Social media offers so many ways to advertise, it can be overwhelming to try to sift through them all and decide which tactics will be the most beneficial for your Instagram business.

Let me offer some relief by saying you don’t have to use them all. But understanding how they work is key to creating an effective advertising strategy on the Gram.

Targeting Your Audience

A neat little tip I discovered: Since Instagram is owned by Facebook/Meta, you can use data from the Facebook platform to target your Insta audience. This can be especially useful if your Facebook presence is more established than your Instagram business presence.

Engaging with Users

Ever heard the saying, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”?

I talk a lot about building your “online community,” and that’s because all of your advertising efforts should be aimed at helping your audience and making them feel valued (because they are).

In the world of sales, it’s all about relationships. If you want to foster engagement, you have to be engaged.

If a user comments on your post or ad, if they share your post, if they DM you…Spread. The. Love. Reply to comments and DMs (as long as they’re legit). Give a shout out to users who share your content. Let them know you are watching and listening and you appreciate them.

Stories and Reels and Instagram Video – Oh My!

I could talk for hours about the difference between Insta reels, stories, and Instagram Video and when to use each one. But, I’ll give you the Cliff Notes.

• Stories – Similar to SnapChat in that they are quick clips that disappear in 24 hours, the advantage of using stories is that your followers are more likely to see them because the platform gives them prominence. This is a great way to promote limited-time offers, as the limited lifespan of the story can help to create a sense of urgency in prospects and can include a link directly to the product or service. You can also turn stories into highlights that are displayed on your profile indefinitely.
• Reels – Reels are video clips that are 15 seconds or shorter. If you’re a TikToker, this is a great tool for you. Instagram also allows you to edit the reel within the app, which is a super convenient function. Reels tend to have a longer lifespan and have secondary prominence to stories. Because of their briefness and share-ability, they are a great way to capture new leads.
• Instagram Video – Instagram Videos can be as long as an hour for selected accounts. This is ideal for in-depth content. Training videos, tutorials, even promotional vlogs can be posted with Instagram Videos . However, it is often harder to get engagement with Instagram Videos because the algorithm typically gives preference to stories and reels, which are shorter and easier to share.

Post Ads

Post ads can come in the form of images or videos. These are the types of ads that we see most often. A business will post an image, or series of images, with a brief description and a link to shop.

Videos work similarly. A posted video ad will include a commercial-like video and a link to the business’s site. This is a great way to give more insight into the brand and products/services.

Discover More About How to Sell on Instagram with The Social Bungalow

If you want more in-depth tips and tricks for how to sell on Instagram, I have so many more to share. Learn how to generate a five-figure income with your Instagram business alone in my “Five-Figure Instagram” course.