Instagram Sponsored Posts: How to Create and Manage Them Effectively

By Cepy 8/27/2023 Post a Comment

Hi Online Friends,

If you are looking for a way to grow your brand awareness, reach new audiences, and drive more sales, you might want to consider using Instagram sponsored posts. Instagram sponsored posts are a type of paid advertising that allows you to promote your organic posts to a targeted group of users. Unlike Instagram ads, which are created and managed through the Facebook Ads Manager, Instagram sponsored posts are created and managed directly from the Instagram app.

In this article, I will share with you everything you need to know about Instagram sponsored posts, including what they are, how they work, how to create them, how to manage them, and how to measure their performance. I have been using Instagram sponsored posts for a while now, and I can tell you that they are a great way to boost your engagement, reach, and conversions on the platform.

What are Instagram Sponsored Posts?

Instagram sponsored posts are a type of paid promotion that allows you to amplify your organic posts to a larger and more relevant audience. You can sponsor any post that you have published on your feed or your story, as long as it meets the Instagram Community Guidelines and Advertising Policies.

When you sponsor a post, you can choose who you want to see it, how much you want to spend, and how long you want it to run. You can also add a call-to-action button to your post, such as "Shop Now", "Learn More", or "Contact Us", to encourage users to take action.

Why Use Instagram Sponsored Posts?

Instagram sponsored posts have many benefits for businesses and creators who want to grow their presence and influence on the platform. Here are some of the main reasons why you should use Instagram sponsored posts:

They help you reach new and relevant users who might not be aware of your brand or product.
They help you increase your engagement, as sponsored posts tend to get more likes, comments, shares, and saves than organic posts.
They help you drive more traffic to your website, landing page, or online store, as sponsored posts allow you to add a clickable link to your post.
They help you generate more leads and sales, as sponsored posts allow you to capture users' contact information or direct them to your checkout page.
They help you test and optimize your content strategy, as sponsored posts allow you to see which types of posts perform better with different audiences and objectives.

How Do Instagram Sponsored Posts Work?

Instagram sponsored posts work similarly to Instagram ads, but with some key differences. Here are the main steps involved in creating and running an Instagram sponsored post:

Create an organic post on your feed or story that you want to sponsor.
Tap on the "Promote" button under your post or on your story.
Select your goal for your sponsored post. You can choose from three options: "Profile Visits", "Website Visits", or "Promotions".
Select your target audience for your sponsored post. You can choose from three options: "Automatic", "Local", or "Manual".
Select your budget and duration for your sponsored post. You can choose how much you want to spend per day and how long you want your promotion to run.
Review and confirm your sponsored post. You can preview how your post will look like in different placements and devices, and make any changes if needed.
Track and measure the performance of your sponsored post. You can see how many people saw, engaged with, and took action on your post in the Insights section of your profile or story.

How Much Do Instagram Sponsored Posts Cost?

The cost of Instagram sponsored posts depends on several factors, such as your goal, audience, budget, duration, and competition. There is no fixed price for sponsoring a post on Instagram, as the platform uses a bidding system to determine the cost per result.

The bidding system works by matching your sponsored post with the users who are most likely to be interested in it, based on their demographics, interests, behaviors, and preferences. The more relevant your post is to the users, the lower the cost per result will be.

You can set a daily budget for your sponsored post, which is the maximum amount that you are willing to spend per day on your promotion. You can also set a total budget for your sponsored post, which is the maximum amount that you are willing to spend for the entire duration of your promotion. You can start with as little as $1 per day, and you can edit or stop your promotion at any time.

Instagram Sponsored Posts Breakdown

To give you a better idea of how Instagram sponsored posts work, here is a table that summarizes the main features and options that you have when creating and managing your sponsored posts:

