Instagram Video Ad: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Yours

An Instagram video ad can be used by a brand or business to promote their products and services. Originally a photo sharing app, Instagram Video was launched in 2013 with over five million videos uploaded within 24 hrs. It along with WhatsApp now belong to Facebook.

With over 1 billion monthly active users and 500 million daily active users, Instagram is a great place to advertise your business or services to a global market that cuts across different age groups and demographics.

However, most business owners have no clue what is Instagram Video ad or how to create an Instagram Video ad to promote their businesses. In this post we’ll highlight these and show you how to create your first video ad, but first

What Is Instagram Video Ad?

Instagram video offers numerous options for businesses including in-feed video and Instagram Stories video ads, as well as photo ads and carousel ads. These options are also available to non-business users.

In layman terms, Instagram video ad is a type of traditional video advertisement designed to a mobile-first standard as specified by the social network. Instagram video ads are standard video ads whose lengths could be anywhere from   a few seconds to 60 seconds.

In-Feed Video Ads

With Instagram video ads you can combine the power of sight, sound and motion (in either landscape or square format) to promote your business to the 500 million + daily active users. In-Feed Video ads make video advertisement organic since it fits naturally into social media app layout. Instagram users engage these video ads as they would every other in-feed videos.

Carousel Video Ads

The introduction of carousel ads by Instagram provides another layer of depth to video advertisement campaigns, allowing users view layers of photo or video ad with a simple swipe. Carousel ads give business owners opportunity to upload more than one video in a single advert.

Instagram Stories Ads

Instagram Stories affords the option of complementing your feed content with ads on Instagram Stories. With Instagram Stories, you can connect with over 500 million accounts using stories daily. Usage of Instagram Stories Ads has gained traction as 50% of businesses on Instagram worldwide created at least one story during a typical month.

Some Other Interesting Instagram Statistics

•  Over 1 billion monthly active users
• Over 500 million daily active users
•  50 billion + photos shared since so far
• 25 million businesses registered on Instagram
• Over 4.2 billion Instagram likes per day
• Users upload over 100 million photos and videos daily
• Instagram presently has over 2 million monthly advertisers
• Over 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily
• 1/3 of the most viewed stories are from businesses
• The potential reach of advertising on Instagram is 802 million
• 70% of shopping enthusiasts turn to Instagram for product discovery
• Females account for 52% of Instagram users, and 42% are males as against 57% males and 43% females on Facebook.
• Around 72% of teens use Instagram
• 31% of internet users between the ages of 18 and 24 use Instagram and 32% of internet users between the ages of 25 and 34 use Instagram
• Instagram user-generated content has a 4.5% Higher Conversion Rate.
• Instagram projected revenue in 2019 is $14 billion.

Now, here’s

How to Set Up and Run Your First Instagram Video Ad

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up and running your first Instagram Video Ad.

Step #1: Research

This is a strategic step towards creating an engaging video ad campaign. Before you begin creating or setting up your Instagram video ads, you should invest quality time researching and exploring your competitors ads. What types of ads are they running? What call-to-actions do they use? How much engagement are they getting?

One productive way to do a competitive research is to visit two or more competitors Instagram page, their mobile website, product and landing pages and click on specific products. Some of your competitors may use Facebook Pixel for Remarketing (an advertising form where users who have previously visited your website are targeted with ads).

Carrying out Instagram competitor research is a great way to get some amazing insight and generate ideas for your own unique Instagram video ads campaign.

Step #2: Set an ideal Instagram Campaign Objective

Just as in every traditional business, setting up and running your first Instagram video ad begins with setting clear goals and objectives. By answering the what, why, when, where, who and how questions, you’d have a clearer picture of what your video ads should look like.

Though there are similarities between Instagram and Facebook Campaign objectives, not all campaign objectives available for Facebook can be used on Instagram. A campaign objective is what you want people to do when they see your ads. It is how you want users to engage your ads when they see it.

Instagram features default campaign objectives that you can select from. Whatever objective you choose will influence your ads optimization and how you pay for them. The following are the campaign objectives you can choose from on Instagram:

• Brand awareness: targets people more likely to pay attention to your ads and increase your brand awareness.
• Reach: This shows the maximum number of people your ad may reach or who may see your ad.
•  Traffic: Sends people to your website or to your app.
• App Installs: Takes people to the store where they can purchase or download your app.
• Engagement: measures how people interact with your ads by way of comments, likes, shares, etc.
• Video Views: Promote videos that display product launch or customer stories so as to raise your brand awareness.
• Conversions: This objective allows users make a purchase or add payment info on your website or app.

To maximize a conversion objective or remarketing campaign for users who visit your website, you will have to create and install Facebook pixel first. A Facebook pixel is a small piece of code that you can place on your website to track visitors and conversions.

When you have clear objectives from the onset, it helps you tailor your campaign video content, target audience and format to these goals, and you are better able to measure the impact of your Instagram video ads with more ease.

