Boost Your Content with Instagram Ads on Reels

What Are Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels are user-created, short form, vertical videos on Instagram, found via the Reels tab. Reels can be made by any qualified Instagram user, and are a fun, experimental way to express yourself on your Instagram account. 

While Instagram Stories are like miniature scrapbooks of daily life or an encapsulation of an experience (for example, a train trip, or a day at Comic-Con), Reels are usually planned, creatively edited short videos that have a point or are communicating a specific thing. Stories and Reels are both great for building your Instagram audience (Stories are especially good for increasing engagement), but it’s Reels that are the more influential tool for advertising and building your brand.

Then What Are Instagram Reels Ads?

Instagram Ads on Reels are basically “power ups” for your Reels. Most Ads on Reels look just like normal Instagram reels created for fun - but they’re actually videos that have been created and posted to promote a product, business, or brand.

Think of Ads on Reels as ads for your content, but in stealth mode. They’re hanging out in the Reels tab - and are marked as “sponsored” posts - but since they look the same as non-advertisement Reels, people browsing Reels for entertainment will have a similar user experience when happening upon a Reels Ad. 

Ads on Reels are alternated in between regular Reels content, which makes Reels Ads a more natural way to fit ads and promotions into an Instagram account. And since their content features the creativity of Reels, this integration means that they don’t have the same vibe as a regular ad (which can be perceived as negative), so they can better appeal to potential customers. Influencer Marketing Hub shares that Reels generate 22% more engagement than regular Instagram posts, especially with the Gen Z crowd.

To be able to run Ads on Reels, you must be at least 18 years old; have a professional Instagram account; be compliant with Instagram’s monetization policies; and live in the U.S., Canada, Japan, or South Korea.

There are also some additional guidelines to note for your Ads on Reels:

• Make sure your short form video ads are the proper size/ratio (for great resolution, try 1080x1920 pixels, with a ratio of 9:16.) 

• Match your Reels Ad length to your content - up to 30 seconds is perfect for a quick blurb or product sneak peek, and up to 60 seconds is good for a short story or more complex post. 

• Make note of the content limitations for Ads on Reels - for instance, you can’t use face filters, interactive stickers/gifs, or media that includes product tags.

• If any portion of your video has been posted to Instagram or Facebook before, it’s ineligible for extra Reels features like Boosting, which showcases Reels in more sections of Instagram.

• If your ad does get rejected or restricted, don’t panic - you can either request a review, edit your ad to suit, or create a whole new ad.

Sounds Great. Gimme!

Ready to ramp up your promotions? Here’s how to request Ads on Reels: make sure you’re meeting the guidelines above, and then hop into your Ads Manager to plan and launch your campaign following the steps below.

• Select +Create in your Instagram Ads Manager

• Set the goal and target audience for your Ads - are you trying to increase awareness of your brand or product, gain followers or sales, or promote a specific event?

• Plan out your budget and schedule for your Reels Ads. The average CPM (cost per 1,000 views) is around $6-8 U.S. as of 2024, but costs will vary depending on the campaign you set up.

• Decide if you want to post your Reels Ads yourself, or if you want to use Instagram’s automatic (“Advantage+”) ads placement tool.

• Make sure you add in relevant text, CTAs (calls to action), any desired target URLs, and optional hashtags.

• After selecting your CTA and finishing your ad, it’ll be submitted for review - once approved, your ad will start appearing in viewers’ Instagram Reels tabs!

After your Reels Ads start running, make sure to analyze those Ads! Keep an eye on the performance of your Reels Ads using your Instagram Ads manager, and adjust the progress of your Ads campaign, creating new Ads as needed.

How Do I Make Reels Ads That Get Noticed?

Capture those eyes by making engaging Reels Ads that are as much entertainment as they are advertisement! Using relevant hashtags alongside great content will help your Reels Ads both get seen and also make a real impact. 

Try these Reels Ads strategies:

• Number one: be creative! Creating engaging content is your top priority. Viewers on all socials are now constantly inundated with content and ads, so think about ways you can make your visuals and your ad’s message really stand out in the crowd (within the Ads restrictions, of course.)

• Be authentic - showcasing products in a relatable way and even featuring real customers or fans of your brand helps other viewers relate to your brand even more.

• Use music to help grab your viewers’ attention, matching the music to the vibe of your brand or product (but don’t use copyrighted music, duh.)

• For spoken audio, try to script it in a way that delivers the information needed, but in a more conversational tone - don’t use “office speak” or make it sound like a speech from an actual ad. Approaching it like you’re just chatting with your viewers about a great product or service will help them relate to you more!

• Some Instagram users may have the sound muted on their phone or tablet, so make sure to include relevant subtitles. Seeing words on screen can also help improve retention rates! 

• Before you post your Reels Ad, watch it all the way through - are the video, images, audio, all clear? Is it easy to understand what the ad’s about - what the product or service is, and what’s being offered? Pretend you’re seeing your Reels Ad for the first time, and adjust if needed.

And if you’re wondering how to promote Reels on Instagram, you can utilize another Instagram tool by Boosting your Reels if they’re under 60 seconds; just tap Boost Post on your Reel (if the Boost Post button is grayed out, your Reel is not eligible to Boost); set your goals, duration, and budget; hit Boost and off you go!

Reel In New Followers!

Ads on Reels are such a great way for viewers to discover new brands and products on Instagram, so it’s to your benefit to take advantage of this creative way to advertise. Your success with Reels Ads will depend largely on how well you target your Ads content to attract new followers - so get creating content and start reeling ‘em in!