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  • How to Advertise on Instagram: A Complete Instagram Ads Guide

    by Kristi Hines / November 17, 2015

    social media how toAre you wondering how to start advertising on Instagram?

    Looking for a step-by-step Instagram guide?

    Businesses of all sizes now have the ability to create Instagram ads to reach targeted audiences.

    In this post you'll discover how to set up an Instagram ad from start to finish using Facebook Business Manager and Power Editor.

    instagram ads guide
    Discover a guide to advertising on Instagram.

    For the purposes of this post, I tested a new Instagram account, new Facebook page, new Business Manager account and new Facebook ads account with a pre-existing U.S. Facebook profile that has never used Facebook pages, Business Manager or ads. Access to Instagram ads was granted immediately.

    #1: Connect Your Facebook Page to Business Manager

    The first thing you need to do to get started with Instagram advertising is to connect your main Facebook page to Facebook's Business Manager.

    If you've already set up Business Manager with the Facebook page you want associated with your Instagram ads, you can skip to step #2. If you've set up Business Manager but haven't connected it to the Facebook page you want associated with your Instagram ads, start at the Connect Your Facebook Page section.

    Set Up Business Manager

    If it's your first time using Business Manager, you'll need to set it up.

    Note: Read this post first to learn more about how Business Manager works, plus some pros and cons.

    Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the Get Started button. From there, you'll see some general information about Business Manager.

    setting up business manager
    Setting up a new Business Manager account.

    Next, answer some questions about your business.

    setting up business manager
    Setting up a new Business Manager account (continued).

    Select your Facebook business page or create one if you don't already have one.

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    setting up business manager
    Setting up a new Business Manager account (continued).

    Then fill in your personal details.

    setting up business manager
    Setting up a new Business Manager account (continued).

    Connect Your Facebook Page

    If you've already signed up for Business Manager but haven't connected the Facebook business page that you want to associate with your Facebook advertising and Instagram account, go to Business Manager and add that page. To do this, choose Pages from the Business Settings pop-out menu.

    setting up business manager
    Setting up a new Business Manager account.

    From there, click the Add New Page button at the top right and follow the prompts, based on the page you want to add.

    adding a facebook page to business manager
    Options for adding a Facebook page to your Business Manager account.

    #2: Connect Your Facebook Ads Account to Business Manager

    Next, you need to add the Facebook ads account you want to use for your Instagram ads to Business Manager. To do this, choose Ad Accounts from the Business Settings pop-out menu.

    adding a an ads account to business manager
    Adding an advertising account to your Business Manager account.

    From here, add a Facebook ads account to your Business Manager. You have the option to create a new account, claim your existing account or request access to another company's account.

    adding a an ads account to business manager
    Options for adding an advertising account to your Business Manager account.

    If you already have a Facebook ads account, go to your Facebook Ads Manager Account Settings and copy your account ID. Then select the Claim an Ad Account for My Business Manager option above and paste your account ID in the text box below.

    adding a an ads account to business manager
    Specifying an advertising account ID for your Business Manager account.

    If you only have a personal ad account with little activity, Business Manager will ask you to create a new business advertising account inside Business Manager.

    #3: Add Your Instagram Account to Business Manager

    Next, you need to add the Instagram account you want to advertise with to Business Manager. To do this, choose Instagram Accounts from the Business Settings pop-out menu, as shown here.

    adding an instagram account to business manager
    Adding an Instagram account to your Business Manager account.

    From there, add your Instagram account by entering your Instagram username and password.

    adding an instagram account to business manager
    Logging into your Instagram account for Business Manager.

    Business Manager will then ask you to link your Instagram account to the Facebook ads account you want to use to create Instagram ads.

    adding advertising account to instagram
    Linking your advertising account to your Instagram account.

    #4: Set Up Your Instagram Ad in Power Editor

    Now you'll need to visit the Facebook Ads Power Editor to see if you're eligible for Instagram ads. You'll find the link to Power Editor under Ad Accounts inside Business Manager.

    setting up power editor
    Locating the Power Editor link.

