Instagram Stories advertising — is it worth the try?

Manon Atlass
Jul 20, 2017 · 2 min read
Instagram Stories Ads — Example

Instagram recently rolled out advertising placements for Instagram Stories to all businesses globally. These are full-screen ads (9:16) that seamlessly integrate into the platform, by being placed between two different people you follow. The ad is marked with a sponsored label but it is quite subtle.

To avoid banner blindness due to its harmonious look, it is imperative your ads stand out and grab the viewer’s attention because viewers can skip you ads very easily and swipe to the next story. Needless to say, this also applies to general ads whether they appear on Facebook or Instagram. The big difference is: you are interrupting users looking at other’s people’s daily activities in a full-screen view, you desperately want their attention — you need it. You have up to 15 seconds with a static image or a video/slideshow to inspire or convince users to click or swipe up your ad and view what you have to offer.

Ways to grab attention:

- The first impression is crucial. Your message needs to be clear from the start.
- Compelling visuals (you can easily use a tool like canva)
- Use the correct call to action. Also very important: make sure it is visible. (the CTA text color is white)
- A/B test different formats: static images vs. slideshows vs. video’s

But is it worth investing in Instagram Stories Ads? My experience so far (campaign is still running) says YES:

Instagram stories ads do not generate many clicks but they are valuable clicks that lead to a higher conversion rate (+/- 16%) than general Facebook ads (+/- 7%) with the same target audience. I previously experienced a similar result with lead generation ads. More conversions, less costs. What more could you want?

What you could use Instagram Stories Ads for:

- Increase brand awareness by targeting the right audience with a Sponsored Story, letting them get to know your brand or get more followers, etc…
- Encourage users to join a contest
- Announce sales or some other kind of promotion
- Announce new products
- And so on …

Basically I find any reason valid for testing out Instagram Stories Ads. What do you think?
> Please let me know about your experiences with the new advertising format in the comments below.

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