What are Instagram ads?

Instagram has long become a favourite of many social media users, and a great tool for marketers to advertise on. As the fourth most-visited social media platform globally, based on monthly website traffic, Instagram offers businesses powerful advertising opportunities, with 7.2 billion monthly traffic (visits). The platform’s visual-first approach makes it particularly effective for brand building and direct sales.

Instagram’s extensive user base spans diverse demographics. In fact, the platform attracts primarily younger audiences, with 32% of users aged 18-24 and 30.6% aged 25-34. This makes Instagram particularly valuable for brands targeting younger professionals and consumers.

Furthermore, the platform’s advanced targeting capabilities and various ad formats help achieve your specific marketing goals.

So, how to create effective PPC campaigns for Instagram and what tips could be used? Let us get started!

How to create an Instagram ad

Instagram’s advertising platform offers powerful opportunities for businesses in 2025. With over 130 million users engaging with Shopping posts monthly, the platform combines social engagement with direct sales potential. But how exactly can you create a PPC campaign for Instagram?

Meta’s unified advertising system makes Instagram advertising straightforward. Create and manage your campaigns through Meta’s Ad Manager platform, which handles both Instagram and Facebook campaigns in one central location.

1. Pick your objectives

Your campaign objective guides every aspect of your ad’s performance. Select from three main categories:

Awareness

• Build brand recognition.
• Increase reach.
• Boost post engagement.

Consideration

• Drive website visits.
• Increase app installs.
• Generate leads.

Conversion

• Increase online sales.
• Boost in-store visits.
• Promote product catalogue.

Each objective affects how Meta optimises your ad delivery and measures success. For example, choosing “online sales” optimises your ads for users most likely to make purchases.

Remember: Select an objective that aligns with your business goals and target audience behaviour.

Pro Tip: Review your current marketing goals before selecting your campaign objective to ensure alignment with your overall strategy.

2. Choose who to target

Effective audience targeting helps reach potential customers, determining your Instagram campaign’s success.

Audience Selection Options

Meta’s Ad Manager offers detailed targeting options to reach your ideal audience:

Demographics

• age ranges
• locations
• languages
• gender
• income levels

Interests and Behaviours

• shopping habits
• industry interests
• brand affinities
• device usage
• purchase history

Custom Audiences

• website visitors
• email subscribers
• app users
• previous customers

The platform’s advanced targeting capabilities let you combine these factors to create highly specific audience segments. For example, target professionals aged 25-34 in Copenhagen who show interest in business software and follow technology brands.

Remember: Start with broader targeting and refine based on performance data. Too narrow targeting might limit your reach, while too broad targeting wastes budget on uninterested users.

Pro Tip: Use your website analytics and customer data to create audience profiles that match your best customers.

3. Select Instagram

When planning your advertising strategy, it’s essential to prioritise Instagram as your chosen platform due to its reach and engagement potential. By selecting Instagram, you can take advantage of its visually driven content and vast user base, making it an ideal choice for connecting with your target audience effectively.

4. Figure out the budget and schedule

Then, you need to decide the budget of your PPC campaign and when you want it to go live. This will largely depend on how much you can invest, and keep in mind that the average cost-per-click ad cost is between $0.50-$1.00.

Cost Factors

Campaign objectives significantly affect your advertising costs on Instagram. For example, brand awareness campaigns typically cost less as they focus on reaching wider audiences. In contrast, conversion campaigns require higher budgets because they target users more likely to make purchases. Additionally, retargeting campaigns often have higher costs due to their focus on previously engaged users. On one hand, broader audience targeting can reduce costs by increasing potential reach. On the other hand, narrower targeting often increases competition and costs due to the specificity of the audience segments.

Budget Planning Options

Instagram offers two main budget approaches:

• Daily budget: Set a consistent daily spending limit
• Lifetime budget: Allocate a total amount for the entire campaign duration

Campaign Timing

Your campaign schedule directly impacts both performance and cost effectiveness. Consider peak engagement hours for your target audience to maximise visibility when users are most active. Account for seasonal trends in your industry that might affect user behaviour and competition levels. Your campaign duration should align with your objectives and budget, while competition levels during specific times can affect your costs and reach. Understanding these timing factors helps optimise your campaign spending and results.

Remember: Instagram costs slightly more than Facebook but often delivers higher engagement rates than on Facebook.

Pro Tip: Monitor your campaign performance regularly and adjust your budget based on which ad formats and placements deliver the best results for your business goals.

5. Decide the format

The biggest difference between Facebook and Instagram is in what they focus on. Instagram is all about visuals, like photos and videos, so that’s what you should emphasise in your ads. While having a catchy caption and a strong call to action is still important, the images are what will really catch your audience’s eye!

These are the different formats you can try out:

Video Ads

Video ads remain one of Instagram’s most engaging formats in 2025. Create videos up to 60 seconds long to showcase your products or services effectively. Videos work particularly well for:

• product demonstrations
• brand storytelling
• service explanations
• behind-the-scenes content
• customer testimonials

Photo Ads

Single image ads offer simplicity and impact. These ads need strong visuals that stop users from scrolling.

Focus on:

• high-quality photography
• clear product shots
• compelling lifestyle images
• brand-consistent design
• mobile-optimised composition

Story Ads

Instagram enables you to showcase your ads directly to users while they browse their friends’ Stories. These ads can be in the form of videos or images and typically feature a straightforward call to action to encourage user engagement.

