What You Need To Know About Instagram Image Ads and What You Need To Know About Instagram Carousel Ads

Instagram Image Ads are a very popular choice for businesses. The main reason for this is that posting images is what Instagram is really all about. So what could be more natural than to see a single image from an advertiser which blends in well with everything else? Here we will provide you with everything that you need to know about Image Ads on Instagram.

What is an Instagram Image ad?

Image Ads or Photo Ads are the most common type of ad on Instagram. There is a single image which has a caption where you can add some enticing copy, keywords and hashtags and a call to action that you want the Instagram user to take.

You can use the following calls to action with an Image Ad:

• Apply now

• Contact us

• Book now

• Learn more

• Get showtimes

• Call now

• Download

• Get directions

Types of Instagram Image ads

There are three types of Image Ad that you can use on Instagram. These are:

• The Landscape Image Ad

• The Square Image Ad

• The Vertical Image Ad

Now we will look at each of these in turn and provide you with all of the important specification information that you need to know to get the best results. We strongly advise that you follow the specifications to the letter to have your ad accepted and to ensure that it will look the best that it can be.

Landscape Image Ad

The first thing you need to know about Landscape Image Ads is that they tend to be wider and as a result will not take up the conventional Instagram post full square. The real advantage of using a Landscape Image Ad is that they stand out when compared to the normal format.

You can use a Landscape Image Ad for wider images such as panoramic images to showcase a number of things going on at once. A lot of travel and outdoor companies use Landscape Image Ads to good effect. They tend to have a bigger impact than conventional images.

Here are the important specifications for a Landscape Image Ad:

• The image ad size should be 1200 X 628 pixels

• The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 315 pixels

• The correct aspect ratio is 1.9:1

• File formats can either be PNG or JPG

• There is a maximum file size of 30 MB per image

• A 2,200 character limit exists for captions but we recommend you go for around 150 characters

Square Image Ad

Again you will focus on width with a Square Image Ad just as with the landscape ad. A Square Ad doesn’t take up all of the space for a post and you would usually use this type of ad for a portrait image.

Here are the important specifications for the Square Image Ad:

• The size of the Square Image Ad is 1080 X 1080 pixels

• The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 600 pixels

• The correct aspect ratio is 1:1

Vertical Image Ad

Sometimes called a Portrait Image Ad, the Vertical Image Ad is the most common. This is because it is the format when you take a picture through the Instagram app or with other photographs you take with your smartphone.

Here are the important specifications for the Vertical Image Ad:

• The size of the Vertical Image Ad is 1080 X 1350 pixels

• The resolution should be a minimum of 600 X 750 pixels

• The correct aspect ratio is 4:5

Another new feature introduced by Instagram in 2019 was the Carousel Ad. With this an Instagram user can swipe through a number of images or videos (just as you would with a carousel) and there is a call to action button which will send the user to your website or your online store.

You can do a number of interesting things with Instagram Carousel Ads. For example if you have a number of products that you want to showcase then a Carousel Ad is one of the best ways to do this.

What about if you want to share a story in multiple parts? Again its Carousel Ads to the rescue. Or perhaps you want users to take a deep dive into one of your products or services? This is easy with an Instagram Carousel Ad.

Facebook introduced the carousel advertising format some time ago. They work very well on Instagram because it is a visual medium. You should think carefully about your audience with Carousel Ads. Showing a carousel of different products to a customer is likely to have a much more positive effect than if a user has never seen your products before.

What are Carousel Ads?

You can spot an Instagram Carousel Ad as there are dots at the bottom that are there to persuade users to scroll through the carousel. Some businesses use Carousel Ads to take users on a journey through their business. This is a good way to enhance the connection that a user has with your brand.

Instagram users are used to going through content at a really fast pace. When you use a Carousel ad you will keep them looking at your content for a longer period of time. There are two types of Carousel Ad which are the image and video types.

These are the calls to action that you can add to your Instagram Carousel Ad:

• Apply now

• Download

• Book now

• Call now

• Contact us

The Carousel Image Ad

You can add a number of images to create a Carousel Image Ad. When you create the ad the images will be automatically linked together so that an Instagram user can scroll through them using the dots.

Here are the important specifications for a Instagram Carousel Image Ad:

• An Instagram Carousel Image Ad has a recommended resolution of 1080 X 1080 pixels

• The correct aspect ratio for a Carousel Image Ad is 1:1

• The image formats need to be either PNG or JPG for an Instagram Carousel Ad

• The maximum file size per image for a Carousel Image Ad is 30 MB

• You can add between 2 and 10 images to your Carousel Image Ad

The Carousel Video Ad

You can add as many as 10 videos to your Instagram Carousel Video Ad. Be careful when you are creating the short videos to ensure that you have the correct balance of content so you do not overwhelm users that view your Carousel Video Ad.

Here are the important specifications for a Instagram Carousel Video Ad:

• A Carousel Video Ad must have a minimum resolution of 600 X 600 pixels

• The maximum resolution for a Carousel Video Ad is 1080 X 1080 pixels

• The correct aspect ratio for a Carousel Video Ad is 1:1

• The recommended file format for the videos in your Carousel Video Ad is MP4

• There is a file size limit of 4GB per video

• The length of your video must not exceed 60 seconds

• You can use between 2 and 10 videos for each Carousel Video Ad