4 Steps to Launch Your Marketing Campaign on Instagram
Most of the social networks are now being saturated by companies so that they will be able to reach their target market. However, it is not too late to launch your marketing campaign on social media sites because there is still one platform that has not be utilized extensively, and that is Instagram.
Most of the social networks are now being saturated by companies so that they will be able to reach their target market. However, it is not too late to launch your marketing campaign on social media sites because there is still one platform that has not be utilized extensively, and that is Instagram. If you're still planning on your marketing campaign, maybe you can consider this social media platform. In this post, we will help you on how to have an edge among your competitors and get ahead of the game when it comes to launching your marketing campaign on Instagram.
Don't go overboard with your ad
By this, your ad should be able to look like an organic content in Instagram. You have to do your best to make this happen. Don't go on hard selling because that is not going to work. There is beauty in subtlety, and that is one thing you'll truly appreciate when you're marketing in Instagram.
In this social media site, just because you spend money on it, it does not mean that you can go on and use the logo of your brand on every post. You'll just end up having your ad rejected. In Instagram, the 20% text rule also applies, the same with Facebook. Don't force your marketing message in your post. Just make it as organic-looking as possible.
For the information of the readers, images that have been zoomed in on logos, or images that have text overlay are not permitted. Edited images that include texts are also not allowed. This is important for you to know so that you don't waste time creating images just to have them rejected. It's highly important that you read the terms and conditions before you commence your marketing campaign on these sites. So instead of including the text in the image, why not just put the text in the caption? The users will still be able to read them.
After that, the next thing you have to make sure of is that your ad should look organic. This means the image ought to be authentic, of high-quality, and it should have natural lighting. If you want to express the personality of your brand, there are other ways than just putting your logo in the image. What you can do is use signature elements as well as the signature colors of your brand. In doing so, your brand will still be recognized by the audience.
Lastly, make sure that you follow the basics when it comes to image composition as well as the other elements of creating content that is of high quality. An example of this is the rule of thirds when it comes to taking your photo. Focus only one a couple of things in your image, include one to be your brand element. Don't confuse your audience by making your image too busy or too complex. And don't even bother with borders. The minimum requirement of the images is that it should be detailed, of high-resolution, and clean. Pixelated images are a no-no.
Select your ad format
If in case you have tried advertising in Facebook, it won't be any different with Instagram. There are three kinds of ads available on Instagram, and we will discuss each one of them here.
Photo ads
Photo ads let the business to tell a story of the brand through the use of really good imagery. Here, the recommended size of the image is 1080 x 1080 pixels. The image should be in square or landscape format. You are allowed to add a CTA in your ad so that you may be able to attract users to your site. If you are using original photos that you or your team shot, you can even protect your intellectual property through the help of IP lawyers.
Carousel ads
With this type of ad, instead of a single image, the Instagram users can look through many images. You get to use these additional images so you can closely promote products that are related to a single campaign as well as the same ad copy.
Video ads
Video ads are great for raising brand awareness. You can get about 30 seconds of motion and audio with the size limit of 30MB. However, there are no call-to-action buttons available yet. But videos are still great for increasing engagement with your audience.
In all of these ads, you can add a caption. It will be shown below the photo, and you can use up to 300 text characters. Don't put the URL of your site in this field because the users will not be able to click it anyway.
With the ads we have discussed, you can gain the following:
-
You can get clicks to your site
-
There can be downloads of the mobile app that you have to offer as well as increase the engagement with users
-
You get to have more views for your videos
-
Your posts can reach farther, making sure that you gain more brand awareness
Integrate Facebook with Instagram
For many marketers, this is one of their favorite parts: accessing Facebook's data as well as the advanced targeting features in the ads in Instagram. If you are already eligible for the ad in Instagram, you get to integrate the Power Editor of Facebook with your account in Instagram. Here is how you can do it.
-
First, log in to Business Manager
-
Go to Business Settings
-
And then to Instagram Accounts
-
If you already have an account for Facebook Ads, there will be an option where you can link your account on Instagram to your ads account on Facebook.
-
Under "ad accounts," look for the Power Editor link.
-
Once you have already set this up, a welcome screen of Instagram Ads will be presented to you.
-
By clicking "Create Campaign," you can begin the creation of an Instagram campaign. Here you choose your ad objective.
-
You'll then be diverted to the Power Editor. Here you can set your spending limit for each day.
-
As for the ad placement, you can set the ad targeting similarly to that of Facebook Ads Manager. You have the options for your ad placement. If you want your ads to show only on Instagram, all you need to do is uncheck the other options.
-
What you have to do next is to bid. Here, you will have to decide how much you can spend per ad result. You have two options: standard and advanced. In standard, your ads will be shown all day. While in advanced, your ads will be shown as soon as possible.
-
When you are done with this, you can then make a new ad that you can submit or upload to Facebook. You will be able to see new ads for Instagram in your Ads account.
You will get better results if you can run your ads both on Facebook and Instagram simultaneously. The ad placement on both platforms will also be optimized. This is based on the objective that you selected. An example of this is getting users to click on your website. You have the option to use the same creative for both of the sites. However, if you wish to use different creatives, you should first read the recommendations from Facebook.
Reach Out to Influencers in Your Niche
When reaching out to influencers, you can ask them if they would like to share your content, and in return, you will share theirs. This arrangement will benefit you both. The two of you will be able to get the exposure that you need from each other's crowd.
There are times, though, that doing this isn't necessary. What you need is a shout-out caption. What you should think about is that it will be more beneficial if you collaborate with other marketers than competing with them. This will surely increase your following on Instagram.
There are many informal shout-out groups that have Instagram users who are ready to have a mutual exchange. They can use Facebook groups, GroupMe, Slack, or Kik in connecting with others. The most important factor that you have to watch out for in these unpaid shout-outs is that the other account should have a similar reach so that you both can attain benefits equally.
Takeaway
These are just some of the ways that you can make sure you will have a good ROI for your marketing campaign on Instagram. If you are starting out, don’t be surprised if you’ll have to spend some money. This is necessary to jumpstart your campaign. It will be all worthwhile in the long run.
Remember to read the rules for creating an ad. You don’t want to spend so much time creating an ad just to have it rejected. So that’s the first thing you need to do, get familiar with the rules. Other than that, make sure that your ad will look as organic as possible. Give only hints of your brand such as your signature elements and colors. Leave the rest to the viewer. Just make sure that you will use enticing images that are sure to captivate the Instagram users. With this, you will surely have a boost in your Instagram marketing campaign.
Author’s Bio
Nicolas Finet is a web marketer with a solid technical knowledge and the Co-founder of Sortlist - an online digital marketing agencies serving London, New York, and so much more. Connect with him through his Linkedin profile.