We’ve done all the hard work for you, spending the past few weeks browsing around Instagram. And we found some inspiring stuff… 💎

This article features the following categories of Instagram stories:

• Bad examples of Instagram stories
• Good examples of Instagram story image ads
• The best Instagram story video ads
• Cool Instagram story examples

But first, a few words on the current state of advertising Instagram stories.

When scrolling through the IG stories to catch cool ad examples, 80% of all the ads were not optimized for the Instagram Story placement

This means that a lot of brands are missing out on the full potential of the IG stories ad placement

What about you?

Have you uploaded all the correct Instagram and Facebook ads size options to your campaigns? And is each of the uploaded formats following the specific placement’s best practices?

Either way, this article will give you plenty of good ideas on how to improve your Instagram story ads. On top of that, you’ll also see some nice examples of Instagram story posts by popular brands.

See more ad examples here:

• 215+Best Facebook Ad Examples
• 84 Best Instagram Ad Examples
• 100+ LinkedIn Ad Examples for B2B Brands

Quick tip: Create Meta ad creatives with AI tools.

Click on the GIF below to try the best AI tool for Meta ads generation. (2023 update & recommendation.)

Bad Instagram ad examples

Let’s start off by understanding how your Instagram ads should not look.

The following examples of the ads running in the Instagram stories use the old Facebook news feed image size (1200 x 628 pixels), others feature a square image with no copy nor clear call-to-action.

This is not to trash any particular brand’s ads.

The goal is to show you examples of ads that could be improved big-time, so that you can better asses your own Instagram (and Facebook) story ads.

Here’s a quick checklist to analyze if your story ads follow the key best practices:

• Are the ads in the correct size (1080 x 1920 pixels)?
• Do the ads have in-image copy and a call-to-action?
• Are you asking the viewer to swipe up – verbally or visually?

Good examples of Instagram story image ads

In general, video ads work better on Instagram than static image ads. 

However, there’s not always time and resources to create a video ad for every single campaign.

That’s ok – there’s also plenty of good examples of IG stories using a static image that are working well. You will see them up next.

#1 Bloomberg

This Instagram story ad example by Bloomberg Businessweek is great for several reasons:

• It has a bright background color that differentiates it from the regular posts from friends
• The text and illustration are placed almost perfectly (the text above could be slightly lower not to be covered by the logo and “sponsored” message)
• It has a clear call-to-action (Subscribe)

#2 Bolt Food

The Bolt food Instagram story example is also visually different from the regular Instagram stories. (I consider it a big success factor when it comes to getting your story ads noticed.)

It’s also clear what the ad is about from the first glance: food, delivery.

On top of that, it mentions the value proposition (cheap delivery) and hints that people are supposed to “swipe up.”

#3 Babbel

Babbel’s ad asks the viewer a question which makes you automatically engage with the ad. Once you answer “yes,” you’ll have enough time to explore the rest of the ad. 

Also, notice the layout of this ad – by mixing a solid color background and stock image background, the ad is split into 2 scenes.

Tip: Splitting your Instagram story ad visuals into 2 or 3 parts is a very convenient hack in case you don’t have a suitable portrait-format image.

#4 Udemy

This Udemy ad is a basic example of a Facebook ad visual adapted to Instagram Stories format.

You can use a similar approach of placing part of your Facebook ad copy in the Instagram story ad image to deliver the message.

#5 Fjällräven

A very simple Instagram story ad that showcases the products in a well-curated portrait format.

Tip: When adding copy to your Instagram story ad creatives, place it on top or in the middle – that’s the part of the ad people will look in the first place.

#6 Acadium

Here’s one good example of a square-format ad used in the Instagram story placement.

The ad image features relevant copy and the background color (added automatically by Facebook when you use an ad image in 1:1 or in landscape format) complements the above image.

#7 Khaite

#8 Dale Ventures

#9 The Economist

#10 The Sill

The best Instagram story video ad examples

Instagram story video ads is a great channel both for building brand awareness and engaging with existing customers.

In case you’lll get inspired by the upcoming video ad example, here’s a list of Instagram ad specs & sizes to follow.

Tip: According to Facebook, 60% of Instagram stories are viewed with sound-on, so add some background music to your video ads.

Read more about various Instagram story ad success stories here.

Let’s get to the best part of this article now – the Instagram story video ad examples.

❗❗❗NB: Due to the big size of GIF files, we have included a static image of each video ad and added a link to the GIF file, so that you can see the video.

