Users on Instagram tend to follow people who have similar lifestyles and interests, so they tend to pay more attention to the photos and videos content they see on Instagram. Instagram Stories is another place where they seem to like to scroll past every day to keep them updated about who they follow.
Research by DataReportal in 2023 stated that at least 17.35 million Thais are on Instagram, and advertising on this platform can potentially reach up to 30%.Let's learn more about IG Stories ads and how you could use them to better your online advertising game.
Let's Get To Know Instagram Stories
Stories have become a part of daily life for many folks these days. In fact, more than half the people on Instagram globally use Stories as well as Feed daily. So, we think it's not far off to assume most of us are somewhat familiar with Stories Ads to some degree but never really got deep into it.
IG Stories Ads is a marketing approach branched from ordinary Story that has been introduced years back. You can create an ad in the Facebook Ads Manager. The fact that these ads will appear once in a while between user's ordinary Stories makes it less irritating to see them pop up on your whole screen, especially if they have such quality that consumers want to stop scrolling to watch it. More than half of people surveyed who use Stories said they are making more online purchases as a result.
Whether publishers are trying to grow brand awareness, grow traffic to videos or newsletters outside of Instagram, or share sponsored content, publishers are flocking to Instagram to publish fun disappearing content that infuses brand voice and personality without taking up too much of the average techie's dwindling attention span. What's more, Instagram Stories are credited with fueling the massive growth of Instagram Direct -- private one-to-one messaging between users within the app.
Instagram Stories types
- Image
Full-screen image ads that pop up on your whole screen with scrolling text underneath. The default length of image ads is 5 seconds.
- Video
Users can launch single video ads with a maximum of 2 minutes for the whole ad set, divided into 15-second clips. The whole video will be cut up to 10 pages, but only show 3 in the ads. There will be a "see more" button to watch the rest instead.
- Carousel
A slideshow ad format that users can insert up to 10 photos and videos in an ad set. You can embed separate links in each card, and only 3 cards will be shown with a "see more" button to see the rest.
- Collection
Used to exhibit your brand's products with one featured image or video and 2 product shots inside. When a customer interacts with the ad they can be sent to the IG Shopping page or a premade template.
Recommended IG Stories format
- The length should not exceed 15 seconds for videos or 5 seconds for images.
- The aspect ratio should be between 9:16 to 4:5 for regular Stories, and 19.1:1 for dynamic Stories.
- Videos should be 1080p.
- Subtitles and sound are recommended.
- If you are to insert texts or other elements, leave the 14% from top and bottom (about 250 pixels) to avoid being hidden beneath the profile picture or other CTA buttons.
- The file should not be bigger than 30MB for images and 4GB for videos.
- Use JPG or PNG files for images and MP4, MOV or GIF for videos.
See more Instagram Size Guide here.
How to Create Appealing Instagram Stories
- Videos wins everyday
Video ads on social media have been shown to capture audience attention five times more effectively than still images, and this is also true for Instagram. Videos on Instagram receive 21.2% more interactions compared to images and 18.6% more interactions compared to carousels. Still, the first impression matters. The video needs to hook the audience in under 3 seconds. Otherwise, they will just scroll past.
- Single images doesn't cover? Go with Carousel instead!
Carousel type Stories can cover more product information into one ad set. This way, you can promote your products with better storytelling.
- Every pixel counts
Every IG Story is in a vertical orientation. Never create your ad in a horizontal direction, as all the space you can use will go to waste.
- Be concise and to the point
Use less text but stay relevant. Lead your audience to Swipe Up for more action or message you.
- Don't forget your logo
Your logo should be in every Stories ad, but not too big and obvious that it scares away the audience. The ad should hook the audience first and reveal itself to be a branded ad later.
- Sound does ring the bell
Research shows that 60% of people browsing Stories turn on the sound, contrary to most other platforms where people tend to watch sound-off. However, it would be best to make your ad understandable even without the sound to cover the additional 40% of users.
- Blend the ad in the flow
An IG Stories ad that appears 'real' or looks like any other Story tends to catch more attention when people scroll past than production-quality ads.
- Don't forget you Call To Action
It would be a shame if you make such an excellent ad set but forget the most crucial conversion driving element. No matter how good your ad is, it will be useless without something to stimulate actions from the customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Instagram Stories So Popular?
Put simply, Instagram Stories are fun to create and consume, and the ephemeral format lowers the stakes and makes the whole experience less formal.
What are the benefits of Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories can drive a ton of engagement and value -- whether you're sharing a Story from a brand account or your own personal profile.
How do Stories help you?
Businesses are using Stories to express the creativity of their brand and inspire interest and action throughout the customer journey.
What can I see in Insights
You can track Stories Awareness, recall, purchase lift, sales and more. Stories Ads can help your business drive results.
What is the difference between a regular post and an Instagram story?
Unlike regular posts, there are no likes or public comments. Stories vanish automatically after 24 hours.
How do I move stickers?
Resizing and moving stickers: You can move stickers by dragging them across your screen and resize them by pinching or expanding them with two fingers.
What should I do with Instagram Stories?
Brands should think about their Instagram Story as they would any other content channel: ahead of time.
Need Help With Instagram Marketing for Your Brand?
If your brand looks for helping hands to promote on Instagram, our team at Sphere Agency is here to guide you to success on this photos and videos platform, and optimize your campaign to best suit your target audience. See our Instagram Marketing Services and contact us today!
