Transcript: Lesson Two

Creating Remarkable Instagram Ad Content

Video 2.1 Tips for Creating Great Instagram Ads

When it comes to delivering up Instagram Ads, you have many options:

photo ads, carousel ads, video ads, and ads on Instagram Stories. Regardless of which ad style you choose,
here are some tips to help you optimize the efficacy of your Instagram ad campaign.

Angela McDougall - Creative Lead, Canva

“When it comes to creating a successful Instagram post or ad, it really comes down to planning. My tip is to
make sure that you start with a storyboard to really plan out what you want to see before you even get
started on the design. This will help you realize if you need to break your message out over multiple posts or a
carousel or perhaps even animate it.
Think about your Instagram post in relation to your entire theme. So what came before it? And what do you
have planned ahead of it? This will really help you to stick to your chosen design theme.
And for the design of your Instagram posts, it also helps to look at current design trends. So for example, in
the past year, we've really seen the scrapbook and collage trends all over Instagram. But now of that has
started to shift. And we are seeing much bolder, braver colors and typography coming through. Whichever
style you choose to adopt, just make sure that it is in line with your brand.”
Instagram posts should do one of four things:
• Educate
• Entertain
• Assist in solving a problem
• Motivate or inspire

These four tenets are key for organic posts and ads alike —and arguably they're even more important for ads.
When creating an Instagram Ad, you need to grab the user's attention in such a way that they are compelled
to click through to purchase or receive more information.
Consider how your posts will accomplish one of those four objectives.

Of the four goals, the most important is to help your follower solve a problem. Why? If you are targeting
correctly, your ad should be placed in front of someone who recently looked for the solution you are offering.

For example, I was recently searching on Google for comfortable shoes that I didn't have to break in. Because
of the targeting options within the Facebook business manager, I received an ad from Everlane, a clothing and
lifestyle brand.

This Everlane ad showed shoes that fit the criteria based on previous searches made. The Everlane ad is a
great example of two things.

Number 1: Grab the viewer's attention within the first three seconds.
In the first three-seconds, "No break-in period required" caught my attention. The ad tells me that it is solving
for my problem —I don’t want to have to break-in my shoes in order to wear them comfortably.
 Transcript: Lesson Two
Creating Remarkable Instagram Ad Content

Although video ads can run up to 60 seconds in Instagram, when people are scrolling through, you only have a
few seconds to hook the viewer. Those first 2 to 3 seconds need to be powerful enough to make them stop
and watch more.

The second important feature of this ad is text. Adding text to an ad image is one thing.

But what about videos where individuals are speaking? As mentioned, you need to assume that Instagram
videos are watched without sound, meaning, you will need captions. Facebook Ads Manager can do this, but
be careful: this method will require further editing from you. A better solution is to use a service to create
SubRip Subtitles (SRT) files and upload those directly.

The Everlane ad has informative, eye-catching text. I didn’t have to turn the sound on to understand the
benefits of the product. While sound can be a great addition to a video or Story ad, you should assume that
most users will have the sound off while they’re scrolling through their feed. Remember, finding the balance
of graphics and text is important.

Additionally, make sure the captions don't cover the text in the ad itself.

In order for your ad to look organic, the image must fit the ad-type dimensions dictated/outlined by
Instagram. These guidelines are in place to ensure your picture appears neither stretched out nor too small for
the screen. Getting the right visual/aspect ratio is key to an amazing-looking ad. See the resources section for
a guide on the different dimensions used in Instagram ads.

Angela McDougall - Creative Lead, Canva

Now when it comes to fonts, my tip is to focus on your main brand font for consistency and recognition. Then
add one to two supporting fonts for contrast. With Instagram, often a more hand-drawn and personal font can
work really well here. The Instagram account for Lean In does a really great job of making quotes pop in their
feed with some really clever use of typography.

While text is important and should be included, it should be as concise and descriptive as possible —
particularly if you’re running ads in the Instagram feed and on the Instagram explore tab. In these placements,
you are given a limited number of characters. You want to get your message across in-ad without requiring
your user to click into the description.

This Hamama Greens ad is incomplete; you have to click “more” to read the rest.

The ad copy in this Fiton App, is concise and easily understood.

The most effective and engaging Instagram Ads blend organically into your viewer's feed. These ads resemble
organic posts and incorporate dynamic, lifestyle imagery that mesh/align with the overall aesthetic of
Instagram.