#11 Deliveroo

This Instagram story ad is a good example of brand awareness advertising.

Here’s what makes this ad great:

• The colors – branded and differentiated from the regular story posts
• Custom text design that has has a high contrast with the background
• Fast-paced movement – you won’t get bored and swipe right

Tip: If you want people to swipe up after seeing your video, add a 3-5 second ending scene to your video ad with your logo and a clear call-to-action.

See the full video ad here.

#12 iDeal

The iDeal ad is a cool example of an Instagram story video ad split into 2 scenes. 

The first part of the ad is almost static and features the product and special offer message, The second part of the ad shows a fast-paced video that keeps the viewer engaged.

See the full video ad here.

#13, #14 AirBaltic

airBaltic likes to get their messages delivered.

If you won’t get their static image Instagram story ad (which is already a very good example of a brightly-colored ad with a clear message) …

Then you will certainly get the message after seeing their video ad. 🔥

Notice how fast-paced the ad is: a must-have for all Instagram story ads. Also, the font, colors, and content is different enough to keep on looking to the end.

The ad’s final scene has a green arrow icon pointing up that helps to emphasize the “swipe up” suggestion.

See the full video ad here.

#15 Netflix

The main thing I like about this Netflix Instagram story ad example is its plain promotion of the logo.

The ultimate brand awareness ad.

See the full video ad here.

#16 Acne Studios

If you’re lacking good video content to turn into Instagram ads, you can follow the example of Acne Studios. 

The below ad example essentially mixes together a range of product photos and solid typographical elements, creating an engaging video ad.

See the full video ad here.

#17 Artsy

Here’s another example of an Instagram story ad that uses images and typography, but has the effect of a video ad. 

Also, the black text on a white background contrasts perfectly with other posts that you’re scrolling through when browsing stories.

See the full video ad here.

#18 Milkshake

Here’s a list of things that the Milkshake ad gets right:

• Fast movement throughout the video
• Bright colors and well-placed copy
• The app frame (shows immediately it’s a mobile app)
• Logical storytelling throughout the ad
• Final scenes with a solid background and a clear call-to-action

See the full video ad here.

#19 Calm

Calm’s Instagram story asks the viewer to take a break (from anxiously scrolling through tens of stories).

That’s a very cool approach as their meditation app’s key benefit is learning to slow down and be more mindful. And that feeling is already created by their ad, making the perfect introduction to the app.

See the full video ad here.

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#20 H&M

The H&M Instagram story ad is the perfect example of brand awareness videos run by many large consumer brands.

The goal of such ads is generally to stay top-of-mind for a large audience.

The best practice with such ads is to open up by showcasing your logo, show well-filmed scenes in between, and also close the ad by repeating your brand’s name or showing the logo.

See the full video ad here.

#21 Slidequest

See the full video ad here.

#22 Harvard Business Review

See the full video ad here.

#23 Prequel

See the full video ad here.

#24 Favro

See the full video ad here.

#25, #26 KLM

See the full video ad here.

See the full video ad here.

#27 Udacity

See the full video ad here.

#28 Xoom

See the full video ad here.

#29 Vivo

See the full video ad here.

#30 Vogue Business

See the full video ad here.

#31 Biteable

See the full video ad here.

#32 Turkish Airlines

See the full video ad here.

#33 Bolt

See the full video ad here.

#34 Cowboy

See the full video ad here.

#35 The New Yorker

See the full video ad here.

Cool Instagram story post ideas

Last not least, I’ve come across some exceptionally nice branded Instagram stories.

Take a look and collect ideas for using various Instagram story stickers and polling options to engage with your followers. 

#36 Uber

See the full video here.

#37 Jump

See the full video here.

#38 Airbnb

See the full video here.

#39 MeetFrank

See the full video here.

#40 Starbucks

See the full video here.

Thanks for your attention and hope you got some inspiration to put into practice.

If you know some other brands with cool Instagram story ads, send a hat tip to marketing@karolakarlson.com or reach out on LinkedIn.

And if you want help with improving your Instagram ad campaigns, check out this page.

The post 40 Instagram Story Ad Examples in 2024 (Static + Video ads) appeared first on Marketing Fix blog.

That exactly why in this chapter of the Instagram Advertising Guide, we’ll be focusing on the hacks and tips for creating successful Instagram ad design and writing good ad copy.

After reading this guide, you’ll know the answer to the following questions:

• What are the latest Instagram ad and video specs?
• How to create a winning Instagram ad design?
• How to write good Instagram ad copy?
• What are some of the best Instagram ad examples?
• How to set up your Instagram ad copy?

