How to Advertise on Instagram: Learn to Advance Your Growth

Thanks to the Instagram Algorithm, you don’t need advertising experience or technical know-how to advertise on Instagram. Getting started with Instagram ads for e-commerce can significantly boost your online store’s visibility and sales. Paid advertising is important if you want to keep up with the competition and keep growing by earning more followers. An effective organic growth strategy and Instagram ads strategy can help you reach your defined business goals. 

Meta Ads Manager allows you to create ad campaigns across multiple platforms. Whether you want to run ads on your Facebook page or your Instagram account, Meta Ads Manager gives you options. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to advance your growth and run an Instagram ad campaign.

Instagram Ads: What Are Your Options?

According to global digital trends for 2024, the estimated reach of Instagram ads is more than 1.65 billion people. Sponsored content is as ubiquitous on Instagram as on any Facebook page, appearing in feeds, Stories, Reels, and Explore. When you know how to create Instagram ads, you can use more features to optimize your post reach. Using Instagram Ads to increase followers can effectively boost your profile’s visibility and attract a larger audience.

Another useful tool to learn about is Meta Pixel. This tool uses coding that you place on a website to track data from Facebook ads. It will also retarget saved audiences and custom audiences.

Using Facebook Ads Manager to manage your Instagram ad campaign will help it succeed. It will help you run your ad across multiple platforms, including your Facebook business page and Instagram account. Choosing your ad format is important; it will allow you to choose between boosting posts or creating a new ad.

Various Instagram Ad Formats

When creating Instagram ads, choose from various Instagram ad formats like story ads, photo ads, and video ads. The various ad types help you create ads that match your business goal(s) and target audience. Here are more details about your options:

• Image ads: These are suitable for businesses producing high-quality photography or design and illustration. You can use a single or multiple images to advertise their brand, products, or services. 
• Stories ads: These are full-screen image or video ads that create a more immersive viewer experience. Stories ads should look like normal Stories and have an organic feel. 
• In-feed video ads. The shorter, the better, but video ads can be up to 60 minutes long. 
• Carousel ads: A Carousel ad can be an in-feed sponsored Carousel post or Instagram Story ads. Carousel ads are best suited for showcasing multiple products, multiple shots and angles of a product, or a multi-part Story. 
• Reels ads: These are shown in between Reels, can be up to 30 seconds long, and are also full-screen videos. 
• Shopping ads: If you know how to create Instagram ads, shopping ads are ideal for selling products. Shopping ads require an Instagram Shopping catalog. This directs users to a product description page within the app where they can make their purchases. 
• Explore ads: These types of ad campaigns appear on the Explore page. More specifically, in an Explore feed, after a user clicks a photo or video from the main Explore grid. Explore ads are a great way to reach a new audience who are already in discovery mode. You should also know how to land organically on the Instagram Explore page. 
• Collection ads: These combine Carousel ads and Shopping ads and allow direct shopping from your product catalog. 

How Much Does It Cost to Advertise on Instagram?

So, how much does it cost to run ads on Instagram? The cost varies depending on the duration of your ad, your budget, the competition, ad placement, and time of the year. Many factors determine the overall cost. 

When it comes to cost, the great thing about advertising on Instagram ads is the spending flexibility you have. You can update your Instagram ad spend any time based on how your ad is performing and your spending capability. Get started with Instagram ads for e-commerce and control your advertising costs by setting daily budgets or lifetime spending limits.

How Has Paid Advertising Changed on Instagram?

Paid advertising on Instagram has evolved significantly, with a stronger focus on influencer marketing, especially micro-influencers, for authentic engagement. Ad formats expanded to include Stories, Reels, and shoppable posts, making it easier for users to purchase products directly. Advanced targeting and analytics tools have improved the effectiveness and measurability of Instagram ad campaigns.

Constant algorithm updates fuel Instagram’s evolution. However, the meteoric popularity of influencers has made the biggest organic impact on how paid advertising has changed on Instagram. The prominence of influencers ultimately also influenced some of the platform’s most notable policy changes for advertising. 