These temporary ads create urgency and encourage immediate action through:

• vertical video content
• interactive elements
• swipe-up links
• engaging stickers
• quick-view products

Carousel Ads

Showcase multiple products or tell a complete story with 2-10 images or videos. This format works well for:

• product collections
• step-by-step guides
• before-and-after results
• feature highlights
• multi-part stories

Collection Ads

Collection ads combine video-style presentation with still images for powerful storytelling. This format creates an immersive shopping experience by:

• showcasing multiple products
• creating visual product catalogues
• displaying detailed features
• showing different colour options
• presenting complementary items

Reels Ads

Note: Updated from IGTV Ads as Instagram has shifted focus to Reels

Reels ads appear between short-form videos, reaching users when they’re most engaged. These vertical, full-screen ads work well for:

• quick product demonstrations
• brand personality content
• trending content participation
• tutorial snippets
• entertainment-style promotions

Explore Ads

Place your ads in Instagram’s discovery section where users actively look for new content. These ads appear alongside content that matches users’ interests, helping you:

• reach new audiences
• target interest-based browsing
• increase brand discovery
• connect with trend-seekers
• boost product awareness

Remember: Choose formats that match your campaign objectives and content style. Test different formats to find what resonates best with your audience.

Pro Tip: Create content specifically for each format rather than adapting one piece of content across all formats.

6. Get creative

Your ad’s final presentation combines visuals and copy to drive action. In 2025, effective Instagram ads need both elements working together to stand out in busy feeds.

Write engaging copy

To capture attention quickly, keep your ad copy concise and impactful. Instagram captions work best between 125–150 characters to avoid truncation. Focus on one key message or benefit that speaks directly to your audience’s needs. Furthermore, use active language and include relevant emojis to add personality without cluttering the text.

Design strong visuals

Create high-quality visuals that stop users from scrolling through their feeds. Your images or videos should show products in real-life contexts that your audience can relate to. Use brand-consistent colours throughout your content to build recognition, and include minimal text overlay to maintain a clean, professional look. Moreover, follow Instagram’s size requirements precisely to ensure optimal display quality, and always feature clear, crisp images that reflect professional standards.

Add effective calls-to-action

Equally important, your CTA must guide users toward specific actions that benefit your campaign goals. Write CTAs that use action-oriented words to motivate immediate response, while also stating clear benefits that users will receive. When appropriate, create urgency without appearing pushy, and ensure your CTAs match your landing page experience exactly. Above all, every call-to-action should reflect your brand voice consistently to maintain trust with your audience.

Remember: Test different combinations of copy, visuals, and CTAs to find what works best for your audience. Start with small tests before scaling successful elements.

Pro Tip: Keep your total caption under 2,200 characters, but aim for 125-150 characters for optimal engagement.

Tips for a Successful PPC Campaign for Instagram

Focus on the video intro

Video content dominates Instagram in 2025. And here’s what you need to understand: the first few seconds of your video determine whether viewers will continue watching or skip ahead.

Opening Impact

Create powerful video openings that grab attention immediately in your first three seconds. Present your key message while showing clear product benefits through eye-catching visuals. Include subtle brand identity elements and address viewer pain points quickly to maintain interest.

Video Best Practices

Design your videos to keep viewers engaged throughout the content. Start with immediate movement or action to catch attention, and use bright, engaging colours that stand out in feeds. Always include captions, as most users watch videos without sound. Keep your branding visible but subtle throughout the video, and end with clear calls-to-action that guide viewers toward your campaign goals.

Remember: Most users decide within the first three seconds whether to watch your full video. Make these moments count with compelling visuals and clear value propositions.

Pro Tip: Test different video openings with small audiences before launching full campaigns. Track completion rates to understand what works best.

Craft a strong message

Your ad copy must work alongside your visuals to create impact. Write text that matches your brand voice and reinforces your visual message. Keep captions focused and purposeful, with clear calls-to-action that guide users toward your campaign goals. Every word should contribute to your message’s effectiveness.

Reach out to Influencers

Influencer partnerships can significantly boost brand visibility, especially for smaller companies. Choose influencers based on:

• engagement rates over follower counts
• alignment with brand values
• authentic connection with their audience
• relevant industry expertise
• proven content quality

Remember: Successful influencer partnerships depend on authentic alignment between your brand and the influencer’s audience. Focus on quality engagement rather than just reach numbers.

Pro Tip: Check influencer engagement rates through Instagram’s built-in metrics before starting partnerships.

Hire a marketing agency

Managing Instagram ad campaigns involves tracking their effectiveness and designing appealing visuals, which can be quite time-intensive and doesn’t always ensure a return on investment. If you want to improve your confidence in your advertising strategies or learn how to tailor your ads more effectively to your target audience, consider reaching out to a marketing agency for professional assistance.

Marketing professionals offer valuable support across all campaign aspects. They provide strategic campaign planning and professional content creation while ensuring precise audience targeting. Their expertise includes continuous performance monitoring and careful budget optimisation to achieve the best results for your investment.

While hiring an agency requires investment, it often proves more cost-effective than learning through trial and error. Agencies help reduce wasted ad spend by targeting the right audiences from the start. They create professional content that resonates with viewers and track meaningful metrics to measure success. Their ability to adjust campaigns quickly based on performance data helps maintain optimal results throughout your campaign.