Instagram Story Ads — Best Practices

Instagram story ads first hit the scenes in 2017, adding to Instagram’s ever-growing inventory of ad placements. Fast forward to 2021, and story ads have come a long way, with some marketers pinpointing how it has begun to eclipse Insta news feeds. If you’re not tapping into story ads, now’s the time to start.

Stick around as we walk you through how Instagram ads in stories work, as well as some best practices to follow for maximum impact.

What are Instagram story ads?

Instagram story ads are vertical ads that belong to Instagram’s Stories feature, and brands typically use story ads to obtain link clicks and conversions.  You can optimize your ad by reach, video views, conversions, traffic, app installs, and brand awareness. Unlike an organic Insta story, story ads don’t disappear after 24 hours. You can pick how long you want your campaign to run for and set your target audience preferences. 

Overall, story ads are an incredibly effective way to create interactive experiences for Instagram users and are generally viewed as a more efficient ad format than the traditional Instagram Feed.

Why consider Instagram story advertising?

Instagram story advertising is a powerful way to connect with fellow Instagrammers and inspire action based on your content. And with the ability to personalize your ad, you can drive business results at the same time. From elevating your brand and generating leads to maximizing reach and driving home valuable conversions, more and more businesses are turning to story advertising.

Key benefits of Instagram story ads include:

• Immersive, full-screen experience with no distractions
• More authentic ad format since it pops up between organic stories, making it less obvious to leads that it’s sponsored content
• As a relatively new ad feature, it’s less saturated than say, Instagram Feed ads 
• Place your business in front of your dream customers 

For the full low-down on Instagram advertising, head over to our Ultimate Guide to Instagram advertising.

How to set up Instagram story ads

Below we’ve outlined an easy step-by-step guide to setting up Instagram story ads.

1. Go to Facebook Ads Manager and select Create. 
2. Name your campaign and choose your desired objective
3. Set up your Ad Set (choose where you want to direct your traffic to)
4. Set your ad budget and schedule
5. Define your targeted audience (pick from lookalike, custom, or exclusionary audiences)
6. Select where your users are based (the default is Everyone in This Location)
7. Choose your Ad Placement
8. Fill in the Optimization & Delivery fields
9. Move on to your ad creative, laying out your ad
10. Finished setting up your campaign? Hit send!

Best practices for ads on Instagram stories

As a marketing holy grail rule, advertising will always require a potent mix of creativity, strategy, and intuition. Instagram story ads work no different. Below we’ve handpicked only the very best practices to consider when setting up ads on Instagram stories.

Tell an irresistible story

First impressions count. If a user moves away from your ad, it’s game over. Use content that hooks users in from the get-go. Be evocative and visual with your content, and if you are bold enough to throw in some humor, then go for it. A bonus tip would be to use textual prompts to accompany your photo or video, so followers will be more likely to interact with your ad. And whatever you do, make sure the aesthetic of your ads syncs up with your brand messaging.

Use video

On average, sponsored Instagram videos generate triple the amount of comments than photos do. That’s not all. Studies have shown how Instagram video story ads increase three times more engagement than photo story ads. On the bonus side, you can convey way more in a video than a photo, so play with video storytelling.

Add audio

Yes, swipe-through is a real danger, but a way to get noticed is to take advantage of Instagram’s music feature. Adding music to your story ad is a perfect opportunity to be edgy, grab the user’s attention, and ultimately keep them hooked right through to the call to action. 

Brand your content

If you want to stick out from the masses and make a lasting impression in a short space of time, then add your logo and brand name to your story. This will enable users to recognize your brand, helping them find your product or service faster.

Use call to actions that stand out

Make sure you add a ‘see more’ prompt or direct users to swipe up. Including an obvious CTA will undoubtedly help your click-through rate, prompting folks to take action from your content.

Follow the recommended ad specs

The last thing you want is your ad to be blurry. The recommended resolution to follow is 1080 x 1920 pixels (600 x 1067px minimum) and aim for an aspect ratio of 9:16 (vertical). Also, note that photo ads have a length of up to 10 seconds while video has 15 seconds. 

Track ad performance using UTMs

One of the best ways to monitor ad campaign performance is to add a UTM parameter (it’s a URL parameter you insert at the end of the link to track click-through-rates) A UTM parameter will help you track how people interact with your content, giving you a solid overview of what’s working and what needs to change in your campaign strategy.

Final word

Ads on Instagram stories are an incredible opportunity for businesses to speak to their dream customers in an organic and creative way. Praised for its interactive features, story ads still have a competitive edge over Insta feed, enabling brands to get ahead of the curve and generate lasting business results. In other words, there’s no time like today to get started with story ads.