Scrolling through Instagram, you see them – those sleek, targeted ads. But in the ever-evolving landscape of 2026, are they still worth your hard-earned marketing dollars? Let’s sail into the future of Instagram advertising and uncover the truth.
Instagram is considered one of the best and most dynamic social media platforms for advertising. In 2023, the network added its first billion users, according to Statista.
It’s remarkable to realize that just five or six years ago, Instagram was primarily used for photo sharing. Today, it has evolved into a creative platform for both personal and business accounts.
Users can post images and videos, share engaging Instagram Stories, connect with clients, and showcase their ideas. Want to place an advertisement? Absolutely! It’s essential to reach your potential clients where they spend their time.
How to Place an Instagram Advertisement?
If you use Instagram’s sponsored advertising effectively, it can be a powerful tactic. However, you shouldn’t expect amazing results by merely spending money to promote random posts.
It’s essential to be very intentional about your target audience and the content you promote in Instagram ads. You should carefully consider the demographics, locations, and interests of the people you want to reach. Otherwise, you risk wasting money on a random group that has no interest in your products.
It also depends on what you are trying to sell. You shouldn’t be surprised if you promote generic, mediocre material. However, if you invest ad dollars in your best and most effective content to reach a narrowly focused target demographic, you can significantly expand your audience and gain more targeted likes and followers.
The success of your promotion largely depends on the product you are selling. If you choose to promote generic or mediocre material, you shouldn’t be surprised by the results. However, if you invest advertising dollars in your best and most effective content, and target a specific audience, you can greatly expand your reach and gain more targeted likes and followers.
It’s important to remember that getting likes on ads doesn’t always lead to loyal and engaged followers. If people don’t feel a connection with your regular content after receiving a temporary boost from ads, they may unfollow you. Therefore, ads should be used wisely as part of a broader growth strategy.
Who should use Instagram advertising?
Instagram advertising is suitable for a wide range of users. The platform is experiencing rapid growth while generating substantial profits for businesses. This advertising potential attracts both large brands and small enterprises to the social network.
Businesses should consider using Instagram to promote their brand, services, or products for several reasons:
- Accessibility: Anyone can advertise on the platform, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
- Targeted Audience Interaction: Advertisers can engage with their audience based on specific demographics and interests.
- High Engagement Rates: The platform enjoys high interaction rates, as users frequently like and share photos, videos, GIFs, and text content.
- Native Advertising: Ads on Instagram blend seamlessly with regular posts, giving them a natural feel.
- Variety of Advertising Formats: Instagram offers multiple advertising options, including stories, videos, IGTV, and commercial ads. These features make Instagram an effective tool for businesses looking to enhance their visibility and connection with potential customers.
You can accomplish any goal: boost brand awareness, increase website clicks, enhance sales, or raise the number of app downloads. Instagram is engaging and allows you to connect with a vast audience.
How to create Instagram Ads in Ads Manager?
1. Select Your Goal
After logging into Meta Ads Manager, navigate to the “Campaigns” tab and click on “Create.” You will find eleven different marketing objectives to choose from. Although this can be overwhelming, it’s important to take your time in making a decision. The cost of your Instagram advertisements will vary based on the type of campaign you select, as the cost-per-click (CPC) criteria differ depending on your campaign goal.
The marketing goals for Instagram advertising are broken down as follows:
- Brand awareness: This helps reach a new market for your company.
- Reach: Increases the number of people who see your advertisement.
- The goal is to increase traffic to a specific app, link, or Messenger chat.
- Engagement: Encourages users to download and install your program by reaching a large audience that is more likely to click, like, share, or interact with your advertisement in some other way.
- Creating leads brings new customers to your sales funnel.
- Catalog sales: To increase sales of particular products, link your product catalog to your Instagram advertisements.
- Video views: aims to increase the number of your videos
- Messages: Encourages customers to reach out to you using Instagram Direct Messenger
- Conversions: Encourages individuals to complete specific actions, such as clicking a subscribe link or a purchase button.
- Store traffic: Guides customers to visit your physical store.
After selecting your objective, you need to choose a specific metric. For instance, if your goal is app installs, you must direct users to an app, while measuring engagement requires specific metrics like likes, comments, and shares.
2. Name your ad campaign.
Choose a name for your campaign and ensure you indicate if it falls under a special ad category, such as housing, social issues, or elections. At this stage, you can also set up an A/B test for your ads; however, since we’re guiding first-time users, we will skip that for now. Keep the A/B test option turned off and proceed to the next step.
3. Budget and Schedule
How much should you spend on your first Instagram ad? Start by naming your ad set and deciding what you want to promote. The next step is setting your budget. If this is your first experience with Instagram ads, it’s wise to keep your expenses low. For impression-based ads, it’s recommended to allocate at least $1 per day. However, if your ads are focused on likes, clicks, video views, or other forms of engagement, aim for a daily budget of $5 or more.
You can select either a daily budget or a lifetime budget, which refers to the total duration of the campaign. Only commit to an amount that you are comfortable with. If your maximum budget is $400, do not exceed that amount.
4. Identify Your Target Audience
An Instagram ad won’t be effective if it is simply posted online without considering who will see it. You can choose a target audience based on factors such as age, gender, language, and location. Additionally, you can get more specific by targeting individuals who have previously shown interest in your business.
5. Choose where to post your Instagram ads.
Scroll down to the previous section and click on “Automatic Placements.” This option will automatically distribute your ads throughout Meta’s network in the most relevant locations. If you prefer to have more control, you can select “Manual Placement.” For example, if you only want to run your ads on Instagram Stories, you would choose this option.
6. Establish Brand Safety
Go to the ‘Brand Safety’ section to select the type of content you want to avoid associating with your advertisement. For instance, if your product is intended for adults, you should ensure it does not appear alongside content aimed at teenagers. Additionally, you can block specific publishers and websites to be extra cautious.
7. Create Your Instagram Ad
Finally, it’s time to create your Instagram ad. Select your corresponding Facebook and Instagram accounts, choose the desired ad format, and then complete the additional details under ‘Ad Creative.’ This includes:
- Pictures or videos
- Ad copy
- Payment details
- Ad review
Once everything is confirmed and you are satisfied with your ad campaign, click the ‘Publish’ button!
Are Instagram Ads Worth It?
Yes, investing in Instagram ads is a smart choice for promoting your brand. You can use various ad formats, such as photo ads, carousel ads, and sponsored ads, to reach your audience. Instagram is one of the fastest-growing platforms for marketers, and its Ads Manager makes it easy to manage your campaigns. Compared to other social media sites, Instagram offers a cost-effective way to build your following, increase brand awareness, and boost sales.
If you want to scale your business quickly, consider collaborating with influencers on Instagram. With MantraM Digital, you can easily find and hire vetted influencers or content creators within minutes. Sponsored posts can help you triple your audience’s reach. Getting started with MantraM Digital is simple. Sign up today!
Last Updated on January 26, 2026
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