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How to advertise on Instagram as a business
Advertising on Instagram goes through Meta's Ads Manager. The formats that matter (Reels, stories, feed), what to prepare, and the common mistakes.
Published on · Joh · 5 min read
Instagram advertising isn't really done from Instagram. It is created in Meta's Ads Manager, the same one as for Facebook, and the same campaign can run on both. The app's "Promote" button exists, but it gives little control over what you actually want: enquiries or sales.
The three places your ad appears
- Reels, full screen, between creators' videos. Vertical video is often cheapest to run there.
- Stories, also full screen, between friends' stories. Short, and left with one swipe.
- The feed, between two posts. The most classic format.
One well-designed vertical video serves all three. That is why I produce everything in 9:16.
What to prepare
A professional Instagram account linked to your Facebook page and Business Manager. Without that link, your ads run under the Facebook page's name, without your Instagram profile picture. Business Manager.
A video that looks like Instagram. People come for content, not posters. An ad that looks like a shop owner's story goes down better than a polished commercial. UGC and talking to camera.
A hook in the first second. The thumb is always ready to leave. If nothing catches straight away, you pay for nothing. Six hook mechanics.
Conversion tracking, as for any Meta campaign, so the algorithm learns who requests a quote or buys. The Facebook pixel.
Common mistakes
- Reusing a square image designed for a flyer, with lots of text.
- Putting the key message at the bottom of the screen, where Instagram's interface covers it.
- Judging the ad on likes and views instead of the cost of an enquiry.
- Targeting Instagram only on principle, when Meta spreads the budget better if you let it choose placements.
How much it costs
The price depends on the audience, the season and the quality of the creative. The price of an Instagram ad.
Do it yourself, or hand it over
Launching a first ad is simple. Making it pay means producing new videos regularly and reading the numbers every week. Instagram Ads provider: what they should do.
Further reading: Video ads: real examples and how to create a Facebook ad.
Want Instagram ads that bring in enquiries? Book a 30-minute call.