Marketing Alert: Instagram Stories Now Runs Ads for All Businesses
Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Instagram has surpassed 400 million active daily users. While marketers can connect with those users via their own posts on the social media platform, social marketers should also consider advertising on Instagram. Last year, the company launched Instagram Stories, which are short videos or still images that disappear after 24 hours.
Now, after a brief testing period, Instagram has rolled out full-screen ads for Instagram Stories to all businesses.
Take Advantage of Increased Ad Recall Lift
Airbnb participated in the initial testing phase, running "15-second video ads in Stories." According to AdWeek, the company experienced a "double-digit point increase in ad recall." Running an ad doesn't automatically turn viewers into customers. However, if users remember your ads, they become more likely to seek out your products or services later.
This is a tremendous opportunity for companies that want to experiment with or expand their efforts in paid social. You can track ad lift recall with both Instagram and Facebook ads, which allows you to determine whether your ads have a lasting impact on your audience. Ad recall can increase with exposure, as well, and Instagram users often follow similar brands and personalities, which makes targeting your ideal customer easier.
Get Creative
The purpose behind Instagram Stories lies in its ability to help users share their daily experiences in intimate ways. Since the photos and videos disappear after a day, users don't have to clog up their profiles with images that won't have any lasting impact. Instead, they can share their lives with their followers and experiment with new content.
Social marketers can do the exact same thing with ads in Instagram Stories. Since the people who view Stories are already interested in compelling narratives, you can craft your own stories to entice your audience.
Instagram's success proves that photos and videos often prove more exciting than words on a page. You can use that knowledge to elevate brand awareness and to take advantage of Instagram's unprecedented popularity among multiple age groups.
Take Advantage of Metrics
Instagram knows its users — especially on the business side. If you combine Instagram Stories ads with the metrics you get from Instagram's back end, you can increase your ROI even further.
You can use metrics like reach and targeting to fine-tune your paid social approach and get the full benefit of each ad run. As long as you use compelling content for your ads, more users will swipe up during your ads to get more information. You can also include a call-to-action within your ad to make clicks more likely.
If you're ready to take your social marketing game to a new level, Instagram Stories might offer the ideal solution. In the meantime, add more knowledge to your arsenal by reading how search, display, and social advertising boosts high-end retailer's YOY sales by 70%.
You Might Be Interested In
