How to Run Instagram Ads

Instagram has evolved from a photo-sharing app into one of the most powerful digital advertising platforms in the world. With over 2 billion monthly active users and a highly engaged, visually driven audience, Instagram offers brands unparalleled access to target demographics with precision. Whether you’re a small business owner, a startup founder, or a marketing professional managing enterprise campaigns, learning how to run Instagram ads is no longer optional—it’s essential.

Running Instagram ads effectively requires more than just uploading a beautiful image. It demands strategic planning, audience understanding, creative optimization, and data-driven refinement. This comprehensive guide walks you through every critical step—from setting up your first ad to analyzing performance and scaling results. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to launch high-converting Instagram ad campaigns that deliver measurable ROI.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Define Your Advertising Objective

Before you create a single ad, you must determine what you want to achieve. Instagram ads are powered by Meta Ads Manager, which offers a variety of campaign objectives grouped into three categories: Awareness, Consideration, and Conversion.

Awareness objectives include Brand Awareness and Reach. These are ideal if you’re introducing a new product or entering a new market. Your goal here is visibility—not immediate sales.

Consideration objectives include Traffic, Engagement, App Installs, Video Views, and Lead Generation. Use these when you want users to interact with your content, visit your website, watch a video, or sign up for a newsletter.

Conversion objectives include Conversions, Catalog Sales, and Store Traffic. These are the most results-driven and should be your focus if you’re selling products or services directly.

Choose your objective carefully. It determines how Meta optimizes your ad delivery. For example, selecting “Conversions” tells Instagram to show your ad to users most likely to complete a purchase, while “Engagement” prioritizes users who like, comment, or share.

2. Set Up a Meta Business Suite Account

To run Instagram ads, you need a Meta Business Suite account. If you don’t already have one, visit business.facebook.com and click “Create Account.” You’ll need:

• A personal Facebook profile (required to create a business account)
• A valid email address
• Your business name and contact information

Once your account is created, link your Instagram business profile. If you haven’t converted your personal Instagram account to a business profile, go to your profile settings, tap “Account,” then “Switch to Professional Account.” Choose “Business” and connect it to your Meta Business Suite.

Ensure your Instagram profile is complete: use a clear profile picture, write a compelling bio, include a website link, and add relevant contact information. A polished profile builds trust and improves ad performance.

3. Create Your Ad Campaign in Meta Ads Manager

Log into adsmanager.meta.com. Click “Create” to start a new campaign.

First, select your campaign objective. For this example, we’ll choose “Conversions” to drive sales. Click “Continue.”

Next, name your campaign. Use a clear naming convention such as “Summer_Sale_Conversions_USA_2024.” This helps with reporting and organization.

Under “Campaign Budget Optimization,” decide whether you want Meta to automatically distribute your budget across ad sets (recommended for beginners) or manually allocate it. For now, choose “Daily Budget” and set an amount you’re comfortable testing with—$10–$20 per day is ideal for initial tests.

4. Define Your Target Audience

This is where Instagram ads truly shine. You’re not just targeting people—you’re targeting people with specific interests, behaviors, and demographics.

Under “Audience,” you can choose from:

• Core Audiences: Define by location, age, gender, language, and detailed interests (e.g., “yoga enthusiasts,” “organic skincare,” “fitness apparel”).
• Custom Audiences: Upload customer lists (email addresses or phone numbers), target website visitors using the Meta Pixel, or retarget people who engaged with your Instagram content.
• Lookalike Audiences: Let Meta find users similar to your existing customers. Start with a 1% lookalike of your best customers for the highest relevance.

For example, if you sell eco-friendly water bottles, you might target:

• Location: United States
• Age: 25–45
• Interests: Sustainable living, zero waste, outdoor gear, yoga, Patagonia
• Behaviors: Online shoppers, frequent travelers

Avoid overly broad targeting. Narrowing your audience increases relevance and lowers cost-per-result. Test multiple small audiences instead of one large one.

5. Choose Placements

By default, Meta selects “Automatic Placements,” which includes Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels, Explore, and Audience Network. While convenient, manual placement gives you more control.

Click “Edit Placements” and uncheck networks you don’t want. For most brands, focus on:

• Instagram Feed
• Instagram Stories
• Instagram Reels

Each placement has unique strengths:

• Feed ads appear in users’ main scroll and perform well for brand storytelling and product showcases.
• Stories ads are full-screen, immersive, and ideal for time-sensitive promotions or swipe-up CTAs.
• Reels ads are short-form, vertical videos that tap into trending audio and behaviors. They’re highly effective for reaching Gen Z and Millennials.

