Instagram Offers More Ad Options for Brands with Reminder Ads and Ads in Search Results
This week, Instagram announced two new ad options.
How They Work
The first one is Reminder Ads, which allow brands to run in-feed ads to increase awareness, anticipation, and consideration for upcoming events and product launches. The ad includes a 'Remind Me' button that users can click to receive reminder notifications in-app one day before, 15 minutes before, and at the time of the event. The second one is Ads in Search Results, which are displayed in the feed to users who tap into a post from search results as they scroll.
Greater Opportunities for Advertisers
These latest options offer brands greater opportunities to engage with their target audiences. Reminder Ads are particularly beneficial for building awareness of upcoming events, whereas Ads in Search Results enable brands to reach users who are actively searching for products, brands, or content. It's probable that the latter was developed due to Gen Z's increasing reliance on social media platforms to search and discover things, as evidenced by TikTok's recent launch of Search Ads.
However, these new options could increase the ad load on the platform, which may not be received positively by users. Brands using these ad formats should consider using content from their creator partners as assets to make the ads less disruptive, especially for those appearing in search.
Despite this, it's hard to criticize Instagram for introducing these options, as Meta is struggling to maintain its ad revenue. Meta and its competitors, such as TikTok, are continually investing in new advertising solutions to attract brands. For instance, TikTok recently added new features for Promote to support small businesses and creators.
These updates come after Meta’s announcement that its creator-focused initiatives, such as the Reels Play Bonus Program, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and audio channels for Facebook Groups, will either be paused, sunsetted, or receive fewer resources in the future.
