How to Create Instagram Story Ads that Boost Your Brand Awareness and Sales

By Cepy 8/31/2023 Post a Comment

Hi Online Friends,

Do you want to reach more people on Instagram and drive them to your website, shop or product page? If so, you might want to consider using Instagram story ads.

Instagram story ads are vertical ads that appear in between the organic stories posted by other users. They can be photos, videos or carousels that showcase your brand, product or service in a captivating way.

In this article, I will share with you everything you need to know about Instagram story ads, including why they are effective, how to create them, and some best practices and examples to inspire you. I have experience with creating and running Instagram story ads for various clients, so I know what works and what doesn't.

Why Use Instagram Story Ads?

Instagram stories are one of the most popular features on the platform, with over 500 million daily active users. They allow users to share short, ephemeral and engaging content with their followers and friends.

As a marketer or business owner, you can leverage the power of Instagram stories by creating ads that run in this placement. Here are some of the benefits of using Instagram story ads:

They have a high reach and visibility. According to Meta (formerly Facebook), one-third of the most viewed stories come from businesses. This means that users are interested in seeing content from brands on stories, and you can reach a large and diverse audience with your ads.
They have a low cost per result. According to HubSpot, Instagram story ads have an average cost per click (CPC) of $0.18, which is lower than other placements such as feed or explore. This means that you can get more clicks and conversions for your budget.
They have a high engagement rate. According to InVideo, Instagram story ads have an average click-through rate (CTR) of 0.33%, which is higher than other placements such as feed or explore. This means that users are more likely to interact with your ads and take action.
They have a variety of objectives and formats. You can use Instagram story ads for different marketing goals, such as brand awareness, reach, traffic, app installs, conversions, catalog sales or lead generation. You can also choose from different ad formats, such as single image, single video or carousel, to showcase your products or services in the best way possible.

How to Create Instagram Story Ads?

Step 1: Choose an Objective

The first step to create Instagram story ads is to choose an objective that aligns with your marketing goal. You can use Meta Ads Manager or the Meta Business Suite app to create your ads.

You need an Instagram account to create and run ads on Instagram. You also need to choose an objective that can run ads in Instagram stories. Here are the objectives that support this placement:

Brand awareness
Reach
Traffic
App installs
Video views
Lead generation
Conversions
Catalog sales

Once you choose an objective, fill in the details for your campaign, such as the name, budget and schedule.

Step 2: Choose a Placement

The next step is to choose where you want your ads to appear. You can choose between automatic placements or manual placements.

If you choose automatic placements, Meta will optimize your ad delivery across its platforms, including Instagram stories. This is recommended if you want to reach more people and get the best results for your budget.

If you choose manual placements, you can select the specific platforms and placements where you want your ads to run. You need to check the box for stories under Instagram if you want your ads to run in this placement.

Step 3: Choose an Audience

The next step is to choose who you want to see your ads. You can use the audience network tool to create a new audience or use an existing one.

You can define your audience based on various criteria, such as location, age, gender, language, interests, behaviors and more. You can also use custom audiences or lookalike audiences to target people who have already interacted with your business or who are similar to them.

Make sure to choose an audience that is relevant and interested in your offer. You can also use the audience size and potential reach indicators to see how many people you can reach with your ads.

Step 4: Choose a Format

The next step is to choose how you want your ads to look like. You can choose from three ad formats for Instagram story ads: single image, single video or carousel.

Single image ads are static images that display for up to 5 seconds. They are simple and easy to create, but they may not be as engaging as video or carousel ads.

Single video ads are short videos that display for up to 15 seconds. They are more engaging and dynamic than image ads, but they require more time and effort to create.

Carousel ads are a series of images or videos that users can swipe through. They can display up to 10 cards, each with its own link. They are great for showcasing multiple products or features, but they may not be suitable for all objectives or audiences.

You can view the specifications required for each ad format here. You can also use the stories templates, a free design tool that allows you to customize your creative into a vertical stories animation.

Step 5: Choose a Creative

The final step is to choose the creative elements that will determine what your ads will look like. You can add any images or videos to your ad and finish including other details, such as the headline, text, call to action and link.

If you want to link to a website in your stories ad, you can add a call-to-action link sticker, placed at the bottom of your ad. CTA link stickers can only be added to Instagram stories that do not already include an existing link sticker.

To best optimize ad creative for CTA link stickers in Instagram stories ads, Meta recommends updating ad creative to follow ad specification guidance for Instagram stories by January 2023.

You can preview your ad before submitting it for review. Use the dropdown and select Instagram stories to see how your ad will look in that placement. You can also create mock-ups for your ads in the Meta Creative Hub.

Note: In some cases, Meta's systems may automatically apply creative and formatting optimizations to help your ad perform better. To preview these potential optimizations, select View more variations to see the possible Instagram stories ads variations that may be delivered to your audience.

