Instagram partnership ads have transformed influencer marketing and given brands new opportunities to leverage user-generated content in their advertising campaigns. Previously known as branded content ads, partnership ads now provide measurable results and allow brands to tap into creators’ engaged audiences.
In this in-depth guide, we’ll explore how Instagram partnership ads work, their benefits, and real data on their business impact. Let’s jump right in!
What Are Instagram Partnership Ads?
Let’s start with the basics. Instagram partnership ads allow brands like yours to work with creators to promote sponsored content across Instagram.
It works like this:
- You partner with an influencer in your niche. This could be a one-off post or an ongoing relationship.
- The influencer creates branded content that organically mentions your product or service. This could be an Instagram photo, Story, Reel, etc.
- Their post must use Instagram’s “Paid Partnership” tag for transparency and follow other disclosure rules. Then you boost that post into a pay-to-play ad using Instagram’s tools.
- So in a nutshell, partnership ads are sponsored influencer content that brands can further amplify through paid advertising.
The Business Impact: Partnership Ads Drive Results
But do partnership ads really drive tangible results for businesses? Instagram’s internal data provides convincing evidence:
- 53% higher click-through rate (CTR): Campaigns with partnership ads saw a 53% higher CTR compared to campaigns with only standard ads, according to Instagram. More clicks at the same cost improves advertising efficiency.
- 19% lower cost per action (CPA): The addition of partnership ads to campaigns lowered the average CPA by 19%, Instagram found. Lower CPAs mean brands pay less to acquire customers and generate conversions.
- 70% unique reach: 70% of people reached by partnership ads are unique to that campaign, per Instagram. Partnership ads expose your brand to the creator’s audience, not just your existing followers.
- 1.7x sales lift: Instagram reports that brands see nearly double the sales when adding partnership ads to campaigns. More sales and revenue are the ultimate goal.
For a small business like yours with a limited budget, results like these can take you to the next level. Partnership ads expand your reach and lower costs at the same time.
So with dollars and cents in mind, let’s look at creative ways you can use Instagram partnership ads.
5 Ways Brands Can Use Instagram Partnership Ads
Thanks to Instagram’s evolving branded content tools, you have options when it comes to paid partnerships. Here are a few ideas to consider for your next collab:
1.Sponsored Influencer Content
Collaborating directly with influencers to create sponsored posts is a common and effective partnership ad strategy. By negotiating an Instagram post or Story that promotes your product in an organic way, you can tap into the influencer’s follower base.
Make sure to provide the influencer with any relevant promo codes, products, or talking points to integrate your messaging into their content seamlessly. With the proper paid partnership tags and disclosures, the influencer’s authentic recommendation provides social proof and enables you to retarget their audience through ads.
2.Co-Branded Content Collabs
Seek out opportunities to partner with complementary brands to co-create content that benefits both parties. An example is collaborating on a co-branded giveaway or contest that cross-promotes each brand to new audiences. Joint lead gen partnerships that produce gated assets like ebooks can also expand reach.
Instagram’s collab tagging is key—it publishes the co-created content on both brand’s profiles and broadens distribution. The result is expanded awareness for each brand, plus the ability to retarget the collective audience through ads.
3.Influencer Brand Takeovers
Invite influencers in your niche to “takeover” your Instagram feed and Stories for a day. Work with them to schedule compelling content, behind-the-scenes footage, or customer spotlights they’ll create on your channel. This gives them access to directly engage your audience while providing your followers with unique value and talent access.
While their content provides influencer marketing benefits, resulting in an increased awarenes for your brand. You can then re-promote the best branded content as partnership ads.
4.Branded Hashtag Campaigns
Launching branded hashtag campaigns provides a source of user-generated content perfect for re-sharing as partnership ads. Ask your audience on Instagram to create and share posts using a campaign-specific hashtag. You can also encourage users to buy real TikTok followers to further amplify your branded hashtag.
Monitor the hashtag feed and re-post the most engaging submissions via your business account. Getting re-shared by your brand can be a major thrill for users. This provides a constant stream of collaborative partnership ad material centered around your campaign theme.
5.Behind-the-Scenes Content
Giving select influencers insider access to create exclusive behind-the-scenes content allows showcasing unique brand assets and personality. Maybe they interview your team, highlight your company culture, or document your manufacturing process.
This content style enables influencers to authentically tell your brand’s story from their perspective. The insider content can make partnership ads more intriguing while conveying brand values in an engaging way.
Creation of An Instagram Partnership Ad
Here is a 4 step guide to creating an Instagram partnership ad:
Step 1: Set Up Partnership
Use Instagram’s native tools to approve influencers as paid partners or set up account-level access. This provides the permissions required to amplify their content through partnership ads either at an individual post-level or more broadly.
Step 2: Build Ad in Ads Manager
In the Instagram Ads Manager, select the “Partnership Ad” option when making a new ad. Input the unique partnership code provided by the influencer to automatically add their post into your ad creative.
Step 3: Target Influencer’s Audience
Be strategic when targeting your partnership ads. Leverage the influencer’s own engaged follower base who will best relate to the content. Layer on additional targeting factors like demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Step 4: Track Performance
Diligently monitor your partnership ad performance using Instagram’s analytics. Assess reach, engagement, clicks, conversions, cost per result, and return on ad spend. Use the data to optimize. You can also consider buying Instagram likes if you want to viral your campaign.
Wrapping Up
Instagram partnership ads represent an incredibly effective way for brands to tap into influencer marketing and paid social in one fell swoop. As the strategies and data we’ve explored demonstrate, these collaborations have immense potential to drive real ROI and business impact for brands of all sizes.
By following best practices around organic partnerships, disclosure requirements, and ad creation, your next Instagram partnership ad could help take your business growth to the next level. Put these tips into action, track the results diligently, and watch your clicks turn into coins. Good Luck!
