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Save Time on Instagram: Choose The Best Ad Types

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Stop me if this has happened to you. You’re on your smartphone, and you’re getting a nice dopamine hit from the endless scroll on Instagram. What’s that? Some remarkable new whatchamacallit? And it’s on sale? Suddenly, that thing you didn’t know existed two minutes ago is all you can think about, and you’ve got to have it. Instagram isn’t just for destroying self-esteems—it's also the best social media platform for product discovery. If you have anything to sell, advertising on Instagram is a must.

Instagram Feed Ads

These are the ads you’re most familiar with. When on Instagram, people will spend most of their time scrolling through their feed. This shows them posts from the people they follow. In between posts of their friends from high school on vacations they definitely can’t afford, they will see feed ads. 

At a glance, these appear to be normal Instagram posts. The layout is pretty similar to organic posts, with the advertiser’s profile picture and handle appearing at the top. The difference is there’s that little “Sponsored” underneath their name. Then there is, of course, the image, and then a CTA at the bottom of the post that directs users to a landing page. Both image and video ads are supported.

Feed ads will be your “workhorse ads.” These ads are great for evergreen content, new product launches, or any time you want people to stop scrolling and do the digital equivalent of a double take. 

Instagram Profile Feed Ads

As you carefully scroll through your ex’s profile, trying with “Mission Impossible” like precision not to accidentally like their post from 84 weeks ago, you may see some profile feed ads. Profile feed ads are largely the same as your run-of-the-mill feed ads, but these only appear when you click onto someone’s profile, click on an individual post, and then scroll through their profile. And as you might expect, the specs are practically identical. This format supports both image and video ads.

These ad types are just perfect for brand loyalists and “curious creepers.” Profile feed ads work well when it comes to reinforcing your message to users already checking your profile. Use these ads for testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, or limited time promos that make your most loyal customers feel like they’re in-the-know.

Instagram Story Ads

Stories are an original feature that Instagram did not steal from any other platforms. While people can make Instagram posts that live on their feed forever, they can also post things to their story that will disappear after 24 hours.

The user interface for stories is a lot different from feeds in that you don’t scroll from one feed to another, but rather, progress through them by clicking. Story ads, like feed ads, are largely meant to mimic the layout of organic posts. This format supports both image and video ads.

Great for urgency, engagement, and some good old fashion FOMO. Story ads are ideal for flash sales, new product countdowns, event reminders, and exclusive drops. The casual, full-screen format works best with the quicker produced content or more guerilla style marketing materials. 

Instagram Explore Home Ads

Once you're caught up on all the posts from accounts you follow, you can click onto Instagram’s Explore page. There, you’ll be treated to a grid-like layout of posts from all walks of life. And included in that menagerie of what are effectively thumbnails are these sneaky little ads that at first glance appear to be organic posts.

Instagram Explore Ads

If you click on any of those posts on the Explore page, you’ll be able to scroll through a feed of posts from accounts you don’t follow. These are the in-feed ads that you’ll see.

Instagram Reel Ads

Reels are an original feature that Instagram did not steal from any other platforms. While the traditional Instagram feed has both images and videos, reels are a video-exclusive feature, which means the ads are video only as well.

The layout for reels is different from a typical video post in that it takes up the whole screen, with the like, comment, and share icons being over the video in the bottom-right corner. The same goes for the handle, caption, and CTA. Because of this, you’ll want to leave a bit of room at the bottom of the video. There’s a time limit of 15 seconds, so if you have some CCTV ads lying around, and you have a version that’s in a vertical format, then this would be a good place to put them.

Advertising on Instagram is a Must

Sure, Instagram is the place where the world goes to look at each other as we pretend we’re living our ideal lives, but it’s also a place where effective marketing happens with near endless options and opportunities. Finding what ads work best for you can help go from an image quickly passed by to a click and order. 

Looking to learn even more about Instagram advertising? Blogs are great, but why not talk to a real human person about it? A genius, no less. Fill out the form below and let us know what time works best for you. We can talk about what works best for you, as well as what filter makes that selfie you took really pop.