Instagram has updated the call-to-action overlays that appear on ads so that marketers can include additional relevant information to engage prospective customers and drive click-through-rates. The updated overlay, which rolled out to users on Thursday, now pulls in meaningful content such as the advertiser’s desired URL destination and Facebook page.
Instagram launched overlays in September last year, but they were previously limited to generic “Go to App Store” and “Go to Website” buttons. The new update provides advertisers with a range of new options, which are presented to the consumer when the ad is first tapped on. A further click on one of the relevant buttons then takes users to a mobile app, website or deep-links them directly into the app experience.
“If you’re running action-based ads, the updated overlay helps drive valuable traffic to your website or app,” Instagram said in an official blog post. “The overlay is automatically included on all photo and carousel ads, so there’s no action needed to include the overlay in your ads. You can go into Ads Manager and manually edit your campaigns to include a specific display URL. If there’s no display URL listed, it will automatically default to the ad’s destination URL.”
Instagram claims that the overlay ensures the highest-quality traffic, as the single-tap and second-click process helps consumers to better understand the action they are required to take when engaging with an ad. It added that fashion brand Stance Socks had seen a 36% better return on ad spend and an 80% rise in engagement after optimising a series of photo ads for conversion, which involved adding a “Shop Now” button.
Instagram recently revealed that it now has in excess of 200,000 advertises in more than 200 countries across the globe. The Facebook-owned photo-sharing site also said that 75% of users take action in the form of visiting websites, making searches or sharing content after viewing posts. It has been a busy week for Instagram, as it also rolled out its new 60-second video format in order to bring more creative and flexible ways for users to engage with content.
