit to you is people are moving through the sales funnel much quicker.
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Instagram is really making a big push to become more ecommerce friendly. This works in your favor because as more users look at Instagram Stories and pay attention to shopping tags, the better your chances of driving traffic to your website and closing sales. On the flip side, as these new features take off and users spend more time buying products on Instagram, you have to find a way to compete with other retailers for users’ attention. You need a way to not just engage with your audience but to get them to buy your products. You can use Instagram Stories ads to differentiate yourself and increase your sales.
Next, let’s take a look at how to access ads on Instagram and how to use Instagram Stories ads, in particular, to stand out from the masses.
Create a business account to unlock user insights
If you’re already using Instagram to share content and you haven’t already done so, change your account to a business one. The main benefit of switching is it opens up access to more features. For example, with a business account, you can:
- Track demographics, trends, and traffic to your posts.
- Include your business information — like your email address and support phone number — on your profile page.
- Run ads.
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To check whether you have a business account, head to your profile page and tap on the three horizontal lines at the top right. Scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap on ‘Settings’ and then on ‘Account.’ Next, tap on ‘Switch to Business Account.’
Add in your contact information — email, phone number, address — and your business categories, and then tap ‘Done.
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Once you’ve updated your account, you’ll notice that your business category appears under your name and your contact information:
You also now have access to three types of Instagram Insights:
- Activity. This shows total profile visits, clicks, and users reached over the past week.
- Content. This summarizes how many posts you shared for the week and their total views. You can also see a summary of your stories and ads here.
- Audience. This shows you where traffic to your page is coming from. You can break this down by city and country if you want to analyze this in more detail. You can also see the age range of visitors, gender, and how many followers you’ve attracted over time.
How does all of this help you attract new customers and boost sales? Well, combined, these insights help you create posts and Stories that are customized to fit your audience. (For a deep dive into Instagram, check out the Social Media Marketer’s Guide to Instagram Analytics.
) The more relevant your content is to your audience, the better your chances of growing a larger following, building trust, and directing more traffic to your product pages. Pay attention to these stats, so you can anticipate users’ needs and offer up relevant stories for them to see.
For example, JOCO Cups sells eco-friendly, reusable cups in the store. Their target audience is passionate about the negative effects of plastic waste and want an option that’s thoughtfully designed, non-toxic, and lasts for a very long time. JOCO Cups Instagram caters to this audience by highlighting specific products and their benefits.
Stories:
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Posts:
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Many of the comments on these types of posts are from followers asking where they can get their hands on this product. You can get the same results by understanding what your audience wants in your product and using Instagram to highlight this.
Create an Instagram Stories ad to boost sales
Once you’re creating posts and Stories your audience engages with, start creating ad campaigns to turn likes and comments into sales.
Unlike ads that take up only a portion of a user’s screen on mobile, Instagram Stories ads are full-screen vertical images and videos that aren’t just more immersive than other ads; they’re oriented to the way people naturally use their mobile devices. There’s no need for users to resize images to see them properly.
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There’s no other content to distract users; all they see is your ad until they swipe up or move to a new story.
Creating Instagram Stories ads is similar to creating Facebook ads — you have to use the Ads Manager platform. First, choose an objective:
Since your goal is to attract new customers, choose ‘Conversions’ since these ads are designed to get people to buy something when they get to your store. Make sure you’ve installed Facebook pixel on your website so that Facebook can help you track conversions.
Create your ad the way you normally would:
- Give your ad set a name. Aim for something unique for each campaign, so it’s easier to analyze the reports afterwards.
- Define the conversion you want to track. This can be ‘Add to Cart,’ ‘Initiate Checkout,’ or ‘Purchase.’
- Add an offer. Lead with a compelling, relevant offer that speaks to your target audience’s needs.
- Define the audience you want to target. Consider targeting people who have interacted with your brand in the past since they’re the most likely group to convert.
- Set your budget and schedule. It will take some experimentation to find a budget and ad runtime that get you the results you’re after. Start with a small budget, run your ad for two weeks, and then analyze the results.
The one thing that’s different with Instagram Stories ads compared to Facebook ads is the ad placement. In the ‘Placement’ section of the ad set, click on ‘Edit Placement’ and then click on ‘Instagram — Stories’:
This way ads will only appear on Instagram to the audience you’ve selected.
Instagram Stories ads look very similar to regular Stories you post.
To get people to stay on your Stories ads long enough to see the offer and click to your website:
- Use high-quality images and videos that are clear and easy to see. Ads need to have a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and video.
