Instagram Updates Action-Driving Ads

Instagram wants to make sure that advertisers and brands make the most out of the platform and know how to navigate the relatively new Instagram ads service. The company has now announced improvements in its overlay feature, aimed at making ads easier to understand for both advertisers and users.

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The overlay is revealed each time a user single-taps on an ad. It basically blurs the picture, and presents the user with the action that needs to be taken. Previously, the overlay offered generic messages for users to take action, such as “Go To Website” and “Got To App Store”.

However, with the latest update users will be able to see richer messages that provide more context. From now on, Instagram‘s overlay will include info from the business’ Facebook Page, as well as the display or destination website URL. Additionally, Android users will get to see a “Go To Play Store” message.

So far, the test results have been encouraging. According to Instagram’s announcement, there are cases of brands that saw an 80% increase in engagement and a 36% better return on ad spend when using the combination of CTA and overlay, in their Instagram ads.