Whether you're a newcomer to Instagram advertising or a seasoned veteran, it's always good to revisit the basic best practices, especially in a field like online advertising where platforms and ad options keep evolving. Instagram in particular continues to grow rapidly. The platform saw a 5.4% increase in users compared to 2019, and eMarketer estimates that Instagram will reach 112.5 million American users by the end of 2020. According to HootSuite, Instagram has 1 billion monthly users, 500 million of whom use Instagram Stories every day. With a growing number of users joining and regularly engaging with the platform, your business or clients can also experience exponential growth.

Here are Instagram's advertising best practices for 2020, along with what should continue or evolve in some way going forward.

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Creative Best Practices on Instagram

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It is important for brands to highlight their brand identity or concept when showcasing their products or services on this visual platform, regardless of the type of ad creative. That said, choosing the right type of ad creative matters. On Instagram, there are two types of ads: image and video.

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Best practices for successful ad images

When using images in your Instagram ads, incorporate your brand universe, such as your colors, fonts, and logo, so it is recognizable to your target audience.

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When writing the ad copy to pair with your images, put yourself in your target audience's shoes and think about what you want them to feel or think when they see that specific ad. You may have adjectives in mind for your brand, but do they match what your audience would actually think if they saw your ad?

In the image above, the brand used a simple image. But if you use a carousel of images (shown below), organize them around a common theme, such as a summer shoe line or your best sellers, or have them tell a story in a linear way.

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To sum up, if you are running an ad campaign on Instagram and want to include images, here are the key takeaways:

• Use your brand guidelines (colors, fonts, logo).
• Make sure your ad copy is in harmony with your images.
• Keep a strong focal point by featuring your logo or another brand element.
• Organize carousel ads by theme or a linear storyline.

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Best practices for successful video ads

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Instagram users love video, so much so that Instagram Stories attracts 70% of global users who watch them every day. While static images perform very well across Instagram's various ad placements, video can have an even more powerful impact. It is a fast, easily digestible content format for users. You don't necessarily need high-end equipment or extra staff to create successful video ad content. That said, it is still best to test and judge what works for your business and the campaign objectives you are trying to achieve.

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Many clients ask how long a video should be. For the feed, create videos of 60 seconds or less. While that is the maximum length, we have noticed that people tend to drop off after watching the first 10 to 12 seconds of a video ad, no matter how interesting, entertaining, or useful it is. Of course, some will watch the whole thing, but it is important to show your brand, logo, product, or service within those first 10 seconds so your audience clearly understands who you are and what you are offering.

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For Instagram Stories video ads, the maximum length is 15 seconds, unless you use the carousel format. With Instagram Stories carousel video ads, you can select up to 10 cards with a maximum of 120 seconds of video content.

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Additionally, across any platform and any ad placement, if you use video, make sure to add subtitles. Many people watch content without sound, and you need to account for viewers with hearing impairments. You can easily do this through the Facebook Ads manager. You can either ask Facebook Ads to scan your video and generate captions in seconds, or upload your own caption files.

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And here is a cheat sheet of Instagram video advertising best practices:

• Create platform-native, branded videos that don't look like ads.
• Show your brand, products, and services, and capture your audience's attention within the first 10 seconds of your video.
• Build a narrative with Instagram Stories carousel video ads.
• Add captions to your video content.

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Best practices by ad placement

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Today there are 3 placements available on Instagram:

• Instagram Feed
• Instagram Explore
• Instagram Stories

According to Facebook, IGTV ads will be coming soon. But let's focus on the three placements already available.

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Best practices for Instagram Feed and Explore

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When running ads in the Instagram feed and Instagram Explore tab, use ad copy wisely. Be descriptive but brief, as you have a limited number of characters before they get cut off. This is especially true since most users are simply scrolling through the app and may not read a long block of text. Make sure your ad copy is clear and complements your creative.

It is recommended to use square creatives (1:1). These translate better in ads placed on both Facebook and Instagram.

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Best practices for Instagram Stories

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If you are advertising on Instagram Stories, automatic placements are available. However, make sure to use the "Edit Placement" feature at the ad level to adjust, resize, or upload a creative that is sized appropriately for Stories.

Compared to other placements where square creatives work well, vertical images and videos are more than recommended for Instagram Stories, as they feel more native and take up more screen real estate for a bigger visual impact.

Images work well for Instagram Stories ads. But you can boost your results by adding motion, even if it's subtle. According to Instagram, using an image with motion captures audience attention more effectively than a video with slow, long scenes. This tends to deliver better results because it is easier for people to consume the information and take action. In the ad example below, small snippets of text with arrows appear around the featured product, briefly explaining its benefits. It's simple, but impactful.

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Finally, with Instagram Stories ads, if you use carousels, a dedicated call-to-action screen is included in your last carousel card so you can focus more on driving the desired action.

Here is a quick summary for optimizing your placements:

• Adjust your creative when advertising across multiple placements so it better fits the specs, fills the screen, and looks native.
• Test video, as it is more easily digestible for viewers.
• Add a dedicated call-to-action screen with carousel ads.
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We have covered the best practices for Instagram ad creative and ad placements here, but you still need to determine which options best fit your business objectives. If you haven't yet tested these placement or creative options, put them into practice and see how they perform in your campaigns.

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