A good example is the introduction of branded content ads. Previously, content created by influencers for businesses — and then shared by these businesses — was completely organic.

Instagram ads with branded content must now feature a branded tag to show that a business sponsored the post. All branded content ads are also labeled with “Paid partnership with [Name of Brand].”  The goal of branded content ads is to maintain transparency in advertising. Essentially, influencers can now run ads through their Instagram posts or Instagram stories, and they are appropriately paid for it.

Advertise on Instagram For Your Business

When setting your campaign objective, consider what you want to achieve with your first Instagram ad. It could be an app promotion, website conversions, or increasing app engagement. 

You have three options for advertising your business on Instagram. 

You can run Instagram ads by boosting a post within the app. Also, try using Instagram Ads Manager to access more advanced advertising tools or team up with Facebook-vetted business partners.

1. To boost a post, simply promote a post you’ve already shared so you can specify a target audience. Then, track how many people you’ve reached and are interacting with and direct users to a specified destination. The post would show up on a feed similar to an Instagram ad.
2. Ads Manager lets you run an Instagram ad campaign with different ad sets, ads, and budgets from a single place. 
3. Instagram Partners are ideal for businesses who need additional help with Instagram advertising and creatives.

How to Advertise Products on Instagram

Using the promote button is the easiest way to advertise products on Instagram. Here’s how to turn an existing post into an ad with product tags within the app. 

1. First, ensure you’re approved and set up for Instagram Shopping. This will allow you to add product tags to your post and turn it into an Instagram shop post. 
2. Go to your profile and tap the shoppable post you want to promote. Your shoppable post can be a single image, carousel, or video. For carousels, every image must have a product tag. 
3. Tap “Promote.”
4. Fill in the details, e.g., add a URL, select an action button, select an audience, and select a budget and duration. 
5. Tap “Next,” and then tap “Preview Promotion” under “Review.”
6. Finally, tap “Create Instagram Promotion,” after which your Instagram ad gets submitted for review. 

Advertise Using Shopify on Instagram

If you have already set up your business on Shopify, you should know how to advertise it on Instagram. You’ll need Instagram Shopping to link your Shopify product catalog to your Instagram business account.

You can also create ads using individual posts with product tags. Instagram Shopping will enable your customers to complete their purchases without leaving the Instagram app (through Instagram Checkout). You can also send them directly to your Shopify store.  

Follow these steps to set up Instagram Shopping so you can advertise your Shopify on Instagram:

1. Link your Instagram business or creator account to your Facebook page. 
2. If you don’t have it yet, set up your Business Manager account. This will allow you to set up your shop as a Commerce Manager. 
3. Shopify is already a Facebook partner platform. Meaning, you can easily sync your Shopify products to your Facebook page and Instagram account.
4. To link your Shopify to Instagram, you’ll need at least a Shopify Basic plan. Go to your Shopify admin and click “Facebook sales channel > Overview.”
5. Click “Set up” to set up your Instagram Shopping section. 
6. Connect your Facebook account to the Facebook sales channel. 
7. Click “Request approval” after reviewing and accepting the terms and conditions.

Your request is approved within 24-48 hours. Once your Shopify store has been onboarded, you’ll fill out your shop details in Commerce Manager. Select a checkout method and a sales channel (Instagram, Facebook, or both). Then, sync your existing product catalog or create a new one. 

When your product catalog has been synced, you can create ads and shoppable posts directly on Instagram. Your customers can browse your products and purchase from your Instagram shoppable posts. 

Any product updates should be made on Shopify. The updated product information will automatically sync to your catalog in Commerce Manager.

Business Examples for Instagram Advertising

The best strategy for Instagram ad placements will largely depend on the type of business you have. Let’s take a look at the following examples of ads on Instagram. To understand how Instagram ads work, it’s a good idea to examine successful ad examples that target Instagram users effectively. You’ll also want to ensure their ads perform well.