    If it's your first time using Power Editor, you'll be asked to download a few things, including information from your Facebook ads account.

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    setting up power editor
    Setting up Power Editor in Google Chrome.

    Next, you'll see a message that you can start using Instagram ads.

    instagram ads in power editor
    Welcome screen announcing Instagram ads.

    If you don't get the above message, click the + Create Campaign button where you may also see your eligibility to use Instagram ads.

    instagram ad in power editor
    Message announcing Instagram ads.

    From here, select an existing ad campaign or create a new one for your Instagram ad. For the ad objective, you must choose from Clicks to Website, Mobile App Installs or Video Views.

    campaign objective
    Choosing a campaign objective for Instagram ads.

    Next, choose an existing ad set or create a new one, and then create a new ad.

    instagram ad campaign name
    Naming your Instagram campaign, ad set and ad.

    After you click the Create button, you're taken to your campaign in Power Editor. Here, you'll want to set your campaign spending limit. Then click on the View Ad Set link.

    instagram ad budget
    Setting a spending limit and finding the ad set link.

    In the Ad Set settings, configure your daily or lifetime budget and when you want your Instagram ad to run.

    instagram ad budget and schedule
    Setting your budget and scheduling your Instagram ad.

    Below the schedule, configure your Instagram ad audience.

    instagram ad audience
    Configuring your Instagram ad audience.

    If you have saved audiences, click the down arrow next to New Audience to select them. Otherwise, click the Edit Audience button to see the ad targeting options, which are similar to those you'd see in the general Facebook Ads Manager.

    configure instagram ad audience
    Configuring your Instagram ad audience.

    Now, choose your ad placement. If you want to create an ad only for Instagram, uncheck all but the Instagram option.

    instagram ad placement
    Choosing Instagram ad placement.

    After selecting the ad placement, configure your bidding based on your goals…

    instagram ad bidding
    Optimizing your ad campaign for specific results.

    …and how much you're willing to pay per ad result.

    instagram ad bidding options
    Choosing your bidding options.

    Finally, choose from Standard or Accelerated delivery options.

    instagram advance ad delivery options
    Choosing advanced delivery options.

    When you're finished configuring your ad set, you're ready to configure your ad. To do this, click on the Ads icon to the left.

    instagram ad settings
    Finding your ad settings.

    Next, select your Facebook page and Instagram account.

    select instagram and facebook page
    Selecting your page and Instagram account.

    Then continue on to create your Instagram ad.

    create instagram ad
    Creating your Instagram ad.

    When you're finished, click the green Upload Changes button to upload your ad and submit it to Facebook.

    upload instagram ad
    Uploading your ad.

    After confirming the upload, you should be able to see your new Instagram ad in your Ads Manager.

    instagram ad in power editor
    Seeing your ad in the Ads Manager.

    #5: Review the Results

    Be sure to visit your Ads Manager periodically to review the results of your Instagram ad campaign. The following is an insight into my first Instagram ad campaign (the top row) compared to a similar ad for the Facebook news feed.

    facebook versus instagram ad results
    Results of an Instagram ad versus a Facebook news feed ad.

    In my case, I learned that I could get a lot more reach and website clicks for $50 using Instagram ads than I could from a Facebook news feed ad. Results will likely vary based on your campaign goals, audience and budget.

    Conclusion

    If you have visual content that you can use to promote your business, content, products or services, Instagram is a social advertising platform you'll want to consider.

    What do you think? Have you run an Instagram ad yet? If so, be sure to share the results in the comments!

    a guide to advertising on instagram
    A guide to advertising on Instagram for marketers.

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    Tags: Instagram, Instagram Ads

    About the authorKristi Hines

    Kristi Hines is a freelance writer, ghostwriter, and copywriter who develops blog content, ebooks, emails, lead magnets, and website copy for marketing agencies, B2B, and SaaS.
    Other posts by Kristi Hines »

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