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Instagram for Beginners: Understanding the Different Types of Instagram Ads

Navigating the world of digital advertising can be difficult, especially for beginners. For example, look at how many types of Instagram ads there are!

Which one should you choose? Which one is more beneficial for your business?

In this short article, we’ll have a look at the different types of Instagram ads to help you have a clearer idea.

types of instagram ads

What are the different types of Instagram ads?

There are 8 main types of Instagram ads:

  1. Photo ads
  2. Video ads
  3. Carousel ads
  4. Story ads
  5. Collection ads
  6. Explore ads
  7. Shopping ads
  8. Reels ads

Let’s have a closer look at each one of them.

Photo ads

These are single-image ads that appear in users’ Instagram feeds. They are a simple yet effective way to showcase products or services and can be used to drive traffic to a website or landing page.

photo ad - iubenda

Video Ads

Video ads are similar to photo ads, but they use videos instead of images to convey the message. Instagram videos can be up to 60 minutes long, but you should prefer much shorter videos for your ad.

Video ads are a great way to tell a brand story or showcase a product in action.


Carousel Ads

Carousel ads allow businesses to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad unit. Users can swipe through the images or videos, giving them a more immersive experience.


Stories Ads

Instagram Stories ads are full-screen ads that appear in between users’ stories. These ads are a great way to create interactive and immersive experiences for users and this is why engagement is often higher with this type of ad.


Collection Ads

Collection ads are designed for e-commerce businesses and allow users to shop directly from within the ad. These ads feature a cover image or video and multiple product images below, making it easy for users to browse and purchase products.

Image credit: Dr Martens Official

Explore Ads

Explore ads appear in the Explore section of the Instagram app, where users discover new content. These ads are a great way to reach a new audience and increase brand awareness.

Instagram Explore ads do not appear directly in the Explore section, but are shown after someone clicks on a photo or video from Explore.


Shopping Ads

Designed for e-commerce businesses that have a shop on Instagram, Shopping ads take users directly to a product description page within the app. From there, your customers can easily make a purchase.

types of instagram ads: shopping ads
Image credit: Instagram

Reels Ads

After the launch of Reels, Instagram has also allowed Reels Ads. These ads are usually videos, up to 60 seconds long, that are shown between Reels.

💡 Besides a nice picture or video, ads need a copy, too!

Find out how to write an ad here

📌 Instagram ads: formats and specs

When you’re creating your ads, it’s important that you follow Instagram’s formats and specs. Ads should likely attract new clients or users, so you want to make the most out of it.

Here are the Instagram ads formats and specs:

Photos can be shown both horizontally or vertically, but Meta suggests a square format with a 1:1 ratio.

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG
  • Ratio: 1:1 (ratios go from 16:9 to 9:16)
  • Resolution: at least 1080 x 1080 pixels

Like pictures, videos can be horizontal or vertical, too, even though vertical videos are better suited for Stories and Reels ads.

  • File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Ratio: 4:5 (ratios go from 16:9 to 9:16)
  • Resolution: at least 1080 x 1080 pixels
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Duration: 1 second to 60 minutes (remember, better to keep it under 2 minutes)

Carousels can contain both photos and videos.

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Ratio: 1:1
  • Resolution: at least 1080 x 1080 pixels
  • Number of Carousel Cards: 2 to 10
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Video Duration: 1 second to 2 minutes

Stories ads, too, can be both videos or images.

  • Ad Type: Stories ads, too, can be both videos or images.
  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Ratio: 9:16
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but recommended

Collection ads are a mix between a carousel and a single photo or video ad.

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF
  • Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB

These ads appear in the “Explore” section of Instagram and can help you reach new audiences. You can refer to the specs of photo and video ads.

Reels allow you to reach a broader audience, as they have higher impressions if compared with other formats.

  • File Type: MP4, MOV
  • Ratio: 9:16
  • Resolution: At least 500 x 888 pixels
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but strongly recommended
  • Video Duration: 0 seconds to 15 minutes (but better keep it under 1 minute)

📌 3 Instagram advertising tips

Now that we’ve examined the different types of Instagram ads, let’s wrap it up with 3 best practices that can be useful in all your digital marketing strategies.

  1. Create captivating visuals: whether you’re using photo or video ads, it’s important to create visuals that will capture users’ attention and stand out in their feeds. Make also sure that your visuals are on brand, meaning that they align with your style.
  2. Craft a compelling ad copy: no need to write much, on the contrary, ad copies should be concise, compelling, and clearly communicate your value proposition.
  3. Include a call to action: every ad should include a clear call to action that tells users what you want them to do next. Ads are often skipped, so make sure you’re grabbing people’s attention.
Are you new to digital advertising?

Then don’t forget that to run Instagram ads you need to ensure compliance with privacy laws!

Wondering how?

👉 Check out our tips

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About us

iubenda

Attorney-level solutions to make your websites and apps compliant with the law across multiple countries and legislations.

www.iubenda.com