If you have a business account, you can access tools to optimize how your Instagram ads work and track progress. Following best practices for Instagram ads can significantly enhance your campaign’s effectiveness and drive better results. Determine your ad budget based on your campaign objectives. Then, choose the right Instagram ad types to reach your audience. To start off, you can choose something like an existing post or create a new ad set.

Advertise Your Cake Business On Instagram

Everybody loves cake, so showing off baking skills is easy when you advertise your cake business on Instagram. 

1. Post mouth-watering photos of your cake creations. Your photos must be a delicious treat to the eyes. 
2. Use Instagram filters to bring out the quality of your cakes and maintain the aesthetic consistency of your posts. 
3. Get creative with your captions, and always use industry-relevant and audience-specific hashtags. 
4. Frequently share user-generated content and customer feedback. 
5. When you have new cake designs, post them to your Stories as well. 

Here are the top 10 trending hashtags for cake posts that would work for your Instagram ads:

1. #cake (112,593,767 posts)
2. #cakes (27,924,977 posts)
3. #cakedecorating (19,945,546 posts)
4. #cakedesign (14,496,438 posts)
5. #cakeart (9,207,729 posts)
6. #cakelover (5,263,743 posts)
7. #cakedesigner (4,396,405 posts
8. #cakelove (3,402,236 posts)
9. #cakecakecake (3,318,929 posts)
10. #cakedecorator (2,635,593 posts)

How to Advertise Real Estate on Instagram

Real estate businesses and agents should know how to set up Instagram ads to help rake in commissions. Here are some prime real estate advertising tips:

1. Because real estate is all about location, location, location, make sure you nail local audience targeting on the head. 
2. Real estate also caters only to certain demographics, so make sure you know how to find the right demographic groups. 
3. Carousel ads are great for real estate advertising on Instagram. You’ll be able to showcase multiple angles and the various rooms of a property in a single post. 
4. Use Instagram Reels ads to give your potential customers a virtual tour of a property. 
5. Use the right hashtags for your posts. 

Here are the top 10 hashtags for real estate posts used for Instagram ads:

1. #realestatebroker (2,093,982 posts)
2. #realestatephotography (1,863,871 posts)
3. #realestatetips (1,525,218 posts)
4. #realestateagents (1,462,354 posts)
5. #realestategoals (1,492,117 posts)
6. #realestatesales (1,326,196 posts) 
7. #realestateexperts (1,303,235 posts)
8. #realestatemarketing (1,257,630 posts)
9. #realestateexpert (1,158,248 posts)
10. #realestateforsale (1,064,570 posts)

How to Advertise on Instagram: Grow Your Profile with Path Social

To stay competitive, an organic approach to business growth on Instagram must be combined with an effective advertising strategy. You have a wide range of options for advertising your business, products, or services on the platform. 

However, you should also take advantage of every opportunity to promote your content for free. Here are some tips for creating free ad campaigns. 

1. Maximize your Instagram business profile’s bio by offering multiple contact options for customers. Include a link to your online store or an email capture form to drive traffic and generate leads. You can also offer a discount, like 20% off, for signing up for your newsletter. Regularly update the link in your bio to keep it fresh.
2. Use user-generated content whenever possible. Encourage your customers to post photos with your product/s, ask them to tag you, and then share their posts. This is a highly effective marketing strategy that gives your brand authenticity.  
3. Learn how to get people to share your content on Instagram for free promotion. 
4. Learn how to get your content on the Instagram Explore page. 
5. Hashtag away. Always optimize your targeting with the right hashtag strategy. Know how to choose the right hashtags and mix them according to popularity and relevance. 

There are many ways to learn how to advertise on Instagram. However, you may consider teaming up with a growth partner with considerable experience in Instagram growth strategy, such as Path Social. Get help targeting the right audience, earning interested followers, and achieving lasting growth on Instagram. Just like Margene Beaver, who partnered with us and started growing her Instagram by implementing best practices for Instagram ads. Take advantage of Path Social’s in-house team of experts, network of influencers, and proprietary AI targeting algorithm. Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!