Instagram Tests Direct Response Ad In Stories

What Happened
Instagram has started testing direct response ad units in its Stories section, which hosts photos and videos that are available for 24 hours. Similar to the ones on Snapchat, this new ad format invites users to swipe up on a full-screen Story to drive sign-up or app installation. SumUp, a digital payment device company, is one of the first brands to use this ad format to encourage people to sign up for its service. In addition, Instagram also updated its direct messaging to add support URLs, allowing brands to utilize the messaging channel to drive web traffic.

What Brands Need To Do
Until now, Instagram Stories ads have only offered standard “reach” objectives based on impressions and not the direct-response formats that have been made available in Instagram’s main feed. Bringing those formats to Stories is a natural next step for Instagram to grow its ad product portfolio. Instagram only started selling sponsored videos in between Stories in March, which are played full-screen and therefore much more engaging, compared to the display ads in its main feed. As Instagram continues to make its platform more brand-friendly, marketers may consider trying out new ad formats available.

 


Source: AdAge & The Verge