Advertising on Instagram: Since a few weeks it is now possible, even on the fastest growing social network, companies and individuals can now place paid advertising. We as an Instagram agency had to be of course immediately a first look at it. Classic advertising has always been focused on the product or service being advertised. However, on social media, especially on Instagram, it’s important to cleverly package advertising in “everyday images.” There is no such thing as a second look on Instagram. That means the message has to sit in the first moment. Read more about the basics here: Instagram – basics & tips for the social network
Now, for the first time since the network began a few years ago, companies and businesses have the opportunity to direct their marketing and advertising messages to a young target group in the Instagram universe. That means it’s no longer just about product placements with Instagrammers and bloggers, but also the possibility of placing an ad campaign directly on Instagram. What does this mean for social media managers in companies and businesses?
What does Instagram advertising look like?
The ads on Instagram are not traditional ads, placed to the left and right, next to text or image content. They are displayed one below the other, in the same timeline as friends’ posts. So the ads here are kept extra, subtle in the flow of the timeline (image after image), so as not to disrupt the flow of reading. Also good is that advertising is not directly recognizable as such.
Advertising on Instagram offers a lot of content, little space
The social network Instagram is almost exclusively accessible on mobile phones and tablet PCs. This means that the display also offers the user only limited viewing options for images and graphics. Therefore, all images on Instagram are displayed in a timeline, one below the other.
Advertising graphics and images should therefore always be planned so that they fit the usability and layout of the network. Less is often more: fewer fonts, for example. Instead, we as an Instagram agency focus more on emotions and an exact and focus on the respective product or service. In this way, advertising messages are packaged in image elements, less in text and classic advertising copy from agencies.
What does emotional Instagram advertising look like?
Classic advertising has always focused on the product or service being advertised. However, on social networks, especially on Instagram, it is important to cleverly package advertising in “everyday images”. There is no such thing as a second look on Instagram. That means the message has to sit in the first moment. This could be, for example, a cool, caffeinated soft drink that …
Wrong: … is in the foreground.
Correct: … is drunk by three young women at a music festival.
Why? While the wrong way would be a classic advertisement, in social media it is important to adapt to the overall picture. The user does not immediately recognize, or should not immediately recognize, that it is an advertisement or advertising content. This gives the advertising company a considerable advantage when it comes to social networks in the field of public relations.
Packaging advertising messages – images or advertising text?
Advertising messages can be compressed not only in text content. Especially images and graphics are suitable for Instagram. It is important to make sure that the advertising character is not too strong. Just as described above, you can use emotionalizing images. Products and services are only accessories. The advantage of a “normal”-looking image is that the user can directly imagine the situation and thus, also directly, has an emotional connection to advertising – whether he wants it or not. Maybe he has already experienced the same situation?
Instagram already has an emotionalizing effect on users due to the very simple use of the timeline (chronological sequence of images); advertising is hardly recognizable in the abundance of images, cleverly placed in the stream. Users are therefore open and receptive to impressions, because they expect visuals from friends and girlfriends on Instagram. Users are open to messages and are initially guaranteed to accept them. More on the basics can be found here: Instagram – basics & tips for the social network
