If you are a bad decision-maker, you may want to brace yourself. Instagram has six ad formats to choose from. (This is way fewer than Facebook!) Two of those are for Instagram stories, which appear at the top of the feed in a manner similar to Snapchats. The other four are formats designed for the Instagram feed, which are more commonly used by advertisers.
#1. Image Feed Ads
This is your most standard ad format, and likely the one you see most often scrolling through your own feed. These ads are single images that will appear as a native experience as your target lead is scrolling through their feed. The lovely thing about these ads is that they don’t feel like ads, especially when done well.
Here are some additional details to be aware of:
Technical Requirements
- File type: jpg or png
- Maximum file size: 30MB
- Minimum Image Width: 600 pixels
- Image Ratio: 4:5 minimum, 16:9 maximum
- Text length: 2,200 maximum (*although Instagram recommends staying below 90 for optimal delivery)
- Hashtag Number: 30 maximum (*you can add additional in the comments)
Supported Objectives
- Reach
- Traffic
- Conversions
- App Installs
- Lead Generation
- Brand Awareness
- Post Engagement
- Product Catalog Sales
- Store Visits
Supported Call-to-Action Buttons
- Apply Now
- Book Now
- Call Now
- Contact Us
- Get Directions
- Learn More
- Get Showtimes
- Download
#2. Image Story Ads
Same concept as above, but these are for Instagram stories! Details below:
Technical Requirements
- Image Ratio: 9:16 recommended
- Minimum Image Width: 600 pixels
Supported Objectives
- Reach
- Traffic
- Conversions
- App Installs
- Lead Generation
Supported Call-to-Action Buttons
- Apply Now
- Book Now
- Contact Us
- Download
3. Video Feed Ads
Bring your ad to life with a video! If you’ve put the time in to make a quality video, then you should absolutely be promoting it through your Instagram feed.
While most video files are supported by Instagram, they recommend using H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+ (PRO TIP: if your video is not meeting these requirement you can always run it through the video transcoder, Handbrake, to make these adjustments).
Technical Requirements
- Video Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (at least)
- Maximum file size: 4GB
- Video Ratio: 4:5 minimum,16:9 maximum
- Video Duration: 60 seconds maximum
- Video Captions: optional
- Image Ratio: 4:5 minimum, 16:9 maximum
- Text length: 125 characters maximum recommended
- Hashtag Number: 30 maximum (*you can add additional in the comments)
Supported Objectives
- Reach
- Traffic
- Conversions
- Lead Generation
- Brand Awareness
- Post Engagement
- Store Visits
Supported Call-to-Action Buttons
- Apply Now
- Book Now
- Call Now
- Contact Us
- Download
#4. Video Story Ads
This is another great place to run video ads, because stories are where users often expect to see videos, so the “selling” part of advertising doesn’t feel as forced. The recommended video specs for uploading are the same as listed above, and here are some additional details to keep in mind!
Technical Requirements
- Video Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (at least)
- Maximum file size: 4GB
- Video Ratio: 9:16 maximum
- Video Duration: 15 seconds maximum
- Video Captions: not available
Supported Objectives
- Reach
- Traffic
- Conversions
- Lead Generation
- App Installs
Supported Call-to-Action Buttons
- Apply Now
- Book Now
- Call Now
- Contact Us
- Download
#5. Carousel Feed Ads
Next we have carousel feed ads. How fun are these! This format allows you to show a series of scrollable images rather than just one single image.
This ad type great for very visual brands, like those in the food industry, furniture sellers, clothing options, vacation destinations, car dealerships, etc. But they’re not only for “sexy” businesses; they can also work to humanize your brand or show off your culture by showing the people behind your software or financial company.
The carousel format allows you to choose from up to 10 images within a single ad, each with its own link. Video is also an option for these ads.
Technical Requirements
- File type: jpg or png
- Maximum file size: 30MB
- Minimum Image Width: 600 pixels
- Image Ratio: 4:5 minimum, 16:9 maximum
- Text length: 2,200 maximum (*although Instagram recommends staying below 90 for optimal delivery)
- Video Duration: 60 seconds maximum
- Hashtag Number: 30 maximum (*you can add additional in the comments)
Supported Objectives
- Reach
- Traffic
- Conversions
- Brand Awareness
- Lead Generation
- Product Catalog Sales
Supported Call-to-Action Buttons
- Apply Now
- Book Now
- Contact Us
- Call Now
- Download
#6. Canvas Story Ads
And last, but definitely not least, we have the newest addition to the ad format family, Canvas ads. There ads are truly immersive, allowing advertising to create a 360 VR experience within their story. They’re only supported via mobile devices, and extremely customizable for the advertiser, but you will need some technical chops. These ads work with image, video, and carousel.
Technical Requirements
- Minimum Image Width: 400 pixels
- Minimum Image Height: 150 pixels
Supported Objectives
- Reach
- Brand Awareness
- Traffic
- Conversions
- Lead Generation
- Post Engagement
- Video Views
- Store Visits
Supported Call-to-Action Buttons
- Apply Now
- Book Now
- Contact Us
Read more Steps to Start Advertising on Instagram
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