Ready to nail your first Instagram ad design? In this case, keep reading!A Quick Overview of Instagram Ad Specs

Like any other advertising platform, Instagram has a set of requirements for its ad creatives. If you want to find even more specific information, see the complete Instagram Ad Specs and Size Guide.

For a fuller set of current Instagram and Facebook ad visuals to model, see the Meta ads gallery, sorted by industry

Instagram ad image specs:

• Image ratio: 1:1
• Image size: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Caption: Text only, 125 characters recommended
• Image ratio: Landscape (1.91:1), Square (1:1), Vertical (4:5)
• Minimum resolution: 600 x 315 pixels (1.91:1 landscape) / 600 x 600 pixels (1:1 square) / 600 x 750 pixels (4:5 vertical)
• Maximum resolution: 1936 x 1936 pixels
• File type: .jpg or .png
• Maximum size: 30MB
• Your image should include minimal text.
• Caption: Max 2200 characters

Instagram ad video specs:

• Instagram videos have to be created at 72px minimum resolution
• Minimum resolution: 600 x 315 pixels (1.9:1 landscape) / 600 x 600 pixels (square)
• Instagram videos must be between 2.5-30 seconds long
• Video aspect ratio: 1.9:1 to 1:1
• File type: .mp4.
• The recommended size limit for your Instagram videos is 50MB
• The maximum size is 4GB
• The caption length text for video ads: text only, max 2,200 characters
• Supported video codecs: H.264, VP8
• Frame Rate: 30fps max
• Supported audio codecs: AAC, Vorbis
• The thumbnail image ratio should match the aspect ratio of your video

Instagram stories specs:

• Format: Full screen vertical ad (9:16)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1920
• Minimum Resolution: 600 x 1067
• File Types: .mp4 or .mov (Video) or .jpg or .png (Photo)
• Recommended Video Codecs: h.264, VP8
• Recommended Audio Codecs: AAC, Vorbis
• Maximum File Size: 4GB (Video) or 30MB (Photo)
• Video Length: Maximum 15 seconds
• Photo Content: Visible for 5 seconds
• Captions are not currently available. Any text must be part of the video of image file

Up next, we’ll share with you our top Instagram design and copywriting hacks that will help you get more conversions at a lower cost.

Instagram Ad Design Tip #1: Create Colourful Ad Images

Research has discovered that people make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interaction with either people or products (or your ads). And guess what: 62%-90% of their decision-making is based on colors alone.

Creating colourful Instagram ad images helps your ads to get noticed. You’ll get bonus points for using bright energetic colours that spark positive emotions and make people more interested in your offer.

Here’s an Instagram ad example by Staples, displaying an image that includes highly colourful details.

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Bonus tip: Learn colour psychology to find out which colours appeal to specific audiences and match with your offers.

Instagram Ad Design Tip #2: Include In-image Text

If your Instagram ad image is the first thing people notice, it makes sense to place your key message right there in the image.

However, keep in mind that Facebook doesn’t like ad images with too much copy in them and will start to limit your ads’ reach if they’re heavy on copy.

You can test whether your Instagram ads get a pass by using Facebook’s Text Overlay Tool.

Here’s a good Instagram ad example by Spring, featuring a comment from Vogue.

Bonus tip: You can also use your customer testimonials as in-image ad copy to increase people’s trust in your brand.

Instagram Ad Design Tip #3: A/B Test Your Ad Visuals

Consumer Acquisition found that images are arguably the most important part of your ads — they’re responsible for 75%-90% of ad performance.

This means that changing your Instagram promotion’s image can result in a significant change in your campaign results.

Here are 10 ad A/B testing ideas to start with:

• A/B test your Instagram ad audience – target people in multiple locations, age groups, and having various interests
• A/B test various Instagram ad types – test carousel ads and video ads in addition to regular image ads
• A/B test ad image colours – use the colour psychology to find out which colours to use
• A/B test a stock photo vs. an illustration – some people prefer photos whil others find animated images more eye-catching

• A/B test in-image text vs. no text – create ad images with some copy on it and others without any copy to see what works best
• A/B test your call-to-actions – experiment with several CTAs to know which makes your audience act upon the ad (e.g. make a purchase)
• A/B test your Facebook ad headline – write up to 5 different headlines to see which one is preferred by the most people
• A/B test ad copy with emojis vs. no emojis – some people like emojis in Facebook ads while other
• A/B test you landing pages – instead of sending all ad traffic on a single landing page, set up multiple destinations to see what works
• A/B test your Instagram ad size – You can use several image sizes in your Instagram ads

To make sure your Instagram A/B tests are a success, read this Facebook Ad Testing Guide for Beginners.