- Make your videos entertaining. 60% of Instagram Stories videos are watched with the sound on, so incorporate a voice-over with a music background if possible. Remember, the max length of videos is 15 seconds, so make sure the offer is clear and stands out.
- Use a single image or a carousel to showcase your products and offer.
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The final step is adding in your call to action (CTA). Since we’re talking about the conversion objective as a way to increase sales to your store, use ‘Shop Now’ or ‘Learn More’ to get users to swipe up to open product pages on your website.
Use simple text or one of Instagram’s Stories badges to bring attention to the CTA:
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As with this example, it can be as simple as telling users to swipe up and putting the word ‘Shop’ right above the CTA.
IG Stories ads best practices
It’s one thing to throw an ad together and run it, and another to be more intentional about it to make sure your ads meet your objective. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind as you plan your next Instagram Stories ad campaign. Run a series of A/B tests to find the right mix of ad elements that get your audience to buy something.
Incorporate brandingBranding can include using your brand colors, a particular font based on your style guide, or the format or template you use for your regular Instagram Stories.
Nuxe, a Parisian beauty brand, uses videos for their Instagram Stories ads to lower their acquisition costs and boost sales. Their brand uses lots of earth tones and floral to attract their target audience.
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What their Stories ads do well is to incorporate a light and airy feel with sharp graphics. At the end of the video ad is an information card with the brand’s logo to help build brand awareness.
The result of their approach to ads was a 6.2X return on ad spend and a drop in cost of 62% for their Instagram Stories ads.
Don’t stick to one visual styleUse a mix of images and video to make campaigns more dynamic. Vita Coco, a coconut drink retailer, uses a combination of GIFs, video, and images to target their ideal audience and attract new customers. Patrick B., Senior Global Brand Manager for Vita Coco, explained their ad strategy this way, “Facebook and Instagram allowed us efficient reach in our key markets, delivering our ads for the most pertinent occasions for coconut water based on what’s most relevant to the consumer at that time.”
The goal of their ads is to optimize the mobile experience by including text overlays that allow ads to be viewed with or without sound.
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Their approach to Instagram Stories ads was a four-point lift in intent to purchase for customers ages 18-24 years old.
Base the ad length on promo typeA product launch might call for more slides than, say, a seasonal discount offer.
If you’re sharing a video ad, the length stays the same but you can add in more content to make the value clear.
The following ad by Madewell includes 12 different images. Instead of feeling overwhelming, what this ad does well is to use a few words, large and in bold, to do three things:
- Address an audience need
- Present their products as the solution
- Invite users to head to the website to shop
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You can use this approach by showing different products so that your ads appeal to a wider segment of your target audience. This way, by the time users get to the last frame, they’ve seen something that appeals to them and are more likely to click the CTA to find out more about that product.
Make your Instagram Stories ads work for you
More than 50% of brands with a business account have used Instagram Stories to build awareness about their products and drive traffic back to their site. It’s clear there’s value in adding Instagram Stories to your advertising strategy, so now’s the time to use Instagram Stories ads to reach your target audience.
Test different variations of your ads to see what gets you the most new customers. The key is to use your Instagram business insights to track user behavior and update your Stories and ads regularly.
How to set up Instagram Stories ads: a step-by-step guide
The variety of placements and ad formats in Facebook Ads gives advertisers the opportunity to promote their business on several social networks - Facebook and Instagram - as well as the WhatsApp messenger.
In this article, we will talk in detail about how to set up ads in Instagram stories and work with them correctly.
Instagram Stories appeared in the summer of 2016, and two years later advertisers were allowed to show targeted ads. In less than four years, attendance at the site reached 500 million people.
Stories on Instagram will help:
- increase brand awareness;
- increase sales;
- inform customers.
To understand if ads in stories are right for your business, you should run test campaigns.
Instagram Stories advertising: setting up
To launch your first advertising campaign, set up a business account via Facebook. We have detailed instructions on how to do this. Then link your Instagram page to your Facebook account through settings.
Let's take a closer look at how to create ads in Instagram stories.
- Go to the advertising account.
- Define the purpose of the advertisement. Depending on the tasks that the advertising campaign must solve, select one of the items (each is discussed in detail in the official Facebook help):
- Specify the site that a person will go to by clicking on the link from the ad. It can be a website, app, or Messenger. If you are promoting an account, you must select the “Site” item.
