Want to know how to boost followers growth and engagement with Instagram ads? In this article we'll explain how to do this properly.
Instagram's popularity as a platform for both personal and business use has skyrocketed over the years. As competition grows, standing out and growing your follower base can become challenging. One effective solution? Instagram Ads. Let's explore how you can use Instagram ads to boost follower growth and engagement.
📖
What are Instagram ads?
Instagram ads are posts or stories that a business pays to promote. These ads can appear in a user's Instagram feed, Explore page, or in their stories. They look like regular posts but have a "Sponsored" label and can help you reach a larger, targeted audience.
Who uses Instagram ads?
Instagram ads are used by businesses, influencers, artists, and anyone else who wants to reach a larger audience on Instagram. These might be people who are selling products, promoting services, building a brand, or simply trying to gain more followers.
Instagram ads allow these users to target specific groups of people based on things like their interests, location, age, and more. This makes it easier for them to reach the people who are most likely to be interested in what they have to offer.
So, whether you're a small business owner looking for new customers, an influencer trying to grow your audience, or an artist wanting to share your work with more people, you might use Instagram ads to help achieve your goals.
What are the benefits of using Instagram ads?
Listed below are 5 benefits of using Instagram ads.
- Reach more people: These ads can help you connect with a lot more people than you could on your own. This means more people can learn about you, your products, or your services.
- Target the right people: Instagram ads let you choose who sees your ads. You can target people based on their interests, age, location, and more. This makes sure your ads are being seen by people who might actually be interested.
- Increase sales and followers: If more people see your stuff, there's a higher chance they'll buy your products or follow your page.
- Track success: Instagram gives you tools to see how well your ads are doing. You can see how many people saw your ad, how many clicked on it, and even how many bought something because of it. This helps you understand what's working and what isn't.
- Easy to use: Setting up Instagram ads is pretty simple. You can choose a budget, decide how long your ad runs, and even use an existing post as an ad. It's a flexible system that can work for different needs and budgets.
What are the drawbacks of using Instagram ads?
Listed below are 5 drawbacks of using Instagram ads.
- Can be costly: If you want to reach a lot of people, it can get expensive. You have to pay for every person that sees your ad, and the costs can add up quickly.
- Need for good content: For your ads to work, you need good content. If your pictures or videos aren't attractive or interesting, people might just scroll past them.
- Not always effective: Even with good content and targeting, not everyone who sees your ad will follow you or buy your products. There's no guarantee of success.
- Time-consuming: Creating good ads and tracking their success takes time. This can be a drawback if you're already busy with other things.
- Possible negative feedback: Some people don't like seeing ads. If you run ads often, you might get some negative comments or lose followers.
While these drawbacks exist, many businesses still find Instagram ads valuable. It's all about balancing the pros and cons to decide if they're right for you.
How to use Instagram ads for growth and engagement?
Listed below are 5 tips to use Instagram ads for growth and engagement.
- Know your audience: Understand who you want to reach. Look at their interests, ages, and locations.
- Create good content: Make sure your ads look great. Use clear pictures or videos, and include a catchy caption. People should want to stop and look at your ad.
- Use targeting: When setting up your ad, you can choose who sees it. Pick options that match your target audience. This way, people who are likely to be interested in your content will see your ad.
- Include a call-to-action: Tell people what you want them to do. This could be visiting your profile, liking a post, or visiting your website.
- Test and learn: Try different things to see what works best. Look at your Instagram Insights to see how your ads are doing. If something isn't working, try something else.
Remember, growth and engagement take time. But with patience and effort, Instagram ads can help you reach your goals.
What types of Instagram ads exist?
Instagram has several types of ads you can use, all of them designed to make it easy for users to learn more about your business or product. Listed below are the 8 different types of Instagram ads that exist.
- Photo ads: These are simple and clean. You use a single image to tell your story. It's like a regular Instagram post, but with a 'Sponsored' label.
- Video ads: Just like photo ads, but with a video instead of an image. You can tell a more detailed story with movement and sound.
- Carousel ads: These ads let users swipe through a series of images or videos. You can use this format to showcase multiple products or tell a story that unfolds over several frames.
- Stories ads: These are full-screen ads that appear in between user's stories. They can be a photo or a short video.