Instagram Ad Copywriting Tip #1: Use Short and Catchy Ad Text

People’s attention spam on Instagram is short and that’s why you need to deliver your offer as quickly and straightforwardly as possible.

While Instagram allows a long ad copy, we recommend that you keep your ad text under 200 characters.

Here’s an interesting example by Bloomberg Business. P.S. this is a Facebook App Install ad campaign, so as someone clicks on the ad, they’ll be taken to the App Store.

Bonus tip: Showcase your products in the Instagram ad image to show people exactly what they can buy.

Instagram Ad Copywriting Tip #2: Use Actionable Wording

The decision-making part of our brain also happens to be the most primitive, making it act on simple and actionable words.

That’s why, you should always aim to make your Instagram ad copy highly actionable.

Here’s a quick list of actionable verbs to get your started:

• Try
• Buy
• Get
• Start
• Sign up
• Learn
• Read
• Save

Here’s an Instagram ad example by Chambord that starts with the call-to-action “Buy a limited edition gift set to…”

Bonus tip: Create a sense of urgency by letting your audience know that the advertised offer’s available for a limited time only.

Try these hacks:

• Define clear dates, e.g. “Today only” or “Offer ends in 24h”
• Offer a significant discount, e.g. “Get 60% off today”
• Keep your offer simple and brief

Instagram Ad Copywriting Tip #3: Focus on the Benefit

To most customers, what they’re going to get out of using a product is more important than how it looks.

If your Instagram ad image’s goal is to show people how your product looks, it’s your ad copy that should communicate your product’s greatest benefit to the user.

Here’s an Instagram ad example by Livday.sf that emphasizes the app’s benefits both in the ad image and in the ad copy.

How to Set Up Your Instagram Ads

You can set up your promotions’ copy and images in the Instagram campaign setup process.

Note that when setting up a Facebook ad campaign with multiple placements including the Facebook newsfeeds and Instagram, your ads’ layout will differ according to its placement.

For example, while Facebook newsfeed ads feature a headline and link description, your Instagram ads only have one ad text per ad.

You can review how your ads will look by using the Ad Previews tool.

After you’ve set up your Instagram ad copy and added an image/video, it’s time to publish your ad campaign!

Now that you know everything about Instagram ad specs and design, it’s time to learn more about Instagram ads cost and and bidding.

Additional reading:

• 240+ Best Facebook Ad Examples (2026 Update)
• 28 Facebook Advertising Hacks for Skyrocketing Results
• 25 Facebook Ad Design Hacks to Make More People Click
• Instagram for Business – The Beginner’s Guide (2018 Edition)
• Instagram Ad Targeting – 84-point Guide for Major Success

The post Instagram Ad Design and Copy – The Beginner’s Guide (2018 Update) appeared first on Marketing Fix blog.

Moreover, it might be a bit confusing to use the Facebook marketing tools to do it.

However, that’s how it works – you can manage all Instagram campaigns in the Facebook Ads Manager and Power Editor. It’s actually really efficient – you can publish the same campaigns both on Instagram and Facebook.

In this chapter of our Instagram Advertising Guide, we’ll be covering the following topics:

• How to advertise on Instagram?
• How to create your first Instagram campaign in the Facebook Ads Manager?
• How to set up an Instagram promotion inside the Instagram app?
• What are the Instagram campaign best practices?

As you finish reading this guide, you’ll have sufficient knowledge for creating your first Instagram campaign (completely on your own).

How to Advertise on Instagram?

While it might sound unbelievable, there are five ways to create a paid Instagram campaign:

• Within the Instagram app
• Facebook Ads Manager
• Facebook Power Editor
• Facebook’s Marketing API
• Instagram Partners

The easiest ways to set up an Instagram promotion is to use the Facebook Ads Manager, The Power Editor or Instagram’s app.

The Facebook Power Editor and Facebook’s Marketing API are for advertisers who want to create a large quantity of Instagram ads at once. Instagram Partners are experts who can help with buying and managing ads at scale while also creating content for you.

How to Create an Instagram Campaign

If you haven’t used the Facebook Ads Manager before, here’s a quick cheatsheet for navigating the tool:

As you click on the “Create Ad” button in the top right corner, you’ll be guided through the step-by-step ad setup process.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the steps.

