Instagram Ads are becoming an increasingly popular way for print on demand companies to advertise their products in the world of social media. They’re convenient, easy to create, and can be used on both personal and business accounts.
But before starting to run Instagram ad, what do you need to prepare for a successful business? Before you jump on the bandwagon, it’s important to know what these ads are and what makes them different from other platforms. We’ve put together this quick guide to make sure you get started with your print on demand Instagram Ads the right way.
1. What are Instagram ads and how do they work?
If you haven’t heard of or used them before, Instagram ads are a great way to promote your business. They let you harness social media power in much the same way that Facebook ads do. Instagram ads are native, mobile-only ads that appear in users’ feeds. Unlike most online advertising options, you don’t need to have a website or landing page with a product that people can buy. Just upload a picture or video and add a message about your brand.
This makes them particularly well-suited for new businesses. As they allow you to get your name out into public without having to worry about traffic coming through an ad or where customers will go once they click. If you want something simple and user-friendly, print on demand Instagram ads might be right for you.
2. How much do Instagram ads cost?
It can vary. The typical range, however, is $1 to $4 per follower. That’s a lot more than Facebook ads. Even though you might only get 20% of your followers to buy your product, that still means 1 out of every 5 people who see your ad will click on it and buy something.
Sure, it may not be as efficient as Facebook ads (where you could potentially get 2–5% conversions), but it certainly has its place in social media marketing strategy. Remember: just because someone likes or follows your page does not mean they’re ready to buy from you yet! They still need some convincing before spending their hard-earned money. That’s where printed Instagram ads come in handy!
3. Types of print on demand Instagram ads
There are 6 main types of print on demand Instagram ads that you can utilize.
3.1 Photo ads
A photo in your feed that users can swipe up to learn more about a product. This type of ad can feature text, pictures, or a combination of both. Native photo ads can be vertical or horizontal in orientation, depending on how much room you have to work with.
3.2 Video ads
Like photo ads, you can upload your own video or use an existing one. Up to 10 seconds long, video ads enable you to feature your products and services in action. And even include dynamic hashtags if you’d like viewers to engage with other parts of your business’s social presence after watching!
3.3 Carousel ads
Launched in 2018, Carousel ads let you quickly tell your story with multiple images. Unlike slideshow-style ads, carousel ads don’t move, so they encourage more interaction and engagement. One of their best features is that you can customize each image to keep people engaged even longer.
They also have high viewability rates, since potential customers are likely to interact with every image in a carousel ad before moving on. So they work well for shoppers who are looking for visual inspiration when it comes to making a purchase decision.
3.4 Collection ads
Collection ads are one of three different formats Instagram offers advertisers. Collection ads enable advertisers to showcase a single offer in multiple ways, including multiple images and text descriptions, videos, direct calls-to-action (CTAs), and coupons.
This is particularly helpful for eCommerce businesses that offer several variations of a product such as size or color options. This is also great for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to feature many products in their ad campaign all at once.
3.5 Stories ads
The newest tool in Instagram’s advertising arsenal is Instagram Stories ads. They function much like any other video or image-based ad you might create, but will only appear within users’ Stories feeds.
So if a user isn’t actively scrolling through their feed at that moment, they won’t see your ad. This is good news for advertisers who are concerned about ads interrupting their content. It means fewer distractions and better engagement rates.
3.6 Reels ads
Reels are a new way to promote your business and reach a bigger audience. They’re targeted, so you only show ads to people who might be interested in what you have to offer. Reels will only run for 7 days (rather than 30 days) and should be one-to-two minutes long. Unlike other forms of advertising on Instagram, they do not automatically stop running after a certain period of time.
3.7 IGTV ads
IGTV is short for Instagram TV. The idea behind IGTV is that it allows for vertical video playback, meaning that your videos will fill up more of your user’s mobile screen. In turn, they’ll be more likely to watch a longer video without leaving their feed.
That sounds great for creators, but not all businesses are keen on IGTV (especially because there’s no engagement option). It can be hard to scale a business if users have to click elsewhere to view your videos. That said, if you can make it work, brands like Walmart and Budweiser are betting big on IGTV; they’ve released entire campaigns just made for vertical video.
4. How to create print on demand Instagram ads (step-by-step instructions)
Creating print on demand Instagram ads is not challenging as you might think. Read on for the comprehensive instructions.
4.1 Option 1: Using Facebook Manager
- Step 1: Open Facebook Business Page (Facebook Business Suite)
- Step 2: Go to Page Settings, choose Instagram
- Step 3: Click the “Connect Account” button
- Step 4: Add your Instagram account details, then Save
- Step 5: Open Facebook Ads Manager, click on Create
- Step 6: Choose ad objective, name campaign, ad placements, target audiences, budget & schedule, ad format.
The more specific you choose, the better conversion it will be.
- Step 7: Hit the “Publish” button
4.2 Option 2: In-App
- Step 1: Choose a post you want to promote or upload a new one
- Step 2: Click promote
- Step 3: Select a goal, choose your preferred audience, destination, budget, and duration
- Step 4: Tap ‘Create promotion’
After you have reviewed your promotion and ensure everything is correct, you should click on the ‘Create Promotion’ button. The ads will be examined by Instagram before going live.