- IGTV ads: These are longer video ads that appear on IGTV, Instagram's platform for long-form videos.
- Collection ads: These ads let users buy your products directly from your ad. You can tell a story with a video and then showcase several products underneath it.
- Explore ads: These ads appear in the Explore feed, where users go to discover new content that aligns with their interests.
- Shopping ads: These ads allow businesses to highlight their products directly in an image or carousel. Users can tap on these ads to get more details about the product and make a purchase directly from the app.
How to create Instagram ads?
Listed below are the 7 steps to follow to create Instagram ads.
- Connect to Facebook: Instagram ads are managed through Facebook's Ad Manager. So, first, connect your Instagram account to a Facebook Business Page.
- Create your ad: In the Facebook Ad Manager, choose "Create." Pick your ad goal, like getting more profile visits or likes.
- Define your audience: Choose who will see your ad. You can pick based on age, location, interests, and more.
- Set your budget: Decide how much you want to spend on your ad. You can set a daily limit or a total amount for the ad's run.
- Pick your ad format: You can use photos, videos, slideshows, or carousels for your ad. Make sure your content is interesting and clear.
- Place your ad: Choose "Automatic Placements" so your ad can run on both Facebook and Instagram, or "Edit Placements" and select Instagram if you want your ad to run only there.
- Review and publish: Look over everything to make sure it's correct. Then, click "Confirm" to publish your ad.
Make sure to check on your ad once it's running. You can see how it's doing and make changes if needed through the Facebook Ad Manager.
How much do Instagram ads cost?
The cost of Instagram ads can change a lot and depends on a few things. Listed below are 4 the factors that influence the cost of Instagram ads.
- Bidding: Instagram uses a bidding system for ads. That means you say how much you're willing to pay for your ad to be shown. If lots of people want to show ads to the same group of users, the price can go up.
- Your audience: If you want to show your ad to people that lots of other businesses also want to reach, it might cost more.
- Time: If you run your ads during popular times, like holidays or weekends, it could be more expensive.
- Goal: What you want your ad to do can change the cost. For example, getting someone to click on your website might cost more than just getting them to see your ad.
On average, businesses usually pay somewhere between 20 cents to $2 per click on their Instagram ads. But remember, this is just an average and it can change based on the things we talked about. So, when you're planning your budget, be flexible and ready for the cost to change.
Are there alternatives for Instagram ads?
Yes, there are alternatives to Instagram ads that can help you boost engagement and growth on your account. Let's sort them by paid and free.
Paid Instagram ads alternatives
Listed below are 5 paid alternatives for Instagram ads.
- Buy followers and/or engagement: Buying Instagram followers, likes, and views can be a good alternative. However, it's crucial to not overdo this, and get them from a trustworthy seller that delivers high-quality services. However, it's crucial to not overdo this, and get them from a trustworthy seller that delivers high-quality services.
- Influencer marketing: You can pay popular Instagram users in your niche to promote your account or your products.
- Collaboration with brands: Partnering with another brand can help you reach a wider audience. You pay the brand to share your content or to create a joint campaign.
- Buying promoted posts or shoutouts: You can pay other Instagram accounts to promote your posts or give you a shoutout.
- Using other social media ads: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn also offer paid advertising. You can use these to promote your Instagram account.
Free Instagram ads alternatives
Listed below are 6 free alternatives for Instagram ads.
- Hashtags: Using popular and relevant Instagram hashtags can make your posts discoverable to a wider audience.
- User-generated content: Encourage your followers to share your content or create their own related content, boosting your visibility.
- Instagram contests: Run contests or giveaways to incentivize engagement and attract new followers.
- Collaborations: Collaborate with other Instagram users or brands in your niche for mutual growth.
- Engaging with your audience: Regularly like, comment, and share your follower's posts to build strong relationships and encourage them to do the same.
- Cross-promotion: Promote your Instagram account on your other social media platforms, website, or email newsletter.
The best approach for Instagram growth and engagement often combines several of these strategies. It's about finding the right mix that works for your brand and your audience.
Conclusion
Instagram ads can be a powerful tool for boosting follower growth and engagement. By targeting a wider audience with engaging content, you can expand your reach, increase your visibility, and grow your Instagram presence.