Step #3: Set Up Your Instagram Video Ad Target Audience

Having done your research and set clear campaign objectives, the next hurdle is getting your video ads in front of the eyes – people who are most likely to convert..

For example, if your business sells gender-specific products, your video ads will be targeting this gender primarily, and those of other gender who may likely shop for their partners.

Instagram ads, like Facebook, has targeting based on demographics, location, behavior, interests etc. There’s also Custom Audience which allows you reach users who have already interacted with your business, or a Lookalike Audience.

Adjust custom audience settings as you wish.

You can also create lookalike audiences,

Using the duo of Facebook’s Audience Insights which lets you collate insights (geography, demographics, purchase, behavior etc.) about your target audience, and Google Analytics, you can narrow your target even further by collecting targeted information about your audience’s interests, location, behaviour, and demographics.

The trick here is: the more narrow the target is, the greater the conversion rate.

Step #4: Build a Creative Instagram Video Ad

This is the melting pot where the first three steps outlined above meet. Instagram allows you to make a video ad up to 60 seconds long. However, the first 3-8 seconds of a mobile video ad matters most, according to data from Facebook IQ. It is also important to note that video ads under 60 seconds record higher video completion rates, and keep audiences engaged.

In creating your Instagram video ad, consider the following

Instagram Video Ad Technical Specifications

• Video Format: MP4 or MOV
• In-feed Instagram video ads length: 1 seconds – 60 seconds
• Stories video ads length: 1-15 seconds
• H.264 compression
• Stereo: AAC audio compression at 128kbps or higher

Vertical Video

• Max Size and length: 4GB/60 seconds.
• Aspect Ratio: 4:5
• Resolution: 600 x 750

Landscape Video

• Max Size and length: 4GB/60 seconds.
•  Aspect Ratio: 1:91:1
• Resolution: 600 x 315

Square Video

• Max Size and length: 4GB/60 seconds.
• Aspect Ratio: 1:1.
• Resolution: 600 x 600

For more on specs for other Instagram video ads such as Instagram Stories Ads, Instagram Carousel Ads and Instagram Canvas Ads.

With these in place, you’re set to run your first Instagram video Ad.

Here’s

How to Create Your First Instagram Video Ad

1. Link your Instagram account to your Facebook Page.

If you have an existing Facebook page, link your Instagram account to it. Go to settings on your Facebook page and click Instagram Ads.

Afterward, click “Add your Instagram to get started”. Fill in your login details and continue to:

•  Create a Campaign

Go to Facebook Ads Manager and click on ‘Create Campaign’ at the top left corner of the screen.

• Set Campaign Objectives

Set clear, pre-determined campaign objectives as discussed in step #2 above).

You’ll need to install a conversion pixel if your objective is to increase conversion. To do this, select ‘Create a Pixel’ on the Create New Ad Set page.

• Create Your Ad Set

Once your campaign objective has been created, you’re good to create your Ad Set. This is where you decide and define who you want to see and engage with your video ads, and how much money you’re willing to expend.

• Set Your Budget

You have two options for your budget – daily budget and lifetime budget. A daily budget sets your video ad to run throughout the day. Thus your spending is paced per day. For a starter, this is a good place to start. Start with a low budget, and increase your spending if your ad performs well.

Next, decide whether you want a single image or video in your ad or multiple images for a Carousel ad. After uploading your video you can add text to your ad. You are at liberty to pick your headline and text caption.

You will also be able to customize the call-to-action in your link button if your campaign objective is either conversion or traffic.

Now you can preview how your ad will appear on Instagram – to the right of the text editor. Once you’re satisfied with what you’re seeing, click Confirm.

Step #5: Track Your Ad Performance

This is where you see how users/people are interacting with your Instagram video ads. Tracking your video ads shows you how it is performing, and also helps you optimize your performance by adjusting or editing your Instagram ad campaign as it runs.

You can use:

Power Editor: This is useful in managing large scale campaigns, as it gives greater control over your campaigns.

Business Manager: This is ideal for a large team.

Facebook Ads Manager: Are you just starting out with Instagram advertising? If yes, this is perfect for you.

Your Instagram ad metrics are available at the Ads Manager. Simply go to the Ads Manager and click on the name of your Instagram Ad campaign. There you would see a section at the top right that shows Performance, Audience, and Placement Data.

CONCLUSION

When creating Instagram Video ads, spy on your competitors and learn what works. Also, since you’ll be spending money, make sure to target your ads properly as much as you can.

With a good video thumbnail and intro you will attract more eyes and clicks, this is very important since Instagram Videos are muted by default. Above all, try not to be too salesy, offer real value with a clear call-to-action at the end of your ad.

Author Bio

Amos Onwukwe is an AWAI trained Business and Ecommerce Copywriter featured in Huffington Post, Dumb Little Man, Self-Growth, Ecommerce Nation, eCommerce Insights, Understanding Ecommerce, Result First, Floship, WeCan, Grow Map, Small Biz Club among others.

 Twitter: @amos_onwukwe