7 Creative Instagram Ad Ideas to Fuel Your B2B Sales
Last update: 14 September 2023 at 11:49 am
5.00/5An Instagram newsfeed is not just a bunch of your friends’ Friday party pics anymore. It is a massive social media platform hosting regular users, influencers, and, of course, businesses, including big brands.
Yet, despite the overwhelming popularity of Instagram, some brands still feel dubious about opting for it as a B2B promotion platform.
You might wonder:
- Will I find my target audience here?
- Is it better than Facebook ads or LinkedIn ads?
- Isn’t Instagram only for Zoomers and Millennials?
- How do I keep the balance between showcasing expertise and being entertaining in the ads?
No worries, we’ll get it covered – and then some. This article will help you create scroll-stopping advertising content for your B2B purposes, and you’ll see the best Instagram ad examples for inspiration.
Why Instagram?
Now you might be asking yourself – is Instagram a good place for your B2B marketing efforts? The answer is an absolute and definite yes.
According to Statista, more than 70% of B2B marketers habitually use Instagram to publish promotional materials and ads.
Besides, B2B companies generate 20 times more user engagement via Instagram ads and other types of content than on LinkedIn.
And if you’re worried that the Instagram audience might be too young for you – let this stereotype go. In fact, over 60% of Instagram users are 25 or older. So you’re sure to find and hit your target demographics.
Components of a Successful Creative Instagram Photo/Video Ad
Before we dive into the best creative Instagram ad examples and ideas for B2B, let’s break down the main components of a quality Insta ad everyone should keep in mind.
Content Quality
Needless to say, you have got to make sure your content is fit for Instagram – a largely visual platform. Choose eye-catching high-quality photos and/or videos (vertical videos are Insta standard), create short, to-the-point captions, and concise calls to action in your Instagram ads.
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Target Audience
Know what kind of businesses you’re aiming to reach with your Instagram ad. Study your target demographics, business niche, and competitors when working on Instagram ad ideas. Content creation strategies will grow from there.
(Perfect) Timing
Consider which stage of the buyer’s journey your Instagram ad works best for, and align your ideas to it. Are you concerned with demand generation or driving more leads to your website, etc.? Answering this question will help you better address the potential customers’ needs with your Insta ads.
7 Creative Instagram Ad Examples and Ideas for Your B2B
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the brightest ideas for a catchy, creative Instagram ad that will boost your B2B sales.
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Explore Instagram Carousel Ads in Stories
People increasingly prefer Instagram Stories to regular posts thanks to the interactive nature of this format. Leverage that by launching a Carousel Ad in Stories. Include 2-4 images and/or videos the visitor can swipe through. A carousel ad has several benefits:
- It allows for elaborate storytelling around your brand (compared to a single ad);
- You can include links to your web pages under every slide;
- People are more likely to get engaged with a series of Insta stories.
Pro-tip:
Use carousel Ads in conjunction with your regular stories. Create a natural flow of content that would integrate ads within your other published materials. This way, your Instagram ad carousel will be less invasive and more user-friendly.
Take L’Oreal as a great ad example of how carousel Instagram stories grab the viewers’ attention. The cosmetic brand successfully uses this format to promote its multiple products in a series of bright images under one umbrella concept, call to action, or catch-word. Instagram’s users can go straight to the product page, avoiding the necessity to browse through the entire website.
Leverage UGC in Your Instagram Ads
User-generated content is one of the most significant B2B sales boosters. No wonder – as much as 84% of consumers claim that recommendations and reviews from ordinary people are much more valuable for their purchasing decision than any other type of advertising. That’s why UGC is great at fostering trust in your brand and encouraging people to choose it. It is also an immense source of social proof.
Take advantage of this unique quality of UGC in your Insta ads! You can do it in a variety of ways:
- Reach out to one of your long-term satisfied clients and create a video testimonial where they talk about the value of your brand;
- Ask your followers to leave you a review or take a picture of your product “in real life”. Publish them on your Instagram page accompanied with relevant links;
- Start a unique hashtag for your brand – this will give you lots of “repostable” material from real users and, at the same time, boost your brand awareness.
Extra piece of advice:
When sharing a client’s testimonial, prioritize visuals instead of overloading your post with text. If it is a lengthy review, choose an eye-catching quote that highlights the value of your brand and accompany it with a client’s photo or short video. This way, your ad will not get lost in the Instagram feed.
Promote Your Educational Materials
B2B is the sector where spontaneous purchasing decisions are much rarer than in B2C. Business experts, like yourself, look to work with brands that will bring maximum value to their company.
That’s where educational materials can make a real difference.
By offering knowledge to your potential customers, you show that you’re ready to give them more than just a product or service.
Implement educational materials into your Insta ads. They can increase organic traffic to your website attract key target audiences within your business niche.
An excellent Instagram ad example featuring educational materials is Overstock series of stories with detailed guidelines for home decor and furnishing.
Extra educational Instagram ad ideas:
- Niche reports;
- Live sessions and Q&A’s on IGTV;
- Expert opinions and quotes.
Go Retrospective with Archival Photo and Video Ads
Tell your potential customers about your brand in a creative and engaging way by… taking a trip down memory lane! Create an Instagram ad featuring old photos or videos of your office, first product samples, staff, etc.
Why do it?
People value businesses that have a long history, and retrospective ads will give people a sense of how much you have grown and achieved. Besides, it can add a bit of humor to the tone of your advertising: archival materials are usually entertaining and amusing.
For instance, Novartis is a pharmaceutical company that regularly includes archival content as part of its ads and regular posts. And it works to enhance their credibility as a market old-stager!
Pro-tip:
Leverage the popular #ThrowBackThursday hashtag when posting archival materials in your Instagrams ads. This will attract even more viewers.
Run an Insta Poll
Did you know that interactive content can generate 2 times more conversions than other types of content? It’s time to bring this advantage to your Instagram ads!
One way to do this is to leverage the Instagram poll function. This type of interaction add will boost visitors’ engagement rate and give people a sense that their opinion is important to your brand.
Ask your viewers questions relevant to your brand and product. As the Instagram poll function gives you the opportunity to choose between two options, you can use various option combinations to:
- Ask users to vote for their favorite products or their design elements;
- Gather insights into potential clients’ pain points;
- Simply have fun with unusual questions, and so much more.
Create a Product Tutorial via Instagram Video Ads or Carousel Ads
B2B buyers tend to pay attention to brands that can save their time and effort, and solve their potential problems. Tutorial Instagram ads are a great way to explain how to use your product –they motivate potential customers to give your company a try.
Create tutorials to guide your buyers for an enhanced user experience! Again, Instagram carousel stories provide a convenient format for this type of ad. Each slide can be a visual step.
Embrace Memes
Last but not least – even B2B marketing needs occasional humorous notes to spice things up a bit.
Incorporate viral memes into your Instagram ads to generate more engagement and show your brand in a new light, evoking positive emotions in viewers.
Multiple brands leverage the viral quality and popularity of memes among modern audiences to promote their products and services.
Pro-tip:
When choosing a meme to include in your Instagram ad:
- Make sure the meme matches the tone of the ad and your brand identity;
- Prioritize recent viral memes to hop on the most relevant trends;
- Personalize popular memes to give them a new angle.
- Run through stock photos to find new ideas to frame your meme ad originally.
Key Takeaways
Instagram marketing provides you with nearly unlimited creative opportunities to promote your product in the B2B niche.
Stand out with your creative approach to Instagram ads by making them educational, entertaining, viral, and – if you play your cards well – even all of the above at once!
And the last piece of advice: hiring a quality digital advertising agency can help you visualize your bold ideas even better.