Run separate ad sets for each placement to compare performance. You may find Reels drives lower cost-per-click but Feed delivers higher conversion rates.

6. Design Your Ad Creative

Instagram is a visual platform. Your ad creative is your first—and often only—chance to capture attention.

For static image ads:

• Use high-resolution images (1080x1350 pixels recommended)
• Ensure your product is clearly visible and centered
• Limit text on the image—Meta may reduce reach if more than 20% of the image is covered in text
• Use brand-consistent colors and fonts

For video ads:

• Keep videos under 15 seconds for Feed and Stories, up to 30 seconds for Reels
• Hook viewers in the first 2 seconds
• Use captions—85% of videos are watched on mute
• Include movement, transitions, or dynamic text to increase engagement

For carousel ads:

• Show multiple product angles or features across 2–10 cards
• Use consistent design across all cards
• Lead with your strongest offer on card one

Always include a clear, compelling call-to-action (CTA). Examples:

• “Shop Now”
• “Limited Time Offer”
• “Get Your Free Guide”
• “Join 10,000+ Happy Customers”

7. Set Up Your Landing Page

Your ad is only as good as the page it leads to. If your ad promises a discount but sends users to a generic homepage, you’ll lose conversions.

Best practices for landing pages:

• Match the ad’s message and visual style
• Load in under 3 seconds (use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights)
• Include a clear headline, benefits, social proof, and a prominent CTA button
• Remove navigation distractions (e.g., header menu, footer links) to keep focus on conversion
• Use a dedicated URL for each campaign (e.g., yourbrand.com/instagram-summer-sale)

Install the Meta Pixel on your website. This tracking code records user behavior—page views, adds to cart, purchases—and allows you to retarget visitors and optimize for conversions.

8. Launch and Monitor Your Ad

After reviewing all settings, click “Publish.” Your ad will enter review—this usually takes 24 hours but often completes in under 1 hour.

Once live, monitor your campaign daily for the first 3–5 days. Key metrics to track:

• Impressions: How many times your ad was shown
• Reach: Unique users who saw your ad
• Clicks: Total clicks on your ad
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Clicks ÷ Impressions
• Cost Per Click (CPC)
• Cost Per Conversion
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

Use the “Breakdown” feature to see performance by age, gender, placement, and time of day. Adjust bids or pause underperforming ad sets early.

9. Optimize Based on Data

Don’t let your campaign run on autopilot. Optimization is ongoing.

After 3–5 days, analyze what’s working:

• If CTR is low, test new headlines or visuals
• If CPC is high, refine your audience or try a different placement
• If conversions are low, check your landing page for friction

Use A/B testing (also called split testing) to compare variations:

• Test two different images
• Compare two CTAs: “Buy Now” vs. “Get Yours Today”
• Try different audience segments

Only change one variable at a time to isolate what’s driving results. Once you identify a winning combination, scale it by increasing budget or creating similar ads.

10. Retarget and Scale

Retargeting is one of the most effective strategies in digital advertising. Create a Custom Audience of people who:

• Visited your website in the last 30 days
• Added to cart but didn’t purchase
• Watched 50% or more of your video
• Engaged with your Instagram posts or Stories

Then create a separate ad set targeting them with a stronger offer: “Your cart is waiting—10% off ends tonight!”

Once a campaign is profitable, scale it by:

• Increasing daily budget by 20% every 2–3 days
• Creating lookalike audiences from your best converters
• Expanding to new placements (e.g., add Reels if Feed is performing well)
• Repurposing top-performing creatives into new campaigns

Scaling too quickly can lead to ad fatigue. Always monitor frequency (how often the same user sees your ad). If frequency exceeds 3–4 in a week, refresh your creative.

Best Practices

1. Prioritize Authenticity Over Polished Perfection

Instagram users value realness. Behind-the-scenes content, user-generated photos, and unfiltered videos often outperform studio-quality ads. Encourage customers to tag your brand and repost their content. Authenticity builds trust—and trust drives conversions.

2. Leverage Storytelling

People don’t buy products—they buy stories. Structure your ads like mini-narratives:

• Problem: “Tired of plastic water bottles?”
• Solution: “Meet the reusable bottle that lasts a lifetime.”
• Transformation: “Join 50,000 people reducing waste one sip at a time.”

Use emotional triggers: belonging, achievement, fear of missing out (FOMO), or relief.

