Storrito Q&A: How do Instagram Stories ads work?

Want to successfully showcase your brand on Instagram? Then Instagram Stories should be a part of your daily work. In our "Storrito Q&A" we’ll explain everything you need to know about Instagram, Instagram Stories and Instagram Marketing.

Today: how do Instagram Stories ads work?

You've probably noticed them before—maybe you have swiped or clicked on them accidentally, or perhaps on purpose: Instagram Stories ads. This modern type of ad blends seamlessly into your Instagram Story feed.

In order not to disrupt the user experience, the ads are played between the stories of different users, but they are never the first thing that users see. In practice, this means that ads only appear when multiple stories are viewed in succession. The more stories that are viewed, the more ads that will be played.

How are the Stories ads integrated into user feeds?

The natural integration of the ads into the story feed is their biggest advantage. It makes them visually indistinguishable from organic content. Only a small note that says "Sponsored" in the upper left corner under the profile name reveals that it is advertising content.

Due to the perfect integration of the ads, this format is very interesting for many companies. So, in addition to normal influencer marketing, story ads are a form of advertising that is very popular and growing among many companies. However, the user can skip the story ad at any time by swiping to the left.

How long can Stories ads be?

Companies can use both images and videos in the ads. Images have a maximum duration of 5 seconds, videos a maximum of 15 seconds. If this time is too short for an entire ad, carousels can help.

Carousels are the combination of three images or three videos within a Stories ad, extending the maximum duration of the Story Ad to 15 seconds for images and 45 seconds for videos.

Can I include links within Stories ads?

In order to reach conversion goals, you can include links in your ads. Links can be used to direct users from Instagram to the app store or your own homepage.

This is something that in normal Instagram stories is actually only possible for verified accounts or accounts with more than 10,000 followers. In any case, make sure to choose an appropriate link, as this can have a strong impact on the conversion rate.

Conclusion: Instagram Stories are the foundation of a good marketing strategy

Instagram Stories are becoming an increasingly important part of a good marketing strategy. To make it easier to work on Instagram Stories as a team, Storrito can help. You can design, edit and schedule your stories from the comfort of your computer. This way, everyone has access to and an overview of your Instagram Stories.