Check out this ad by novelty food brand, Fancy Sprinkles. The Fancy Sprinkles ad simply doesn't look much like
an ad at first glance. Instead you are treated to a fun summer image of wine that glitters in the sun--a unique,
eye catching idea on its own. There is a lot of contrast with color. There aren't any words in the video but it's
 Transcript: Lesson Two
Creating Remarkable Instagram Ad Content

very clear what the product is and how it works. Additionally, the ad was probably shot with an iPhone, just
like an everyday Instagram user might do.

Make sure that you include a call to action. A natural part of Instagram Ad development, you want your viewer
to take action based off your ad. Aim for your CTA, whether it be buy now, contact us, learn more — or
another immediate action step — to appear central to your ad. Once you've identified your CTA, be sure the
next step meets your prospect's expectations. For example, if a user views your Instagram Story ad on their
mobile device and they swipe up to learn more, your site needs to be optimized for mobile.

Jillian Hope, Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot

"So from a creative standpoint, I think the key to a really strong Instagram ad is trying to make it seem as
native as possible like anything else someone would see as they're scrolling through their feed. We've actually
found that overly-stylistic ads and ads that are super, super designed don't do as well as more simplistic ad
creative. Some other best practices when it comes to Instagram ad creative is using a square format for your
image and video ads. So that's a one-by-one aspect ratio. You also want to keep videos to 15 seconds or less
and include burnt-in captions that are designed to be played with the audio off."

What if it's difficult for the prospect to engage with the CTA?
If, after they click your CTA, the user has a poor mobile experience, you've lost a potential chance to make the
sale.

Taking mobile optimization one step further, let's talk about Wi-Fi connectivity. When videos are viewed on
devices not connected to a Wi-Fi network, the experience can be spotty. You've likely experienced this first-
hand and know the frustration that typically leads to scrolling right on to the next post. To ensure your video
ad provides the best viewing experience, you can set it to only be shown to users connected to Wi-Fi.

How to set up Wi-Fi-only viewing. In the Facebook Business Manager, select "Only when connected to Wi-Fi"
to enhance the viewer experience.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of user-generated content, testimonials or influencers in your Instagram
ads. People gravitate towards content that feels like it was made by somebody who shares their interests,
taste, or opinions. Instagram is on many levels a popularity platform. And, when it comes to ads, you should
use that to your advantage. For example, Pimsleur partnered with a YouTube language influencer, Ikenna, to
talk about their language learning app.

And finally, don’t be afraid to have fun! This goes back to understanding who your buyer is.
If you are a nonprofit you might have a different tone than a brand that sells yoga gear. Either way, Instagram
is a platform where users seek out entertainment, so you have a little bit of room to be lighthearted, to joke
with your viewers, and ultimately grab their attention.

Having invested in designing a well-appointed ad you want to be sure to moderate the comments and
feedback it receives. There are two ways to do this: via the mobile app or via desktop.

Expert Testimonial: Angela McDougall - Creative Lead, Canva

“An example of a brand who I think have an amazing Instagram feed is Go-To, which is an Australian beauty
brand. And they have the most beautiful branding, which they extend across their Instagram posts in various
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Creating Remarkable Instagram Ad Content

ways. So the design of the posts themselves feels clean and fresh using lots of whites and pops of their
signature peach color and even down to the detail of their Instagram highlights and their illustrative style.
Their photography has a consistent style to it and also features real and diverse models. And they also have a
really good mix of content so from product demos to how-to videos from the founder of the company. And all
of this is wrapped up in their really approachable, fun, and quirky tone of voice, which really makes it feel that
you're connected with a friend on Instagram that's giving you beauty tips. So I'd say as someone who squarely
sits in their target audience that they've completely nailed it.

Another example that I love is digital media company Brit & Co. And what I love about their Instagram posts is
that there actually isn't a consistent font and illustrative style or even color. But the feed still feels on brand.
And the reason for this is that they have a really strong set of values that include positivity, color, authenticity,
curiosity, and community. And all of these values actually come across in their feed through the use of their
positive quotes that they share to community stories and really just that overall creative and colorful imagery
that they've chosen.”

To moderate comments via mobile,search for engagements in the notifications section. Scroll down until you
see the thumbnail of your Ad, then click on it to access the Ad as your users see it. You can then choose to
moderate or respond to comments with an emoji or text by swiping left on each one.

Moderating and responding to comments via desktop is a bit more complex. To learn how to manage
comments using Facebook Business Manager, check the resources section for a link.

There you have it. A bevy of tips and tricks that will help you take your Instagram ad strategy to the next level.