A Beginners Guide To Instagram Ads: Learning The Basics
Marketing your business through social media is essential to growing your following, building brand awareness, and sparking the interest of new leads. With Instagram remaining one of the most popular social platforms, taking advantage of its many features, specifically paid advertising, can help increase your online visibility.
As a busy mortgage or real estate agent using OpenHouse marketing, learning the ropes of Instagram ads will help support your marketing in the long run. We’ll walk you through the basics of all things Instagram ads, from costs to ad types!
What are Instagram ads?
Instagram ads are paid promotional posts that businesses can use to display on the social feeds of targeted Instagram users. These ads appear on users' scrolling feeds, stories, explore pages, and more. Each ad looks similar to a regular post or story. The only difference is the word ‘sponsored’ to disclose that it is an ad.
How much do Instagram ads cost?
The great thing about Instagram ads is that the price is entirely up to you based on your needs and goals. Cost factors can include the competitiveness of your industry, your target audience, the time of year you’re running ads, and where you choose to display your ads (story vs. feed).
To help control the spending and budget for your ads, you can choose daily or lifetime spending limits. Remember, there is no benchmark for how much you should be spending! Your budget will form from trial and error. You may start by spending a few dollars a day, assessing your reach, and raising the amount from there.
The types of Instagram ads
When it comes to building your Instagram ad, you can choose from any of the following ad formats:
Image Ads
Image ads use a single image to promote your services. You may select a photo of yourself with a beautiful new home background to target the aspirations of your audience.
Story Ads
Story Ads use full-screen images or videos to display in between Instagram users’ stories. The best story-based ads are the ones that don’t look and feel like an ad but have authentic content. Consider posting client pictures enjoying their new home or a newly renovated kitchen at a home showing.
Video Ads
Video ads allow businesses to give their target audience a zoomed-in view of their brand, services, and process. Instagram allows up to 60 seconds of video footage for ads. Consider filming a positive reaction from your clients, like closing on their homes or delivering the keys to their new homes. Pro tip: shorter ads are more effective.
Carousel Ads
Carousel ads have a series of up to 10 photos or videos that Instagram users can swipe through. These ads appear both in stories and in-feed. Try using carousel ads to tell a story. This might include the steps to purchasing a home or hosting a successful home showing!
Collection Ads
Collection ads are a combination of shopping ads and carousel ads. These are best suited for product-based businesses looking to have customers purchase directly from the app. This ad acts as an instant online storefront!
Explore Ads
Explore ads appear on the Instagram explore page after someone clicks on 'explore' content. This is a great place to gain exposure, with over 50% of Instagram users visiting this page monthly.
IGTV Ads
IGTV ads are videos that play following users clicking on an IGTV video. An IGTV ad can be up to 15 seconds long and should be formatted vertically. Generally, IGTV ads appear in the middle of an IGTV video with the option to skip through.
Shopping Ads
Shopping ads allow users to buy products without leaving the Instagram app. After finding shopping ads on scrolling feeds or stories, users are brought to a product description page on Instagram. Here they’ll be able to make purchases through business websites.
Reels Ads
Reel ads are shown between Instagram reel videos and can be up to 30 seconds long. If you’re hoping to blend your ad in with typical reel videos, try adding music or sound to your ad. You may want to add trending songs or sounds over a new home listing tour or a timelapse of your working day with clients!
What kind of ad should I choose?
The kind of ad you should use depends entirely on the unique goals you have for your business. As previously noted, there are different ad types for each content form and app location. Think about the goals and purpose behind running an Instagram ad for your business and choose an ad format that best supports your needs!
For example, if you’re trying to generate traffic to your website, a story ad may be a great option to consider. Story ads allow users to easily swipe to mobile websites and quickly view important information.
Next steps
You’ve learned the basics of Instagram ads, the costs, and the kinds of ads available- so where do you go from here? Your next action is to start creating and running your own Instagram ad with quality promotional content. Stay tuned for our next blog post where we’ll give you 5 easy steps to creating and running your next Instagram ad!
Are you a busy agent interested in running your own Instagram ads but can’t find the time or resources to create high-quality promotional content tailored to your industry and audience? OpenHouse Marketing should be your next point of reference for marketing success!
We offer a monthly subscription with done-for-you social media posts and additional marketing resources to take your business to the next level. Are you interested in signing up? Click here to learn more!
