Instagram Paid Ads: Where to Start - Contractor Advertising

Social media marketing is becoming one of the most important ways to advertise. With so many users checking their Instagram every day, you’re missing a piece of the market if you aren’t advertising to them. Instagram ads are placed in users’ home feed and between story posts from users they follow. Instagram ads have large viewership, they’re low cost, and they’re effective. The social media marketers here at Contractor Advertising have some steps to get started with advertising on Instagram.

Build Your Instagram Account

The first step in Instagram advertising is to build up your Instagram account. When users click on your ads, they’ll be taken to either your profile or your website. Suppose you’re sending users to your profile (where they can see your posts, email you, or visit your website). It’s essential that you have an established Instagram account with plenty of photos and videos for your viewers to look at. To build your Instagram account, start by posting regularly. We recommend posting in the early evening because that is when most users are checking their Instagram. As far as how often to post, we recommend anywhere from every three days to once a week. Any more frequent than that makes it feel like you’re over-posting and posting less frequently than this range can make it seem like your company is inactive on social media.

What Should I Post?

Although posting ads, specials, and discounts might seem like a good idea, we recommend saving these posts for your paid Instagram ads. Your normal pictures should include people and be relevant to your company. Instagram users interact more with companies who show people in their photos. For example, suppose you’re an electrician. In that case, you can post a photo of yourself with your company truck or a picture of yourself working on wires. Post whatever feels authentic for your company and avoid it feeling like spam ads.

I’ve Built Up My Account, Now What?

Now that you have a flourishing Instagram account, you’re ready to make your first ad. The first step in building your ad is defining your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with your ad? Your goal could be phone calls, new customers, people viewing your page, or following your account. While you’re coming up with your goal, also think about your audience. Think in terms of age range, location, and interests. Whatever your goal is, make sure your ad has a clear call to action that pushes viewers towards your goal. For example, if your goal is new followers, you could have your ad say, “Follow us!”.

Ready To Post?

The next step is to post your photo and caption. After your post has been made, it’s time to promote it. Follow Instagram directions to enable your post, and input all the audience targets you came up with within the previous step. This is also where you’ll choose a budget and get an estimate of how many people your ad will be served to.

All Set!

That’s all there is to it! As your ad runs, you’ll want to monitor the insights and try to learn what worked well and what needs to be changed.

Still, Need Help?

The world of social media can be complicated and tricky to navigate. We get it! If you feel like you need some additional help, Contractor Advertising can step in. We run a comprehensive social media management program which means we can handle everything from creating your social media account to producing content for your Instagram ads. Contact us today if you have any questions!