3. Optimize for Mobile

99% of Instagram users access the app via mobile. Every element of your ad—image, text, landing page—must be mobile-friendly. Use large fonts, thumb-friendly buttons, and vertical formats.

4. Use Captions Strategically

Your caption should complement—not repeat—your visual. Use it to add context, include hashtags (3–5 relevant ones), ask a question, or encourage comments. Engagement signals (likes, comments, shares) improve organic reach and ad performance.

5. Test, Test, Test

There is no universal “best” ad. What works for one brand may fail for another. Test:

• Ad formats (image vs. video vs. carousel)
• Headlines and CTAs
• Color schemes and filters
• Timing (weekdays vs. weekends, morning vs. evening)

Run tests for at least 72 hours to account for daily traffic fluctuations.

6. Avoid Ad Fatigue

When the same user sees your ad too often, engagement drops. Monitor frequency. If it climbs above 4 within 7 days, refresh your creative. Rotate 3–5 variations of each ad to keep your audience engaged.

7. Align with Instagram’s Community Guidelines

Violating Instagram’s advertising policies can result in ad rejection or account suspension. Avoid:

• False claims (“

  1 product in the world”)

• Excessive use of superlatives (“unbeatable,” “miracle”)
• Before-and-after images for weight loss or medical products
• Language that exploits fear or urgency (“Only 1 left!” when untrue)

Always review Meta’s Advertising Policies before launching.

8. Integrate with Your Broader Marketing Strategy

Instagram ads should not exist in isolation. Sync them with:

• Email campaigns (e.g., send a follow-up email to ad clickers)
• Content marketing (promote blog posts with Instagram ads)
• Influencer collaborations (use influencer content as ad creatives)

A unified message across channels reinforces brand recognition and boosts conversion rates.

Tools and Resources

1. Meta Ads Manager

The primary platform for creating, managing, and analyzing Instagram ads. Offers detailed reporting, audience insights, and automation features.

2. Canva

A free, user-friendly design tool with pre-sized Instagram templates for Feed, Stories, and Reels. Ideal for non-designers. Use Canva Pro for brand kits to maintain consistency.

3. Adobe Express

Adobe’s simplified design platform with AI-powered tools to generate ad copy and visuals from text prompts. Great for scaling creative production.

4. Lumen5

Convert blog posts into short-form videos automatically. Perfect for repurposing content into Reels ads.

5. Buffer or Hootsuite

Schedule your organic Instagram posts alongside your paid ads to maintain a consistent brand presence. Integration with Meta Ads Manager is available.

6. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Track how Instagram traffic behaves on your website. Set up UTM parameters on your ad links to see which campaigns drive the most revenue.

7. Meta Pixel Helper (Chrome Extension)

Verify your Meta Pixel is installed correctly and firing events like purchases or sign-ups. Essential for accurate conversion tracking.

8. Iconosquare or Sprout Social

Advanced analytics platforms for Instagram. Offer competitive benchmarking, hashtag performance tracking, and audience demographics beyond what Meta provides.

9. AnswerThePublic

Discover what questions your target audience is asking. Use these as ad angles: “How do I choose a sustainable water bottle?” becomes a powerful ad headline.

10. Unsplash and Pexels

Free, high-quality stock photos that comply with commercial use. Avoid generic-looking images—opt for authentic, diverse, and relatable visuals.

Real Examples

Example 1: Glossier – User-Generated Content Strategy

Glossier, the cult-favorite beauty brand, built its Instagram ad strategy around real customers. Instead of hiring models, they reposted photos from users wearing their products with the hashtag

glossier. They then turned these UGC posts into paid ads.

Results:

• 3x higher CTR than traditional product shots
• Lower cost-per-acquisition due to higher trust signals
• Increased brand loyalty and organic sharing

Key takeaway: Your customers are your best advertisers. Showcase them.

Example 2: Allbirds – Sustainability-Focused Storytelling

Allbirds, the sustainable shoe brand, ran a campaign titled “The Carbon Footprint of Your Shoes.” Their ad showed a side-by-side comparison: one pair of Allbirds vs. a conventional sneaker, with clear carbon emissions data.

The ad used simple animation, minimal text, and a calm voiceover. The landing page explained their materials and environmental impact in detail.

Results:

• 27% increase in conversion rate
• 18% lower cost-per-conversion than previous campaigns
• High social shares and media coverage

Key takeaway: Data-driven storytelling builds credibility. Don’t just say you’re eco-friendly—prove it.

