The Beginner's Guide to Instagram Advertising
Chapter 5
The 6 Best Practices You Must Follow To Succeed
There’s a ton of competition on Instagram, both organic and paid, so you want to make sure that every ad you run is perfectly crafted for the platform.
This will allow you to get maximum results at the best possible CPC, getting you the most out of every ad spend dollar.
This will allow you to get maximum results at the best possible CPC, getting you the most out of every ad spend dollar.
Six rules that you can't forget
Here’s some of the most important best practices for Instagram Ads to remember:- Always test different ad formats. Split testing of just about every element of your ads, in fact, is always recommended. Test different copy, different images and videos, and yes, formats to see what your audience is most responsive to. Not all businesses are created equal when it comes to this information, and neither are all audiences. The only way to discover what they really respond to is to test.
- Include closed captions for videos. All Instagram video ads will start without any sound; many will actually be watched all the way through without it. Because of this, closed captions are a necessity to ensuring high viewer retention rates and whatever other goal you’re optimizing for.
- Choose images that are best suited for Instagram. Images that work well on one social media platform may not automatically work well on another. (We proved that in our post on the differences between Instagram and Pinterest.) A study from Curalate found that Instagrammers prefer images with a single dominant color, bluish tints, lower saturation, and lots of visual texture. This doesn’t mean that your image has to hit every single one of these qualifications, but keeping them in mind doesn’t hurt.
- Utilize segmented lists. Segmented marketing works well on all other platforms, and Instagram is no exception. Showcase relevant products to high-value custom audiences, and use what you know about these audience members to create laser-sharp messaging that you know will resonate with them.
- Remember that the focus is on the visual. The image’s description that you choose absolutely does matter and should be carefully crafted, but remember that visual is key on Instagram. Your video or image should be able to stand for itself in feeds of brightly colored, beautifully-edited, boomerang-ing content that serves as a distraction. Because of this, sometimes a simple description is ideal.
- Get creative. Sometimes the best way to stand out is to do something unconventional. Do whatever you can to grab users’ attention. Smart marketing is just as important on Instagram as it is on any other platform, and it provides a great opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality. A great example is a video ad from Disruptive Advertising that compares finding a marketing agency to online dating.
