Are you running Instagram Stories ads yet? They could be your ticket to boosting brand awareness, gaining more followers, and improving your sales!
Look at these facts
- There are 500+ million of us, using Instagram Stories every day, and a third of the most viewed stories are from brands and businesses.
- Instagram Stories ads are the perfect way to reach new audiences and showcase your services and products to an already engaged audience.
- Engagement rates for Instagram Stories are already high, with Instagram revealing one in five stories gets a direct message from viewers. 📩
But want to know the real reason you should try Story ads?
Instagram Stories ads can be one of the highest converting Instagram ads with the lowest cost per conversion and all advertisers get the elusive swipe up feature … check this out.
THE BASICS
If you’re not already using Instagram Stories ads, here’s what you need to know. 🤓
Stories ads are an immersive format that brings businesses’ stories to life. Stories ads exist as dividers between Stories themselves—but, like News Feed ads, it’s difficult to tell them apart from the rest of the organic content within the format.
Stories Ads are full screen, vertical, images and/or videos that automatically cycle through without your input.
When you create them in Facebook Ads Manager they can have a number of different objectives and call to actions. Unlike the organic Instagram Stories that only last for 24 hours, these ads are not limited in life span.
THE FORMATS
Instagram Stories Ads can be created as videos, photos and carousel ad formats.
📹 Video: Video ads play for up to 15 seconds
📷 Photo: A still image ad will play for 5 seconds
🎠 Carousel: Carousel ads for Stories allows brands to play up to 3 pieces of content (video and photos) within a single ad.
For the exact specification click here
THE GOLDEN RULES
If you are new to Stories ads, I posted my golden rules on my socials to get you started and here we will look at them in a bit more detail.
1. KEEP TEXT CONCISE
The fact is we’re all scrolling on our mobiles, and not taking too much notice of what we see. So, the key message should be short, sweet and to the point in an Instagram Stories ad that is easy to understand in a matter of seconds
2. USE VIDEO
Did you know that videos hold our attention 5x longer than still images?
As our attention span declines, the first 3 seconds of your Instagram Stories ad has to be eye-catching and memorable and is one way that you can help overcome this attention deficit is to use video
- INFORMAL CREATIVE WORKS
People are used to watching casual Instagram Stories content from their friends. If they see a highly produced video or image pop up in their stories, it can come across like a commercial, and they will naturally swipe away.
Try talking right into the camera. This makes the ads more informal and less sales-driven, resulting in a post that is personable and more likely to keep an audience engaged.
4. USE SOUND
Instagram revealed that 60% of stories, ads were viewed with a sound on. You could use a voice, music, whatever you need to make, or background noise to make your story, your own, and draw your audience in.
5. ADD A CALL TO ACTION
Nothing encourages an impulse purchase more than a limited-time deal or an exclusive offer!
Draw attention away from the ‘sponsored’ tag in the top, right corner of your Instagram Stories ad by placing your main message or graphic in the middle of the screen or closer to your ‘swipe up’ link.
Creating a sense of urgency or FOMO within your Instagram Stories ads is one simple way you can encourage viewers to swipe up and visit your website.
HOW TO CREATE A STORIES AD
So now you know all about Story Ads, how do you create them? Click here to see a walk through video