Example 3: Gymshark – Influencer + Reels Integration

Gymshark partnered with fitness influencers to create Reels showing their workout routines while wearing Gymshark gear. They then boosted these Reels as paid ads targeting users interested in fitness, CrossFit, and bodybuilding.

The ads used trending audio, fast cuts, and captions like “This is what 6 months of consistency looks like.”

Results:

• 5x increase in Reels engagement
• 40% of new customers came from Reels ads
• Cost-per-lead dropped by 35%

Key takeaway: Reels are not just for entertainment—they’re a conversion engine when paired with influencer credibility and trending formats.

Example 4: Warby Parker – Retargeting with Dynamic Ads

Warby Parker used dynamic product ads (DPAs) to retarget users who viewed glasses on their site but didn’t purchase. The ads automatically showed the exact frames the user looked at, with a limited-time discount.

They also used carousel ads to show multiple styles in one ad, allowing users to scroll through options without leaving Instagram.

Results:

• 45% recovery rate of abandoned carts
• ROAS of 8.2 on retargeting campaigns
• Higher average order value due to cross-selling in carousels

Key takeaway: Personalization at scale works. Dynamic ads reduce friction and increase relevance.

FAQs

Do I need a Facebook page to run Instagram ads?

Yes. Instagram ads are managed through Meta Ads Manager, which requires a connected Facebook Page. However, your Facebook Page doesn’t need to be active—just created and linked to your Instagram Business profile.

How much does it cost to run Instagram ads?

Costs vary widely by industry, audience, and placement. On average:

• CPC (Cost Per Click): $0.50–$2.00
• CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions): $6–$10
• Cost Per Conversion: $5–$50+

Highly competitive industries like finance or legal services may see higher costs. Test with a small budget first.

Can I run Instagram ads without a website?

Yes, but your options are limited. You can drive traffic to your Instagram profile, use lead forms within the ad, or promote a WhatsApp message. However, for e-commerce or service-based businesses, a website is essential for tracking and conversions.

How long should my Instagram ad run?

Run your campaign for at least 7 days to gather enough data. Avoid making decisions based on the first 24 hours. Once you have a winning ad, keep it running unless performance declines or frequency exceeds 4.

Can I target specific Instagram users by username?

No. Instagram does not allow targeting by individual usernames. You can only target based on demographics, interests, behaviors, or custom audiences (e.g., people who engaged with your profile).

What’s the difference between boosting a post and running an ad?

Boosting a post is a simplified version of an ad created directly from your Instagram profile. It offers limited targeting and no advanced optimization. Running an ad through Meta Ads Manager gives you full control over audience, placement, budget, and tracking. For serious results, always use Ads Manager.

How do I know if my Instagram ad is working?

Track your campaign objective. If your goal is sales, measure ROAS and cost-per-conversion. If it’s awareness, monitor reach and impressions. A good CTR is above 1%. A ROAS above 3x is typically profitable. Use Meta’s attribution window (7-day click, 1-day view) to measure conversions accurately.

Can I run Instagram ads internationally?

Yes. Meta Ads Manager allows you to target multiple countries, languages, and currencies. Be mindful of cultural differences in imagery, messaging, and local regulations. Translate your ad copy and use region-specific CTAs.

How often should I update my Instagram ad creative?

Refresh creatives every 7–14 days to prevent ad fatigue. If your ad has high frequency (over 4) and declining CTR, it’s time for a new version. Test new visuals, hooks, or CTAs each time.

Do Instagram ads work for B2B businesses?

Yes. While Instagram is often seen as B2C, B2B brands can succeed by targeting job titles, industries, and interests (e.g., “SaaS founders,” “marketing managers,” “HR software”). Use lead generation ads to collect emails or promote gated content like whitepapers or webinars.

Conclusion

Running Instagram ads is a skill that combines creativity, strategy, and analytical discipline. It’s not about spending the most money—it’s about spending it wisely. By following the step-by-step guide in this tutorial, implementing best practices, leveraging the right tools, and learning from real-world examples, you can build Instagram ad campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive real business results.

The platform rewards authenticity, relevance, and consistency. Don’t chase viral moments—build enduring connections. Test relentlessly. Optimize continuously. And always let data guide your decisions, not assumptions.

Whether you’re selling physical products, digital services, or simply building brand awareness, Instagram offers one of the most accessible and powerful pathways to reach your ideal customers. Start small, think long-term, and scale with confidence. Your next high-converting ad campaign is just a few clicks away.