Step 1: Select Your Campaign Objective

The first selection you’re going to make is choosing your campaign objective – what’s your advertising goal?

Facebook will determine the campaign’s ad formats, bidding options, and auto-optimization depending on the campaign objective.

Here’s the complete list of Facebook campaign objectives available in the Ads Manager that also apply to Instagram ads:

• Brand awareness
• Local awareness
• Reach
• Traffic
• Engagement
• All installs
• Video views
• Lead generation
• Conversions
• Product catalog sales
• Store visits

Step 2: Name Your Instagram Campaign

When naming your Instagram campaign, don’t forget to add the date range to better track and manage your campaigns later.

Step 3: Set Up the Audience Targeting

In this phase of your Instagram campaign setup, you have two options:

• Create a new Facebook target audience
• Use a previously created audience

Take your time as your audience targeting is one of the key elements that determine your Instagram advertising costs and the results of your ads.

Learn more about Instagram ad targeting here.

Step 4: Set Up Your Ad Placement

As you reach the Ad Placement stage of your ad campaign setup, you’ll have plenty of options:

• Facebook News Feeds (Mobile and Desktop)
• Facebook Right-Hand Column
• Instagram
• Audience Network
• Instant Articles
• In-Stream Video

Naturally, you’ll want to select the “Instagram” ad placement, so that you’ll get a new Instagram campaign.

However, you can also select multiple ad placements and use Instagram as one of many options.

You can also combine multiple Facebook ad placements so that your ads appear in multiple apps and newsfeeds:

Here are the ad placements recommended by Facebook for every campaign objective:

• Brand awareness: Facebook and Instagram
• Engagement: Facebook and Instagram
• Video views: Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network
• App installs: Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network
• Traffic (for website clicks and app engagement): Facebook and Audience Network
• Product catalog sales: Facebook and Audience Network
• Conversions: Facebook and Audience Network

Step 5: Set Up Your Instagram Campaign Budget and Bidding

Your Instagram advertising budget and bidding options are such important topics that we’ve covered it in-depth in a separate guide: Instagram Ads Cost and Bidding in 2018 – Everything You Need to Know

With all the different selections to make, trust us: you’re going to need that guide!

Step 6: Create Your Instagram Ads

As the final step of the campaign setup process, you can select your preferred Instagram ad specs and insert your ad images and copy.

Fill in the details of your Instagram ad like the Headline, Text and Call-to-Action Button.

You can use the Ad Preview tool to see how your Instagram ad will look once it’s published.

Once you’re happy with the result, click on the “Place Order” button to send your campaign for review and publish it on Instagram.

If you’re unsure how to create highly performing Instagram and Facebook ads, read these guides:

• 142 Best Facebook Ad Examples (2018 Edition)
• 25 Facebook Design Hacks to Make More People Click

How to Set Up an Instagram Promotion

If you want to promote an existing Instagram post, the quickest and easiest way to do it is inside the Instagram app.

However, you can’t use the app for setting up more complex campaigns with nor change the details of your Instagram post before promoting it.

Before you can promote you Instagram posts directly in the app, you must fill a few requirements:

• You need to convert to an Instagram Business Profile.
• You need to be an Admin of the Facebook Page connected to the Instagram account
• You need to follow Facebook’s Advertising Policies

Once you’re all set up, here’s how to create an Instagram promotion without leaving the app:

1. Open your Instagram app
2. Go to your profile
3. Select the post you’d like to promote by tapping on the post
4. Below the post’s image, tap on “Promote”

1. Select on of the two available ad objectives: “Visit your Website” or “Call or visit your business”
2. Fill in the details of your promotion by setting things like Audience (who you want to reach) and Budget (how much you want to spend)
3. Set your campaign’s duration (how long you want your promotion to run). The ad starts immediately after you publish it.

1. Tap the “Next” button
2. To complete your promotion, tap the “Promote” button

Et voila! You’ve created an Instagram promotion in a few minutes!

Recommendation: Use the Instagram app to promote your posts for small ad campaigns. If you want to create an Instagram ads A/B test or run an extensive campaign, use the Facebook Ads Manager or AdEspresso to set up your promotion.

Now that you know how to set up your first Instagram campaign, make sure it’s perfect by learning all the Instagram ad design and copywriting hacks.

The post Instagram Campaign – The Ultimate Guide for Success (2018) appeared first on Marketing Fix blog.