How to make instagram stories ads

Getting Started with Instagram Stories Ads

Stories are growing like crazy. Has your brand caught up?

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If you have Instagram, you have Stories.

Instagram Stories and Stories ads are available to businesses worldwide. Here are some quick ways to get started.

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Try an organic story.

Organic Stories are seen by people that follow your Instagram account and disappear from view after 24 hours.

Step 1

Swipe right from anywhere in Feed.

Step 2

Tap

at the bottom of the screen to take a photo, or tap and hold to record a video. To choose a photo from your phone's library or gallery, swipe up anywhere on the screen. If the photo or video you choose doesn't fit on the screen at first, pinch to change the size.

Step 3

Tap

to draw, add text or a sticker to your photo or video. Tap Undo to remove a drawing effect or Done to save it. To remove text or a sticker, drag and drop it to the bottom of the screen.

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Create a Stories ad.

Stories ads can run for as long as you wish and can be optimized to match the business objective that matters to you. Here's how you can create a stories ad using Ads Manager:

Step 1

Go to Ads Manager. You can either use Guided Creation or Quick Creation to create an ad. Click Create.

Step 2

Select the Brand Awareness, Reach, Video views, Conversions, App installs, Lead Generation or Traffic objective.

Step 3

In the Placements section, select Automatic Placements or Edit Placements. Instagram Stories is selected by default in both workstreams.

Step 4

Follow the rest of the steps to continue building your ad campaign. When you're ready, click Confirm to publish your changes.

Learn More

Learn more about Stories.

Automatically transform your assets into creative fit for Stories

Showcase more products and tell a deeper story with Stories Carousel Ads

Help people seamlessly discover your brand and products with Collection Ads in Stories

Try Stories Ads today.

Awareness, recall, purchase lift, sales and more - Stories Ads can help your business drive beautiful results.

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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.

What are Instagram Story ads?

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

How to publish an Instagram Story ad

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 requirements

For 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 Stories

Buying 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.

Get your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.

Get the templates now!

8 tips for creating highly effective Instagram stories ads

Now 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.

Take advantage of fullscreen

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 CTA

A 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 overlays

Visuals 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 audio

Sound 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 interactive

Elements 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 mind

Every 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 move

Motion 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. The free resource includes key audience insights, recommended ad types, and tips for success.

Get the free cheat sheet now!

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0002
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): nine0002
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: nine0002
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): nine0002
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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

Creative optimization for

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. nine0004

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. But optimization for mobile is necessary, it is important to consider this when setting up ads in Instagram Stories. Read the translation of another study (about mobile) to understand how to create content for mobile users.