Back in 2017, the Instagram community reached 25 million businesses and 2 million advertisers. Today, over one billion active people use the platform, and 90% of them follow at least one business. It’s no wonder that brands of all sizes and shapes jump on the bandwagon to use Instagram Stories ads to promote their products on the app.
The number of Instagram business profiles is constantly growing, so it’s getting harder and harder to cut through the noise and reach your target audience. Simply put, Instagram advertising is a must. And if you’re going to start with one Instagram ad type, make it Instagram Stories ads.
Why Should You Instagram Stories Ads?
With a short lifespan of 24 hours, Instagram Stories create a sense of urgency. It encourages viewers to take action without wasting time. All in all, Instagram Stories have gained in popularity, according to the latest social media statistics:
- 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day
- Instagram Stories stickers enhance performance 83% of the time
- 1/3 of the most-viewed Instagram Stories come from businesses
- 96% of marketers plan to continue using Stories ads in the next 6 months
- Marketers spend 31% of their Instagram ad budget on Stories
The bottom line? Ephemeral content is extremely popular on the platform. It’s high time for brands to use Instagram Stories for business and run Instagram Stories ad campaigns to grab the attention of engaged audiences. To inspire your next ad campaign, we’ve collected Instagram Stories ads best practices so that you can learn how to achieve wonderful results.
1. Overstock
To reach new potential customers and drive sales, Overstock created creative video ads to run in Instagram Stories. The company used Instagram Stories to show off the variety of its products and encourage viewers to visit the website. To improve customer experience, Overstock included a clickable link that helped users learn more without leaving the app.
The campaign got an 18% increase in return on ad spend, a 20% decrease in cost per acquisition, and a 20% decrease in CPC.
Key takeaway: The combination of stunning visual content and a strong call to action delivers great results.
2. Revolve
Revolve used Instagram Stories ad to find a lookalike audience based on existing customers on Instagram. The company used its 15-seconds limit to show off various products that helped to satisfy every customer’s needs and wants.
Within one month, the campaign got wonderful results. For instance, the company was able to reach 2.7x more people by ads in Instagram Stories. Plus, it got a 3.2x increase in purchases for ads in Instagram Stories, and 2.4x increase in purchases overall.
Key takeaway: If you sell on Instagram, showcase different products within your ad to interest your target audience.
3. Reserved
In honor of its new season clothing line launch, Reserved created the ads in three formats, from a standard ad in Stories to an ad with polling and a call to action to visit the website. The ad campaign featured Kendall Jenner and used a poll sticker to let viewers vote on their choice. This interactive ad hooked the attention of potential customers and delivered amazing results.
As a result, the Instagram Stories ad with the poll sticker and a call to action got a 1.5x lift in brand awareness and a 12x lift in brand awareness with ads using the poll sticker and call to action copy, compared to standard ads in Stories.
Key takeaway: Using referral marketing in your ad hooks the attention of your target audience and increases brand loyalty and trust.
3. Tatti Lashes
Back in 2019, Tatti Lashes wanted to reach the target audience and increase website traffic. The company teamed up with one famous international makeup artist to increase brand loyalty and boost website traffic. With over 1.2 million followers on the platform, it was easy for the influencer to spark interest in the company’s products.
Not only did Tatti Lashes use the swipe up link to make it easier to visit the website, but the company also promoted its 60% discount that encouraged viewers to take an action faster. The results? The campaign achieved a 36% decrease in cost per click with ads in Stories, a 64% increase in click-through rate with ads in Stories, and a 25% of web traffic came from ads in Stories.
Key takeaway: To convert Instagram followers into customers, use discounts to encourage users to make the purchase decision faster.
4. Grove
When Grove Collaborative wanted to reach a broader audience of its potential new customers, it ran Instagram Stories ads. The company decided to run Instagram Stories carousel ads to post a three-segment story about its values and products. The company created short videos to tell about the benefits. In addition, it also included a swipe up link to let interested viewers learn more about Grove in-app.
After that, Instagram Stories ads attracted 37% of all new customers, achieved a 25% lower cost per acquisition compared to all placements and a 2.1x higher click-through rate than all other placements.
Key takeaway: Storytelling keeps your audience engaged; use it to tell more about your company, your values and products.
6. American Express
To hook the attention of Millennial customers, American Express created a boomerang-style video for Instagram Stories. Doing research, the company found out that the majority of Millennial consumers were fond of food and lifestyle, so American Express made a short video that resonated with their preferences and interests, and it gave results.
The campaign resulted in an 8-point lift in ad recall and a 4-point lift in product awareness. This Instagram Stories ad also got 18.5 video views (9.4 million more than campaign target) and 32% more card acquisitions than campaign forecast.
Key takeaway: If you want to humanize your brand and become closer to your audience, make a creative Boomerang video and add several benefits of your company instead of posting overly-polished ads.
When done right, Instagram Stories ads help to reach your target audience, hook their attention, and deliver your brand message with ease. If you want to learn how to run Instagram Stories ads, keep on reading to find out tips and tricks that can help you create similar ad campaigns that get results.
How to Create Instagram Stories Ads that Grab Attention
- Know your target audience: Modern customers’ demands have increased, so they have neither time nor desire to watch ads that don’t resonate with their needs and wants. To create amazing Instagram Stories ads, you need to know your target audience from A to Z as it’s a great way to create an ad campaign that grabs attention.
- Stick to the Instagram Story ad spec: If you have decided to run full-screen vertical ads (9:16), it’s important to know the recommended resolution (1080 x 1920 px) as it allows you to make the most out of your ad and keep all important information on your image or video. Moreover, it helps to ensure key elements appear within a title-safe area.
- Invest in ad creation: With a great number of competitors who hope for the attention of the same target audience, you need to stand out from the crowd with eye-catching visuals. When it comes to Instagram Stories ads, it’s important to create stunning visual content.
- Add text on visual content: The majority of users watch Instagram Stories without audio. Thus, writing key information on video content is a proven way to make sure your viewers get the main idea of your ad and hook their attention.
- Insert a swipe-up link: Having 10k followers on the platform, you have access to the clickable Instagram Stories link. Once you can add a link to any website page, your viewers can learn more about your company or featured products.
Conclusion
With a lifespan of 24 hours, Instagram Stories create a sense of urgency that keeps users engaged. Many business-specific Instagram Stories features that allow brands to deliver their brand messages the right way. Thus, it’s no wonder that brands give Instagram Stories ads a try.
Being limited to 15 seconds in length, Instagram Stories ads can still tell viewers about your company or product in an interesting and engaging way without being too salesy.
So, are you now inspired to create your Instagram Stories ad?