Feature	Option	Description
Goal	Profile Visits	This option allows you to increase the number of visits to your profile, where users can see more of your content, follow you, or contact you.
	Website Visits	This option allows you to increase the number of visits to your website, landing page, or online store, where users can learn more about your brand, product, or service, or make a purchase.
	Promotions	This option allows you to increase the number of actions that users take on your post, such as signing up for your newsletter, downloading your app, or filling out a form.
Audience	Automatic	This option allows Instagram to automatically create an audience for your sponsored post based on your existing followers and people who are similar to them.
	Local	This option allows you to target people who are near a specific location that you choose, such as your city, state, or country.
	Manual	This option allows you to create your own custom audience for your sponsored post based on criteria such as age, gender, interests, and behaviors.
Budget	Daily Budget	This option allows you to set the maximum amount that you want to spend per day on your sponsored post. You can start with as little as $1 per day.
	Total Budget	This option allows you to set the maximum amount that you want to spend for the entire duration of your sponsored post. You can edit or stop your promotion at any time.
Duration	1 Day	This option allows you to run your sponsored post for one day only. This is ideal for time-sensitive promotions or events.
	7 Days	This option allows you to run your sponsored post for seven days. This is ideal for longer-term campaigns or objectives.
	30 Days	This option allows you to run your sponsored post for 30 days. This is ideal for ongoing awareness or engagement goals.
	Custom Duration	This option allows you to choose any number of days between 1 and 30 for your sponsored post. You can also choose the start and end date of your promotion.
Call-to-Action Button	Shop Now	This option allows you to add a button that directs users to your online store or product page, where they can make a purchase.
	Learn More	This option allows you to add a button that directs users to your website or landing page, where they can learn more about your brand, product, or service.
	Contact Us	This option allows you to add a button that directs users to your contact information, such as your phone number, email address, or website form.
	No Button	This option allows you to skip adding a button to your sponsored post. This is ideal for posts that do not require a specific action from the users.
Placements and Devices
Your sponsored post will appear in the following places and devices:
Instagram Feed: Your sponsored post will appear in the feed of the users who match your target audience. It will look like a regular post, but with a "Sponsored" label and a call-to-action button (if applicable).
Instagram Stories: Your sponsored post will appear in the stories of the users who match your target audience. It will look like a regular story, but with a "Sponsored" label and a swipe-up link (if applicable).
Facebook Feed: Your sponsored post will also appear in the feed of the users who match your target audience on Facebook. It will look like a regular post, but with a "Sponsored" label and a call-to-action button (if applicable).
Facebook Stories: Your sponsored post will also appear in the stories of the users who match your target audience on Facebook. It will look like a regular story, but with a "Sponsored" label and a swipe-up link (if applicable).
Audience Network: Your sponsored post will also appear in the apps and websites that are part of the Facebook Audience Network. It will look like a native ad, but with a "Sponsored" label and a call-to-action button (if applicable).
Messenger: Your sponsored post will also appear in the Messenger app of the users who match your target audience. It will look like a message, but with a "Sponsored" label and a call-to-action button (if applicable).
You can preview how your sponsored post will look like in each placement and device before confirming your promotion.

FAQs About Instagram Sponsored Posts

How do I create an Instagram sponsored post?

To create an Instagram sponsored post, you need to have a business or creator account on Instagram. You also need to connect your Instagram account to a Facebook page. Then, you can follow these steps:

Create an organic post on your feed or story that you want to sponsor.
Tap on the "Promote" button under your post or on your story.
Select your goal, audience, budget, duration, and call-to-action button for your sponsored post.
Review and confirm your sponsored post.

How do I manage my Instagram sponsored posts?

To manage your Instagram sponsored posts, you can use the Insights section of your profile or story. There, you can see how many people saw, engaged with, and took action on your sponsored posts. You can also edit or stop your promotions at any time.

You can also use the Facebook Ads Manager to manage your Instagram sponsored posts. There, you can see more detailed metrics and reports on your sponsored posts. You can also create custom audiences, split tests, and rules for your promotions.

How do I measure the performance of my Instagram sponsored posts?

To measure the performance of your Instagram sponsored posts, you can use the Insights section of your profile or story. There, you can see the following metrics for your sponsored posts:

Reach: The number of unique users who saw your sponsored post.
Impressions: The number of times your sponsored post was seen by users.
Engagement: The number of likes, comments, shares, and saves that your sponsored post received.
Actions: The number of clicks, calls, messages, website visits, or app installs that your sponsored post generated.
Cost per Result: The average amount that you spent for each result that you achieved with your sponsored post.

You can also use the Facebook Ads Manager to measure the performance of your Instagram sponsored posts. There, you can see more detailed metrics and reports on your sponsored posts. You can also compare the performance of different promotions, placements, and devices.

What are the best practices for creating Instagram sponsored posts?

