How to Advertise on Instagram In 6 Simple Steps

Your Instagram is like your brand’s online store, but getting the right people to visit can be tricky. To attract real followers, you need to know how to advertise on Instagram, show off your brand, and get new customers to join your community.

Instagram ads are becoming a big deal, and understanding how to use them is key to your brand’s success. The Instagram audience is highly engaged, so it’s important to connect with them. 

Thankfully, Instagram’s advanced targeting options can help you reach users who may not have found your page otherwise, increasing your visibility. 

Let’s dive into a simple guide on how to advertise on Instagram!

Why advertise on Instagram? 

Instagram gives businesses a great chance to reach a large, active audience. Its visual platform helps create content that grabs attention and builds brand awareness. With Instagram’s advanced targeting tools, advertisers can focus on specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, making ads more effective. 

Plus, Instagram’s connection with Facebook’s ad tools provides useful data to improve campaigns. Its powerful analytics, precise targeting, and eye-catching visuals make Instagram a top choice for businesses looking to grow their customer base.

A step-by-step guide to Instagram advertising: 

Instagram advertising provides an engaging method of delivering visually stimulating material to your intended audience. You can increase your brand’s visibility and engagement by putting up successful campaigns with the help of this step-by-step guide.

Step 1: How to Advertise on Instagram – Instagram Advertisement Page Setup

In 2025, begin by ensuring you have a Business Page set up on Facebook, as this is required to run ads on Instagram. Next, convert your Instagram account into a Business Profile to unlock advertising capabilities and access advanced features for promoting your brand effectively.

Step 2: How to Advertise on Instagram – Research Examples in Your Industry

Now, time for some research and creativity. To make sure your brand is putting out top-notch content, you’ll want to take a look at how your direct competitors and leaders in your industry are utilizing Instagram advertisements.Let’s say you are a trendy makeup brand for on-the-go girls. Then, your industry leader and main competition might be Glossier. So, let’s look at how they run their Instagram ads.

Start by clicking on the link in their bio, which will direct you to their homepage. We tapped on a few of their products to trigger an advertisement.

In 2025, Glossier makes good use of the Facebook pixel to monitor user activity, including views of certain products and clicks on bio links. They may increase their advertising audience, monitor ad success, and achieve exact sales targeting using this application.

Let’s take a closer look at Glossier’s ad.

They chose to use a video advertisement because it allowed them up to 60 seconds not only to showcase the different colors that they offer but also how to use their product– making the ad more interactive than a still photo of the finished look.

Step 3: Choose Your Type of Instagram Advertisement

The type of Instagram advertisement you choose will depend on your campaign goals and the typical interactions of your followers with your page.

“Sponsored Ads have helped me a lot to get my name out there so people who maybe before would of never found my page.” -Brooke Boyce  http://brookeboyce.wixsite.com , @brookes_wedding_planning

In 2024, it’s crucial to ensure that your ads blend seamlessly into the platform you’re advertising on, maintaining a native feel that aligns with Instagram’s content style. Adapt your visuals to mirror the types of videos and images typically shared on Instagram, ensuring that your ad appears organic and engaging when users encounter it.

For instance, instead of a plain product shot against a white background, consider showcasing your product in use or in a vibrant setting. This approach, like featuring a model shot against a lively backdrop, makes your ad more relatable and less intrusive when it appears unexpectedly in users’ Instagram feeds.

Here are the 3 main forms of Instagram advertisements:

1. Photo Ads:

Instagram photo advertisements are effective tools for presenting your company with eye-catching, superior imagery. They blend in with users’ feeds, giving companies a visually striking way to showcase their goods and services. 

These advertisements are perfect for showcasing a business’s look and making a powerful visual statement that may raise brand awareness and encourage interaction.

2. Carousel Ads: 

Take it up a notch. Carousels allow you to present multiple photos, with the flexibility to put even more of your best work on display. Include clickable links with captions like “Shop Now” and “Learn More” to entice users to visit your site.

3. Stories Ads: 

Instagram stories are an increasingly popular feature on Instagram and the perfect place to showcase video ads. As Instagram rolls out more customization for Instagram stories, such as the question sticker and shoppable tags, the popularity of Instagram stories is projected to continue rising.