5. Best print on demand Instagram ads tips
In order to leverage print on demand Instagram ads, you should implement the following strategies. Try to experiment as many tips as possible to maximize your Instagram ads’ exposure.
5.1 Try Instagram automation
If you don’t have time to create new ads every week for your business, try automating them. The most common automation tool for Instagram is by Hootsuite, but there are other options as well such as Later or IFTTT. Hootsuite also allows you to easily track your stats and responses from your ads via a platform that’s very similar to their social network dashboard.
You can even schedule your own posts if you want to make sure that each post appears at the optimal time (known as Schedule in Advance). Automation isn’t perfect though. While it can help scale up your exposure, sometimes it might not get through Instagram algorithm changes that were implemented recently.
5.2 Design mobile-first ads
If you’ve been designing PPC campaigns for years, it’s easy to forget how much user behavior has changed over time. Whether you’re placing display ads on any platform, it’s important to focus on mobile traffic. According to data from Google, mobile traffic is accounted for 64% of eCommerce. That said, we recommend starting with a mobile-first approach:
- Start by laying out your ad at a 300×250 resolution, that way you’ll have ample screen real estate and there won’t be any distractions from your image (or video).
- Call-to-action buttons need to be big enough for a thumb tap.
- Images should be full width with minimal cropping.
In fact, many brands find success by creating multiple versions of their ad—one for desktop and one for mobile.
5.3 Use advanced targeting techniques
Another way to run successful print on demand ads is to create highly targeted campaigns. The most effective means of doing so is by using advanced targeting techniques and filters.
With advanced filters, you can only advertise your product to users in specific locations, within a certain age range, who have visited certain websites, whose behavior patterns indicate they’re interested in purchasing from you (based on previous searches or purchases), etc. This will help keep your costs low and ensure that each dollar spent on advertising provides a return for your business.
5.4 Leverage user-generated content
Leveraging user-generated content (UGC) in your print on demand Instagram ads campaigns is a great way to have more bang for your buck. Users are already sharing photos and videos with you when they post on social media, so why not use some of that content in your paid advertising?
There are a few things to keep in mind though if you want to make any enhancement for content. Let’s make sure you comply with social media site’s policies. For example, don’t upload other people’s images without their permission or try to pass off someone else’s work as your own. It can get you banned from specific sites and also make it hard for brands like yours to get real users interested in buying what you have to offer.
5.5 Test different ad formats
Instagram has a variety of ad formats, as mentioned above. You should test to see which format works best for your campaign objectives. If you’re going to experiment with different formats, you want to make sure that you’re measuring conversions and not simply impressions.
Focus on view-through conversions at first so that your ads aren’t overspending on impressions and clicks without delivering results. Then, once you know what works well for your business, gradually increase spend until it maxes out (ideally at 5% of monthly revenue).
5.6 Choose the right call to action button
Be sure to choose a call to action button that corresponds with your sales funnel. If you’re trying to drive traffic to your site, choose Click here or Learn more. If you want people to immediately buy a product, pick Shop now.
And if you want them to follow you on social media, use Follow. Whatever call-to-action buttons you use in your ads should also be consistent with what’s listed on your profile page for those same keywords (you can always change it later). This way, users know exactly what they’re clicking when they see your ad.
Click here for more print on demand Instagram ads tips.
6. Print on demand Instagram ads FAQs
If you’re still unsure about print on demand Instagram ads, these FAQs might be what you need.
6.1 Are Instagram ads worth it?
While there is a lot of hype around Instagram, it’s important to consider whether your business needs to advertise on it. If you have a young audience or are trying to attract a new audience, then advertising on Instagram might be worth your while.
But if you already have an established and loyal customer base, then ads may not be necessary. Instead of investing in print on demand Instagram ads, try to target these potential customers by investing in more traditional marketing tactics.
6.2 What is a good budget for Instagram ads?
If you’re just starting out, keep it under $5.00. Once you’ve done a few campaigns and understand how your ad performs, you can increase your budget as needed. However, $10-15/day is usually sufficient to get a high ROI. If you have an established business, you can risk between $100-$300 per day. But remember that you can get what you pay for. If you bid higher, your ads ranks will be displayed at the higher ranks.
6.3 How much are Instagram ads per 1000 views?
The average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for an ad on an Instagram profile is $3.50, though some ads are more expensive due to increased brand recognition and popularity of a particular account.
CPMs are often lower during special events like holidays and major sporting events. For example, CPMs will be higher during the Fourth of July and Christmas holidays than during regular weeks due to a spike in competition from brands looking to purchase ad space at premium prices.
7. Wrapping Up
In today’s world, there are endless ways to advertise your product or service. However, with the emergence of social media platforms like Instagram, the advertising landscape is changing rapidly and in ways that can be extremely advantageous to savvy entrepreneurs.
Print on demand Instagram Ads is ideal if you’re looking to make use of all the marketing and promotional opportunities that Instagram provides. Hopefully this article has given you an overview of Instagram ads so you can make the most of them as part of your marketing strategy.
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