A platform with this much power, as you might expect, is an extremely effective marketing tool. Instagram is being used by businesses of all sizes and types to promote their products and services, from small artisanal bakeries to restaurants, tech startups to large businesses and global brands.

This well-known visual platform is becoming increasingly important in the world of digital marketing, and it pays for businesses to use it correctly. It’s easy to avoid the five most common Instagram advertising blunders.

Let’s take a closer look at how these errors happen and how to avoid them.

#1. Failure to define a strategy with specific goals.

Regardless of the strength of your campaign, if you don’t have a goal, you’re just floating aimlessly – you’re up a creek without a paddle! There is no way to know whether your advertising is effective or not. Determine your main goal before you start posting whatever comes to mind without a plan. Then you can plan your strategy.

Solution: Set a specific goal.

The more specific your ad’s goal is, the more effective it will be. The goal you choose serves as a guide for the form and content of the ad. Among the objectives that could be pursued are:

• Increase the number of visitors to your website
• Increase user interaction with your posts.
• Increase brand awareness on the platform.
• Increase sales or app downloads

A good plan includes deciding what type of ads to use, such as:

• Feed ads – You may provide material to your audience in between postings from people and businesses they follow by using your feed. Because feed ads look so natural, they’re highly effective at persuading consumers to engage and click through.
• Stories Ads— These ads are less invasive and appear only at the top of your feed. Stories advertising are a great way to drive traffic to your Instagram page or even a specific landing page on your website.
• Posts that have been published as ads – Consider upping your organic postings if they’re doing well. It will make them appear in your target audience’s newsfeed without making them look out of place. It’s the simplest method for increasing company recognition on Instagram.

#2. Wrong audience targeting

Even the most powerful, precisely described marketing campaign will fall short if you don’t know who your target audience is. Ads aimed at everyone frequently fail to reach anyone. It’s critical to pinpoint specific groups of people who are most likely to hear — and respond to — your message.

To avoid this, become acquainted with Instagram’s targeting mechanism and adjust your strategy as needed. If you do it correctly, you will be able to reach people with the appropriate demographics, interests, age, geography, and preferences.

On Instagram, you can choose between two options:

• Custom audiences — With this feature, you can target specific groups with whom you’ve previously interacted. If you target people who have already expressed an interest in what you have to offer, you are more likely to drive sales.
• Lookalike audiences are those who are similar to your current audience. It enables you to target people who share similar characteristics and interests as those who have previously expressed interest in your company.

Solution: Create custom audiences.

It is critical to use the resources at your disposal to ensure that your advertising is seen by the demographic you have chosen as your target demographic. Users who have previously interacted with you on Instagram can be used to create a customised Instagram audience.

#3. Creating information that is irrelevant to your target audience

When creating ad content for Instagram, a common mistake is to focus on your preferences rather than those of your target audience. As a result, your advertisements may target your coworkers rather than the people who might encourage purchase your products.

Solution: Take cues from your audience’s actions.

Users who naturally interact with your Instagram account are more likely to interact with similar businesses.

Look at what else your audience is connecting with to get a better idea of what kind of content they respond to.

#4. Creating confusing ad copy

The majority of users will not read your advertisement to figure out what you’re trying to say. Making advertising with a muddled message is a common Instagram blunder to avoid.

Even if your commercials and imagery are stunning, your message will be lost if your audience does not understand it. Your postings are bad if they don’t tell your audience what you offer and what your company is about in a simple, easy-to-understand way, no matter how brilliant your commercials are or how delicious that pizza shot is.

To avoid this, make sure that every message you’re trying to convey is clear and concise. Examine each post to see if it would entice someone to buy something, sign up for a subscription, tell a friend about it, or explore your website.

Solution: Develop a clear value proposition.

Make certain that your audience understands what they will gain from it. Consider the value your product or service provides them, and make that clear in your ad copy.

Once you’ve gotten your audience’s attention, tell them what the next step is. In advertising, a CTA (call to action) is what converts that attention into action.

#5. Only using one type of Instagram ad

Instagram became well-known as an image-sharing platform. As a result, many Instagram marketers make the mistake of only using still-image ads. Avoid this blunder by expanding your ad options.

Solution: Choose the proper ad type.

Instagram ads of various types are not interchangeable. Each has its own set of benefits to think about. Make sure the type of advertisement you buy is appropriate for the role it will play in your marketing strategy.

• Image ads perform best when the subject can be represented in a single appealing visual. This is a great way to promote a specific product or service.
• Video commercials provide your goods or brand with a more in-depth look. They’re useful when you need to convey more information than a single image can.
• Ads in Stories deliver a fully immersive experience that fills the entire screen. This approach is an excellent method to increase participation.
• By presenting a succession of images or videos that users can swipe through, carousel advertising encourages increased user involvement. This format is perfect for campaigns aiming at generating e-commerce sales because of the swipe-up call-to-action button or link.
• Explore advertisements appear under the Explore tab, which is where people go to locate new content. As a result, Explore advertising are a great approach to get people to notice your company.
• Users may purchase products straight from collection advertising, making them a fantastic alternative for e-commerce campaigns.
• Users can buy things highlighted in shopping advertisements, just like they do in collection ads. Instead of directing customers to an Instagram storefront, this approach leads them to your mobile website.
• Reel advertisements are the place to be when it comes to sound. Reels users, unlike the majority of Instagram, can be counted on to have their sound switched on.

Say goodbye to the most common Instagram marketing mistakes.

So you’ve determined your objectives and established a plan to reach them. You’ve designed a creative approach that contains unique, interesting, and exciting material that you’re positive will appeal to your target audience! You’re also optimistic about seeing favourable results shortly.

We’ve looked at how to prevent some of the most typical Instagram advertising missteps. You’re giving your adverts the highest chance of success if you follow these rules.

Be prepared to be there for the long haul.

Make sure that each step of your strategy considers long-term growth. Every piece of content should be designed to deliver something beneficial to new people while still being entertaining enough to keep your current audience coming back to your page. Consider what will keep your audience engaged for a long time. Every one of your posts must be useful.

The Social Lions, a digital marketing agency in Mumbai can help you and your brand reach new heights and avoid blunders when it comes to social media marketing.