Digital marketing tips: Instagram ads

60% of Instagram users first hear about a product via the platform, and 30% have made a purchase from Instagram directly, according to digital marketing specialist, Gil David.

He is the founder of advertising agency Run DMG, and has spent over 13 years in sales, marketing and business management.

Speaking at a Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District), Gil said: “There are currently over one billion active accounts on Instagram, with around 50% of those accounts active daily.

“It’s important to note that the most active age range on the platform is 18-35, so if your target market are 40 years of age or younger, you should be using it as a marketing tool.”

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Gil shared his top tips for marketing via the visual platform, which included:

• Portrait images and video work much better than landscape (ideally 1080×1080 for square imagery or 1080×1350 for vertical imagery).
• Images should be eye-catching and “scroll-stopping”.
• The key message should be clear and enticing.
• Random figure discounts and percentage discounts get more attention than even numbers, for example £234 off instead of £200 off.
• Check your copy, then check it again – spelling mistakes are completely avoidable. Also, if you create an ad for Facebook you may say ‘click the button below’, but on Instagram the button is above the text. Look out for these simple errors.

Gil explained: “To increase engagement, you should always reply to individuals who comment on your posts and adverts. Even the negative comments.

“If you respond well to a negative comment – by acknowledging the issue, clarifying if a problem does exist, and fixing the problem if there is one – others who look at the comments will see that you are a reputable company who look after their customers.”

He added that more brands are using stories more than their feed to engage with customers, but this works best when the content is “organic and more natural.”

However, one should always test adverts to see what works and what doesn’t. What works well changes based on industry, and even between companies in the same industry based on the needs and wants of their individual target audiences.

Gil had a final word of warning: “Remember that social media is first and foremost just that – social. Your social media accounts should not be running adverts all the time, or people will get sick of looking at it. You should include adverts within a mix of other types of posts and content for them to have maximum impact.”

Find Gil's full workshop video here for more info.

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Source: Written from press release