A Step-by-Step Guide to Advertising on Instagram [2024 Edition]

Here are some tips for how to design attention-grabbing creative for Instagram ads.

1. Design mobile-first ads

More than 4.08 billion users access social media via a mobile device, so it’s vital to design your creative for mobile viewing, not desktop.

Here are a few tips for designing mobile-first ads:

• When capturing video content, make sure to film in vertical (9×16) as this is easier to crop to 4×5 than from landscape
• Minimize the amount of text in your ads
• If you do add text, choose large font sizes that are easy to read on mobile screens
• Add animations and motion graphics to videos to quickly engage viewers
• Keep videos short (15 seconds or less)

2. Keep branding and messaging upfront

The first few seconds of your ad will determine whether a viewer will stop scrolling and watch the whole thing. That’s why it’s important to start your ad with the key message and showcase your branding within the first 3 seconds.

3. Use sound to delight

Data suggests that 69% of users consume social media with sound off. As such, it’s important to design your ads for sound-off consumption and to use sound to delight users who do have sound on. Here’s how to do that:

• Use visual elements to tell your story and deliver your key message without sound
• Add captions for any voiceover or scripted audio
• Use text overlay to deliver your key message without sound

4. Pitch, play, plunge

Facebook recommends designing a combination of creative types that work together to grab attention and reward interest:

• Pitch: Short assets that get the campaign idea across immediately and grab attention
• Play: Assets that allow light exploration and interactivity for interested audiences
• Plunge: Immersive assets that allow people to go in-depth into your campaign idea

5. Use a variety of ad types

With so many Instagram ad types to choose from, you can experiment to find the right combination of visuals and messaging that resonates best with your target audience. Consider incorporating video ads, Story ads, carousel posts, collections, shoppable posts, and more into your advertising approach.

Similarly, get creative with your creative! Why not test out some meme ads, or create custom illustrations, or GIFs to get your message out? Remember, Instagram ads should reflect your brand’s overall aesthetic and style. But that said, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t switch things up to keep your audience engaged.

6. Leverage analytics to see where you stand

The best way to know if your Instagram ads are performing well is to measure their effectiveness with analytics. Instagram’s native reporting tool offers insights into key metrics such as impressions, clicks, engagement rate, and ROI.

You can also use third-party tools to track your campaign performance in more detail and make data-driven decisions on improving future ad campaigns.