Now that Instagram Ads have arrived, businesses of any size can use the platform to have their ads seen by the social media giant’s many followers. This is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to have their brand reach a specifically targeted audience without requiring a massive ad spend.
Embrace The Instagram Format To Capture Its Audience
Before advertising on Instagram, it’s advisable to spend some time getting accustomed to the site and how it operates. Look at some of the most popular posts and see what they have in common and how they are reaching their audience.
Striking visual images and relevant hashtags are imperative to grab the attention of the Instagram user base. Simply repackaging the same advertisements used on other platforms and services will not entice these users and will come across as lazy and uninspired.
Beat The Competition To The Punch
It’s difficult to justify jumping straight into any new advertising platform, conventional wisdom would say to take a back seat and wait it out to see how other companies handle the transition. With a format as massive as Instagram, this would be a mistake.
It may be taking a risk, but any business that avoids using Instagram Ads will find their local competitors quickly taking a head start as they target an almost identical audience. Be seen first, while the ads are still novel, instead of being an afterthought.
Get Creative, But Remain Consistent, With Branding
Because the majority of Instagram Ads will be standard photos meant to mimic the social media experience, branding the content will not be as organic. If the company has a recognizable color palette, make sure it is used in the advertisement. The same goes for logos, slogans or catchphrases.
The ads do have to be consistent with the business’s actual Instagram page so that users will recognize the messaging they saw in the ad on the actual profile. There is no value in bringing in new eyes if they can’t recognize the branding that brought them there.
There is nothing to lose with trying Instagram Ads at a minimal fee to see how it increases followers, sales or traffic and then taking the next step based on the results. With Facebook targeting available on Instagram Ads, it provides an amazing opportunity to reach specific demographics without wasting the ad on those who will outright dismiss it.