Instagram Ads: Everything You Need to Know

By now, you know very well just how important social media is to your marketing strategy as an orthodontist. While the point of having a social media presence is to create organic engagement by posting great content, users are also used to seeing ads. Leveraging the ad platforms at your disposal can be a powerful way to see great returns when done right. One of the most effective platforms to use when trying to gain new patients is Instagram ads.

Why Use Instagram Ads

Introduced in their full form in 2015, Instagram ads have allowed businesses of all kinds to reach a broader audience by placing ads directly in users’ feeds. And the audience to be reached using Instagram is massive. As of 2019, 35% of all adults in the U.S. were using Instagram. Additionally, Instagram ads are particularly effective. About 75% of Instagram users take action on the ads they see, whether it’s making a purchase, clicking to the landing page, or giving contact information.

Since Facebook owns Instagram, you can use Facebook Ad Manager to plan your campaigns. Doing this allows you to gather tons of information from users so you can target the right people. Once you’ve created a campaign, you can make sure your ads are placed in the feeds of people who are the most likely to convert.

Like other ad platforms, Instagram ads are pay-per-click (PPC), with the cost-per-click (CPC) averaging around $0.75. Just keep in mind that the cost per click of your ads will likely be much higher if you launch during the last quarter of the year.

Different Types of Instagram Ads

With each new format Instagram has launched for their content, a new type of ad has emerged. The most basic type of ad you can display is a simple photo ad. Using this format, you can display a photo along with a caption and a clickable call to action (CTA). Keep your caption short and simple, but compelling at the same time. Of course, your photo will do the heavy lifting in the ad, so make sure you use an attention-grabbing photo that makes people stop and look. You can also attach hashtags to your Instagram ad, allowing users to discover your content when they search those hashtags.

Another type of Instagram ad you can display is a carousel ad, which is the same as a photo ad, but you can post multiple photos for people to swipe through. You can also post video ads that will show up in people’s feeds, allowing you to get even more creative and attention-grabbing with your content.

If you’ve spent any time on Instagram, you know the main feed isn’t the only place on Instagram where users view content. Instagram Stories is an engaging platform for unique content that stays up for 24 hours. You can post photos, graphics, or videos in this section as an ad campaign in addition to photo and video campaigns. Like the other ad formats, you can include a CTA and a link to follow, only users swipe up to go to the link rather than clicking.

The thing to remember for all of these ad formats is since the ads are PPC, you want to keep your photo and video content, along with your hashtags, focused and relevant to orthodontics. If you get a bunch of clicks on a great photo that has nothing to do with orthodontics, you may just end up spending a bunch of money without earning many conversions. But if you come up with amazing, orthodontics-related content to include in your ad campaigns, you’ll grab the attention of people who will be happy to become new patients.