Why use paid advertising on Instagram? Here are some statistics to set the scene:
- Instagram has more than two billion users worldwide
- Paid advertising on Instagram generates four times more interactions than Facebook
- In a survey, 81% of respondents said they use Instagram to help research products and services
It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? Plus, with all the new shopping and e-commerce features rolled out in 2020, it’s more important than ever to harness the power of paid advertising on Instagram, by taking advantage of the right features for your audience, brand and campaign objective.
So let us guide you through the way advertising on Instagram has changed, and how Ketchup can help your business to use this powerful tool as an effective part of your digital marketing strategy.
How has paid advertising on Instagram changed?
Advertising on Instagram has come a long way from single image posts with a ‘sponsored’ tag or ‘ad’ prefix in the caption. When Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, it merged its advertising platforms and created a one-stop-shop for social media advertising. A decade of innovation followed, including the addition of Stories, Reels and IGTV – all creating new opportunities for marketing.
In 2016, the famed algorithm change reorganised people’s feed to show posts from the accounts they interact with the most – increasing the importance of making paid advertising on Instagram as attractive, and interactive, as other organic user-generated content.
One of the great things about the way paid advertising on Instagram has changed is that as the platform innovates and responds to users’ interests, your brand content can evolve with it. You can easily switch from single images to carousel or video posts to keep your content fresh and engaging, or update your profile with your latest offers and ‘flash’ sales with Stories.
There are great CTA features like ‘Shop now’ buttons that direct users straight to your website or product page, making it easy to drive web traffic and measure the effectiveness of your campaign.
Launching successful Instagram adverts
The initial backlash when paid adverts first started appearing on Instagram in 2013 proves that people are protective of their social media spaces – the less invasive your posts, the better the engagement is likely to be.
Using Instagram for small businesses needs specific methods to take place, but in short, your Instagram advertising campaign needs to be as authentic as the rest of your organic content. You also need to narrow down your target audience, hone your message and make sure your keywords, hashtags, images or video dimensions are all relevant and useful. It may help you to introduce audience segmentation to your marketing strategy.
After your ad goes live, be prepared to interact with your followers. Like and reply to comments and share feedback in your Stories. By engaging with your audience, you’ll create a loyal following who will want to return. Managing your social media marketing should be an important part of your marketing strategy.
Advertising your business on Instagram vs Facebook
Although Facebook and Instagram are intrinsically linked; since you are required to have a Facebook business page to be able to advertise on Instagram, the audience reach differs greatly. But don’t make assumptions about demographics – do your research and make sure you choose the right platform for your product or service.
As a primarily visual platform, Instagram is great for storytelling that adds personality and background or detailed visuals that show off your craftsmanship. Facebook is good for building loyal communities around your brand and regularly interacting with them.
As experts in social media marketing and digital communications strategy, we know what it takes to create a successful Instagram advertising campaign.
Why not contact us at Ketchup today to find out more? We offer free social media audits to make sure your brand is being broadcast with your desired tone and style and can help you make use of social media as an important part of your marketing tool kit!
If you’d like to find out more about our social media marketing or social media writing services, get in touch via email or call us on 0115 671 3868.
