With each passing day the popularity of Instagram is increasing. The website was first created just for iOS users back in 2010. In the beginning, users could only upload images. But in 2013, Instagram introduced video features. Now Instagram has over a billion users. In 2016 Instagram introduced the story feature. Many have criticized that this feature was copied from Snapchat. The Instagram story means an image or video that appears only for 24 hours and disappears on its own when the time is up. Nowadays, 500 million Instagram stories get uploaded every day. This gives us the idea of how much popularity this feature has gained over the years. With the help of a photo slideshow maker, many people create videos for Instagram stories.
As this feature has gained popularity, marketers also use it for the benefit of their company. Many marketers commented on how this feature can act as a marketing tool. People who are looking for an Instagram video maker should opt for InVideo. This website is free to use and comes with a variety of customizable templates for your Instagram story. It also provides the customers with a large option of features such as transition, animation and graphics.
How do various ad formats work?
Most of the brands nowadays opt for Instagram video ads as this way, they can reach a larger audience. But marketers should have knowledge about various ad formats and how to utilize them for their brand. Now we will share some information regarding multiple ad formats and how they work.
- In-feed video ads
In-feed ads refer to the ads that pop up when you open Instagram and scroll through your feed. It is important to understand your audience’s mindset, as they just like to watch. The audience rarely clicks or engages themselves with an ad, so make sure your ad stands out. If your main purpose is brand awareness, then opt for in-feed video ads. Marketers can combine in-feed ads with re-targeting video view ads to get some of the best results. Make sure the ad is creative and captivates your audience’s attention at the same time. If the beginning of your video shows that it is an ad, then people are not likely to watch it.
- Instagram stories
The Instagram story feature is new, and many marketers love this as their marketing tool. As there are so many users who upload Instagram stories every day, brands have started to utilize this feature to promote their company. Instagram story ads appear in-between stories, and one does not have the option to go back and watch it again. Instagram story ads are different from Instagram in-feed ads. The story ads have the highest CTR, but the lowest CPC rate that is visible in any social media ads. Instagram video ads only last for 15 seconds, and people need to swipe up in order to click. Create a video that is creative and catchy as 15 seconds can go by really fast. Keep your niche in mind and create the video for your Instagram story ad.
- Instagram canva ads
Instagram canva ads are known to offer creativity, and they are impressive to the customers. With the help of Instagram canva ads, the audience can open the brand’s website while being on Instagram. This helps to improve the conversion rate by a lot. These ads appear as the Instagram story ads. Specialists recommend opting for a single main image and three cards behind it to display more videos and pictures. For all the eCommerce business, make sure to create a catalogue of products so your audience can click through and make a purchase.
- Instagram carousel ads
With the introduction of Instagram carousel features brands can make ads with more product or service description. People have the option to add two or ten videos or images in the ad with the Instagram carousel feature. Having the option to add so many images or videos gives the brand a chance to showcase their creativity. With the help of this feature, you can create stories, product catalogue or various other things that come to your mind.
- Instagram TV (IGTV)
It is not long since Instagram first introduced Instagram TV or IGTV. With this feature, users can upload videos that are longer than an hour. But make sure to keep your audience in mind when creating the video. If your viewers don’t like long videos try to stick with short and creative ones. IGTV videos often showcase the behind the scene, inspirational stories or informative content. Netflix has utilized this feature brilliantly by showing interviews and promos through IGTV.
How to make great Instagram video ads?
- The first few seconds’ matters a lot, so make sure you utilize it properly. If you don’t have creative content, then the audience will most likely click out of your ad. Your audience should like the beginning of your ad. This way they will watch the whole video and interact with it.
- Create brand awareness through Instagram story ads. It is essential to let your viewers know who you are and what you provide. This will help your audience know more about you and your products or services.
- If your ad requires a CTA, make sure to say that clearly. If you are not clear, then the audience will have a hard time understanding what to do in the next step.
- Majority of the viewers use Instagram from their smartphones. So before making a video ad, visualize it in your mind. Create a video ad that will suit the mobile display and not desktop.
- Audiences don’t enjoy watching videos that are too long. Keep the video ads short and simple. Although Instagram provides users with IGTV where one can upload longer videos, still try to make it short.
- It is important to have a thumbnail that is creative and visually appealing. Most of the viewers get attracted to watch a video after looking at the thumbnail.
- By default, Instagram plays videos on mute. So make sure to incorporate text in the video itself. This will help the users understand the video even with the sound off