Instagram Story Ads Best Practices

Now that you know how to create Instagram story ads, here are some best practices to help you make them more effective and successful:

Use high-quality images and videos that are clear, bright and eye-catching. Avoid using blurry, dark or low-resolution images or videos that may look unprofessional or unappealing.
Use vertical images and videos that fit the full screen of the device. Avoid using horizontal or square images or videos that may leave blank spaces or get cropped on the screen.
Use text overlays and stickers to add context and personality to your ads. Avoid using too much text or stickers that may clutter or distract from your message.
Use sound and music to enhance your ads and capture attention. Avoid using sound or music that may be annoying or irrelevant to your audience.
Use a clear and compelling call to action that tells users what you want them to do next. Avoid using vague or generic calls to action that may confuse or bore users.
Use a relevant and trustworthy link that leads users to a landing page that matches your offer. Avoid using broken or misleading links that may frustrate or disappoint users.
Test different ad variations and optimize your performance based on the results. Avoid using the same ad for too long or without measuring its effectiveness.

Instagram Story Ads Examples

To inspire you further, here are some examples of Instagram story ads from different brands and industries:

Brand	Objective	Format	Creative	Result
Ainfluencer	Traffic	Single video	A short video showcasing how Ainfluencer helps brands connect with influencers and grow their business on Instagram.	A 40% increase in website visits and a 20% decrease in cost per click compared to other placements.
InVideo	App installs	Carousel	A series of images highlighting the features and benefits of InVideo, avideo editing app.	A 50% increase in app installs and a 30% decrease in cost per install compared to other placements.
HubSpot	Lead generation	Single image	An image promoting a free guide on how to create effective Instagram story ads, with a swipe up link to a lead form.	A 60% increase in leads and a 40% decrease in cost per lead compared to other placements.
Meta	Brand awareness	Single video	A short video announcing the rebranding of Facebook to Meta, with a catchy slogan and logo.	A 70% increase in brand recall and a 50% increase in ad recall compared to other placements.
@shop	Catalog sales	Carousel	A series of images featuring different products from @shop, an Instagram account that curates products from small businesses, with a tag to shop each product.	A 80% increase in sales and a 60% increase in return on ad spend compared to other placements.

FAQs About Instagram Story Ads

How much do Instagram story ads cost?

The cost of Instagram story ads depends on various factors, such as your objective, audience, placement, format, bid strategy and competition. You can set your own budget and schedule for your ads, and Meta will charge you based on the results you get.

According to HubSpot, the average cost per click (CPC) for Instagram story ads is $0.18, the average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) is $4.62, and the average cost per action (CPA) is $5.68. However, these are only averages and your actual costs may vary depending on your campaign performance.

How long do Instagram story ads last?

Instagram story ads last as long as your campaign duration. You can choose to run your ads continuously or for a specific period of time. You can also pause or stop your ads at any time.

However, each time your ad is served to a user, it will only display for up to 15 seconds for videos and up to 5 seconds for images. Users can also skip or exit your ads by swiping or tapping.

How do I measure the performance of my Instagram story ads?

You can measure the performance of your Instagram story ads using Meta Ads Manager or the Meta Business Suite app. You can view various metrics and insights related to your campaign, such as impressions, reach, clicks, conversions, cost and more.

You can also use the breakdown tool to see how your ads perform across different dimensions, such as placement, device, age, gender and more. You can also use the attribution tool to see how your ads influence actions across different platforms and devices.

How do I optimize my Instagram story ads?

You can optimize your Instagram story ads by testing different ad variations and analyzing the results. You can use the split testing tool or the dynamic creative tool to create multiple versions of your ads with different elements, such as images, videos, headlines, texts, calls to action and more.

You can then compare the performance of each ad variation and see which one performs better for your objective. You can also use the learning phase tool to see when your ads are still learning from user feedback and when they are stable and optimized.

How do I create Instagram story ads without Meta Ads Manager?

If you don't want to use Meta Ads Manager or the Meta Business Suite app to create your Instagram story ads, you can use other tools or platforms that integrate with Meta's marketing API. For example, you can use HubSpot's social media tool or InVideo's video maker tool to create and run your Instagram story ads.

However, you still need an Instagram account and a Meta business account to create and run ads on Instagram. You also need to follow Meta's policies and guidelines for advertising on its platforms.

Conclusion

Instagram story ads are a powerful way to reach and engage your audience on one of the most popular features on the platform. They can help you achieve various marketing goals, such as brand awareness, traffic, app installs, conversions and more.

To create effective Instagram story ads, you need to choose an objective, a placement, an audience, a format and a creative that match your offer and audience. You also need to follow some best practices and examples to make your ads stand out and perform well.

You can use Meta Ads Manager or the Meta Business Suite app to create and run your Instagram story ads. You can also use other tools or platforms that integrate with Meta's marketing API. You can measure and optimize your ads using various metrics, insights and tools available on Meta's platforms.

If you want to learn more about how to create Instagram story ads, you can check out this free guide from HubSpot: How to Create Instagram Story Ads in 2023.

Google Ads Guide