Get Your Instagram Ads Ready For The Holidays

Reach your target audience before it’s too late!

Holiday spending in Q4 is on track to break previous sales records. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts that holiday sales for 2021 are “expected to increase by 8.5–10.5% over 2020.” Last year the pandemic certainly shifted our consumer spending behavior, specifically from in-store to online. But now it seems shoppers are making up for lost time. The more consumers spend, the more your business has the opportunity to build its brand awareness. With Black Friday already behind us, the time to ramp up Instagram advertisements is now.

Here’s your guide to Instagram ads this holiday season:

Video content continues to drive engagement

When Instagram first arrived on the scene, it was exclusively known as a photo-sharing app. Users would post photos, apply the same seven filters, and anxiously await the likes of followers. Now those days are far behind us. With the integration of stories, reels, and IGTV, Instagram has evolved into a full entertainment platform. Videos now dominate the marketing field on every social media application, which is exactly why all brands should explore video content this holiday season.

According to a recent survey, 81% of marketers plan to include video content in their marketing strategy. This means businesses, both small and large, should approach video content strategically. Focus on the type of visuals that your target audience would relate to most. This includes product highlights or how-to videos. Data even shows that long-form video content works better at maintaining engagement. Short-form makes it easier for potential buyers to keep scrolling.

Since the 2021 holiday season has urged more viewers to shop on Instagram, you’ll want to stand out among the competition. How do you do this? With high quality content. Even if you’re short on time or materials, film in a location that offers a beautiful backdrop with flattering lighting. Make sure every video is crafted and designed with purpose. This tactic especially rings true for product launches.

Find niche influencers

If you think influencers are not worth the time or money, think again. The 2021 holiday season is in full swing, which means you’ll want to get complete access to your target audience as soon as possible. While you’re busy focusing on Instagram ad campaigns, influencers will promote your brand to thousands of potential customers.

Not only that, influencers don’t need to have 500,000 to a million followers to be useful. Depending on your brand, micro-influencers (those with 10,000–50,000 followers) can garner just as much or even more engagement than mega influencers. On average, micro-influencers boost engagement rates on Instagram by 3.86%.

Here are five reasons to use Instagram influencers:

• Influencers are already connected to your target audience
• Consumers often avoid advertisements, influencers get their attention organically
• Influencers can be less expensive than paid media
• Relevant content is constantly shared
• Consumers trust influencers opinion

The most important aspect of using influencers to your advantage is finding the right ones within your niche. For example, a food or beverage brand should secure an influencer with food-related posts. It might seem straightforward, but it’s all about locating the right person to represent your brand to the community. That person is essentially serving as a voice for your products, so make sure they are relatable and align well with your target audience.

Need some ideas on how to incorporate influencers into your 2021 holiday campaign? Lightning AI can help

Thanks to the rise in video content, influencers are having more fun promoting your brand. Nowadays they aren’t constricted to sharing just photos. They can create stories, videos, or live streams to attract a diverse range of audiences. The truth is consumers actually respond best to this type of media. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 viewers want more video content from businesses in general. Here’s the best way to utilize influencers this holiday season.

• Review your products/services
• Collaborate on holiday gift sets
• Promotion of holiday giveaways or product gift guides

All said and done, the budget you set aside for influencers will likely dictate your consumer journey. With Lightning AI’s help, you can quickly analyze which advertisements perform well and figure out the best plan of action to build brand awareness with influencer help.

Connect with your audience through Instagram Live

Now that December is just a few days away, crunch time has officially begun. Though Instagram ads are of the utmost importance, don’t forget to connect directly with your audience too. Viewers love to see the behind the scenes aspects of your brand, as well as the friendly faces behind its production. Instagram Live may have originally seemed like a short-lived trend, but it’s become a useful tool for businesses to grow and expand their fanbase.

In fact, recent analysis shows that “82% of audiences would rather watch a livestream than see a social media post.” Having this knowledge means only one thing: it’s time to go live this holiday season! Before you start engaging with viewers, set out a strategic goal or objective for your time on screen. For instance, talk about a holiday gift set or reveal a new product that you’re launching this season.

The key to Instagram ads — timely content

Although CPM rises in Q4, this shouldn’t deter marketers from making the most out of their holiday ad campaigns. You might have to get creative with budget restraints, but the more timely (and quality) content you post, the more profits you’ll gross in this timespan. Your target audience craves timely content that keeps their interests peaked throughout the holiday season. Instagram ads have the ability to influence repeat purchasing behavior as well.

More importantly, holiday sales will funnel this level of engagement. You can build urgency with contests, limited-time offers, and BOGO deals within the next month. You may even want to consider free shipping. These tried and true marketing tactics work effectively at increasing your conversion rates and developing a wider target audience.

Is the holiday stress getting to you? Contact Lightning AI today

Lightning AI will help you reach your target audience this holiday season. Our AI platform will study your current data on Facebook and identify new interest groups based on your most successful advertisements. The best part — you don’t have to wait! We deliver real time results thanks to our advanced testing platform. We’ll do the legwork to successfully connect your brand with millions of potential buyers within seconds. Get started here.