- Set the audience settings. On Facebook, you can use basic and detailed targeting:
- Select a placement for showing ads. Facebook offers to display ads on all sites by default.
To select a specific site, click on the "Edit placements" item. In the "Platforms" menu, check the box next to "History" only: - Set the budget and schedule for impressions (read more about this in our guide to running Facebook ads):
- Add creatives, write text and mark up with links. Open the ad in preview to make sure it displays correctly.
If everything is in order, send the ad for moderation.
Another way to run ads on Instagram Stories
You can run ads on Instagram Stories from the social media interface.
- Post a story.
- Click on "More" in the lower right corner:
- Enter your Facebook details and allow access if you haven't already:
- Then select the site that the person will go to from the ad: profile, website or direct. Check the box next to the desired option in the "Action Button":
- Specify an audience to target or select an automatic audience (those who look like your Instagram followers):
- Click "Done" and open the ad preview.
Pay special attention to creating creatives for advertising, as they can contain basic information about a product or business. Use creativity to create creatives. Don't limit yourself to images and texts; it can be videos, a carousel. Apply the principles of creating an effective ad.
When preparing a creative, consider not only the content, but also its format. Please note that the video cannot be longer than 15 seconds.
Life hack: Instagram stories have the ability to add up to three videos. Thus, your ad will be 45 seconds long:
The requirements for other creatives and their sizes can be found in the official Facebook help.
7. Click "Create promotion" and wait for moderation to finish.
So, targeted advertising has been launched, but the work does not end there. We must not forget about further analysis and optimization.
How to advertise effectively on Instagram Stories: Facebook tips
Marketers know that a good story can be the key to success.
What about Instagram Stories ads? We are publishing a translation of Facebook recommendations based on several studies.
In November 2017, over 300 million Instagram accounts used Instagram Stories every day, a full-screen creative format where people watch and share daily moments in photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours (unless saved). Marketers have become storytellers: half of all Instagram business pages from around the world post at least one story per month.
To help advertisers understand and embrace this new format, Facebook IQ commissioned a study on non-obvious metrics to understand how people around the world perceive content in Instagram Stories. A meta-analysis was also conducted for the US audience to explain what creative elements will help to attract the attention of users and achieve business results.
Stories evoke emotion
The study showed that people from all the markets studied (Brazil, Indonesia, UK, USA) react emotionally to Instagram stories.
It turned out that people associate Stories with heightened emotions such as excitement, fun, and inspiration.
Perhaps the reason for this is that the full-screen format offers an immersive experience, and therefore allows advertisers to create a deeper connection with the audience.
Creative elements make stories effective
Business stories take over. On average, more than 1 in 3 respondents (active Instagram users) admitted that they are more interested in a product after seeing its Instagram Stories.
Effectiveness was measured by two factors: "breakthrough" - the probability that the ad will be noticed, viewed or the user will return to it and "response" - the probability that the ad will force the user to take some action.
There are 5 key insights from the study that support other observations: Some of the elements that make mobile feed ads perform better will also work for Instagram Stories.
5 Essential Elements of Instagram Stories Ads
- Relevance
On average, top-performing Instagram stories are ranked more relevant than underperforming ads.
In addition, they attract attention, are easy to understand, and fit the advertised brand.
- Video length
Typically, effective ads on Instagram stories are shorter than ads with poorer results, and the brand is mentioned earlier in terms of video timing.
- Fast paced
Among Instagram Story ads containing multiple scenes, effective ads had shorter scenes.
- Product demo
Only half of the Instagram stories that were evaluated in the study showed the use of the product. However, those that contained such material worked more efficiently.
- Creative optimization for format
About half of the ads in the study were made specifically for Instagram Stories. But at the same time, only a third of all studied ads showed the best results. And success was influenced by the length of the video and the fact that the key message was announced at the beginning, and not at the end, regardless of whether the announcement was made specifically for Instagram stories.
By the way, Popsters has a lot of opportunities for content analytics in social networks, both your own and other people's accounts. You can easily find out what and when to publish.
Kei Hsu, Instagram Global Leader at Creative Shop recommends:
Stories open up a new world for marketers as they offer a new set of creative tools. My advice? Design content based on how people consume content and don't be afraid to experiment.
Insights for Marketers
Use stories to evoke emotions
The full-screen format of Instagram Stories offers immersion and engagement. Consider creating emotionally immersive content ranging from movie trailers to live, behind-the-scenes scenes to create a stronger connection with your audience.
Optimize for mobile
You don't have to create content specifically for every format you use to be successful.