To create effective Instagram sponsored posts, you should follow these best practices:

Choose a clear and specific goal for your sponsored post. This will help you select the right audience, budget, duration, and call-to-action button for your promotion.
Choose a high-quality and relevant image or video for your sponsored post. This will help you capture the attention of your target audience and convey your message clearly.
Write a catchy and concise caption for your sponsored post. This will help you communicate the value proposition of your brand, product, or service and encourage users to take action.
Use hashtags and mentions strategically for your sponsored post. This will help you increase the visibility and engagement of your post among relevant users and communities.
Test and optimize different variations of your sponsored post. This will help you find out what works best for your goal, audience, and budget.

What are the limitations of Instagram sponsored posts?

Instagram sponsored posts have some limitations that you should be aware of before using them. Here are some of the main limitations of Instagram sponsored posts:

You can only sponsor posts that you have published on your feed or your story. You cannot sponsor posts that you have saved as drafts or archived.
You can only sponsor posts that meet the Instagram Community Guidelines and Advertising Policies. You cannot sponsor posts that contain prohibited or restricted content, such as adult, violent, or political content.
You can only sponsor posts that have a single image or video. You cannot sponsor posts that have multiple images or videos, such as carousel or slideshow posts.
You can only sponsor posts that have a square or vertical aspect ratio. You cannot sponsor posts that have a horizontal aspect ratio, such as landscape or panorama posts.
You can only sponsor posts that have a maximum duration of 60 seconds for videos and 15 seconds for stories. You cannot sponsor posts that have a longer duration, such as IGTV or Reels posts.
You can only sponsor posts that have a maximum file size of 30 MB for images and 4 GB for videos. You cannot sponsor posts that have a larger file size, such as high-resolution or 4K posts.

What are the alternatives to Instagram sponsored posts?

If you want to explore other ways to promote your brand, product, or service on Instagram, you can try these alternatives to Instagram sponsored posts:

Instagram Ads: These are paid advertisements that you can create and manage through the Facebook Ads Manager. They offer more features and options than Instagram sponsored posts, such as different objectives, formats, placements, and audiences.
Instagram Shopping: This is a feature that allows you to create a shoppable catalog of your products on Instagram. You can tag your products in your posts and stories, and users can browse and buy them directly from the app.
Instagram Reels: These are short and entertaining videos that you can create and share on Instagram. They are a great way to showcase your brand personality, creativity, and value proposition to a large and engaged audience.
Instagram Guides: These are curated collections of posts and products that you can create and share on Instagram. They are a great way to provide useful information, tips, recommendations, and reviews to your audience.
Instagram Influencers: These are popular and influential users who have a large and loyal following on Instagram. You can partner with them to promote your brand, product, or service to their audience in an authentic and engaging way.

Conclusion

Instagram sponsored posts are a powerful and easy way to boost your visibility, engagement, and conversions on the platform. They allow you to amplify your organic posts to a larger and more relevant audience, and achieve your marketing goals with minimal effort and cost.

To create an Instagram sponsored post, you need to have a business or creator account on Instagram, and connect it to a Facebook page. Then, you can choose a post that you want to sponsor, select your goal, audience, budget, duration, and call-to-action button, and confirm your promotion.

To manage and measure your Instagram sponsored post, you can use the Insights section of your profile or story, or the Facebook Ads Manager. There, you can see how many people saw, engaged with, and took action on your post. You can also edit or stop your promotion at any time.

To create effective Instagram sponsored posts, you should follow some best practices, such as choosing a clear and specific goal, using a high-quality and relevant image or video, writing a catchy and concise caption, using hashtags and mentions strategically, and testing and optimizing different variations of your post.

Instagram sponsored posts have some limitations that you should be aware of before using them. For example, you can only sponsor certain types of posts that meet the Instagram Community Guidelines and Advertising Policies. If you want to explore other ways to promote your brand, product, or service on Instagram, you can try some alternatives to Instagram sponsored posts, such as Instagram ads, shopping, reels, guides, or influencers.

I hope this article has helped you understand what Instagram sponsored posts are, how they work, how to create them, how to manage them, how to measure them,and how to use them effectively for your business or personal brand. If you want to learn more about how to grow your presence and influence on Instagram,please check out my other articles:

How to Create and Run Effective Instagram Ads

How to Add Music to Your Instagram Posts

How to Use the Instagram Ads Manager

How to Use the Add Yours Sticker on Instagram

How to Add Music to Your Instagram Posts

How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story

How to Advertise on Instagram

How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story

How Much Do Instagram Ads Cost?

How to Find the Add Yours Sticker on Instagram

How to Add a Location to Your Instagram Posts

How to Add a Link to Your Instagram Story