There are so many ways to display your ads, but believe it or not, we’ve only just begun the ad process.

Step 4: Customize Your Instagram Advertisement

The system will have you create your Ad Account and then customize your Ad Set.

Here are some of the key features you will find in the Ad Set section:

• Conversion: Choose where you want to drive traffic, then select a pixel or event to track conversions. If you don’t have a pixel or event, you’ll see instructions for creating one.
• Offer: Drive more conversions by creating an offer people can save and get reminders about.
• Audience: Define who you want to see in your ads.

• Placements: Show your ads to the right people in the right places.
• Budget & Schedule: Define how much you’d like to spend and when you’d like your ads to appear.

Let’s try an example:

Say you want to expand your brand’s reach to young adult women in Canada, and drive their traffic to your website with a budget of $400.

To track how many visits your website gets, select “Conversions” as your goal. This shows how many taps your ad link gets.

For your audience, set the location to Canada, choose ages 18-35, and select women. You can add more interests or behaviors to refine your target.

To advertise only on Instagram, change “Automatic Placements” to “Edit Placements.” Then, deselect other platforms like Facebook and pick Instagram. You can even choose to show your ad in the feed, stories, or both. Choose the format based on your ad type.

For example, if you’re using a carousel ad to show off products, select Instagram “Feed” only.

Finally, you will select to run your ad for twenty days, costing you around $20 per day.

Step 5: Design Your Instagram Ad

Now we’re getting into the good stuff: Creating the visuals for your Instagram ad.

On the “Ad” Page, you will select your Ad’s Identity, which will be your Facebook business page.

Next, you’ll want to select the design style you selected in step 3 and add your media.

Ok, we’ve pretty much covered all the basics… you have your post all ready to go– not so fast!

What we might consider the most important part of the Instagram advertisement is that you create an extremely enticing call to action. This is the final push to get you the click-through traffic you’ve been on the hunt for.

Ask yourself exactly what action you want your customers to take and what will entice them to take that action.

Some options might include a first peek at a new product line, a fun coupon code, a limited-time discount, or any reason for your ad to become the user’s favorite new rude interruption.

Finally, keep in mind that your advertisements can be liked, commented on, and shared, so the more engaging you make it the better.

Step 6: Publish & Track Results

Posting your Instagram advertisement is only half the battle on how to advertise on Instagram. Now, you’ll need to track the progress of your campaign to get a clear depiction of your RIO and make adjustments on future campaigns.

You can track your results directly in your Facebook Ads Manager. Remember to look at the results that directly relate to the objective you picked for your ad.

For example, if you selected “engagement” as your example, you wouldn’t expect to see a high increase in sales. Instead, you would measure success by analyzing the increase in likes and comments on your post.

Setting a clear objective is key to creating a successful Instagram campaign.

Then, rinse and repeat this process for your next campaign while making adjustments based on your previous results, and you’ll become an Instagram advertisement guru in no time!

Best practices for Instagram ads:

• Employ High-Quality Photos: 

On Instagram, where visuals are key, eye-catching photos are a must to grab attention. Make sure your photos are clear, bright, and visually appealing to look professional and attract clients. High-quality content not only makes your brand stand out but also builds trust in your ads.

• Engage Your Audience: 

Developing a devoted Instagram community requires interaction. Establish a rapport and trust with your audience by making it a point to reply to messages and comments as soon as possible. Encourage interaction by posing queries or incorporating call-to-action prompts in the copy of your advertisement. This will improve visibility and result in deeper exchanges.

• Test Different Ad Formats: 

To improve your ads, try using different formats like carousel, video, and story ads. Each one works a bit differently and may connect with your audience in unique ways. Keep an eye on how each format performs by tracking engagement and conversions. This will help you adjust and make your campaigns even better!

Conclusion

And that’s it! You’ve learned how to advertise on Instagram in just six simple steps. By setting clear goals, defining your audience, and choosing the right placements, you’ll be on your way to creating ads that stand out. 

Remember, Instagram is all about visuals, so make your ads as engaging and natural as possible. 

Happy advertising, and enjoy connecting with your audience!