How to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria

Running Instagram ads for brands in Nigeria is quite an important tool for businesses that want to reach a larger audience.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the country, and advertising on the social media platform is helpful for brands in terms of building.

In this article, we will take you through How to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria how much they cost, plus how to pay for them.

Instagram Ads in Nigeria

A number of brands have embraced the use of Instagram ads to reach a great audience in Nigeria for the promotion of their products and services. Instagram offers an avenue for businesses to showcase their ads to people according to their interests, age, and location among other factors.

Ads can also appear in various forms such as photos, videos, stories, and carousels. Such flexibility allows the Nigerian brand to choose the ad format that best suits their needs.

In whatever form of business ownership, you are advised put into consideration the running of advertisements on Instagram as a tool that can be used to effectively promote your business online.

This is because, 

• Over 2 billion active users are considered to be on Instagram, while the Nigerians on the social media platform are presently over 12.6 million and above 30 million on Facebook.
• Also, 71% of young adults make up percent of the active users on Instagram.
• Instagram users are very active; they spend 53 minutes a day on average.
• 71% of businesses use Instagram.
• 83% of Instagram users say they found a new product and service on the platform, meaning that Instagram ads work wonders.
• 50% of Instagram users follow at least one business or company.
• Instagram is so effective that it helps about 80% of her user decide on products or service to buy or hire respectively.

To start setting up Instagram ads in Nigeria, you have to create a business profile on Instagram. This is different from a personal account and gives you access to tools like Insights, which help you track how well your ads are performing.

You will also need to connect your Instagram account with your Facebook page since Instagram runs its ad through Facebook’s Ad Manager. After being connected, one can run advertisements targeting the target audience.

Types of Instagram Ads

Instagram has various ad types, all meant to enable businesses drive their marketing objectives. From small, middle, and large businesses, choosing the right Instagram ad types is the secret to driving an effective business promotion on Instagram.

Each of these ad types targets the users differently and uniquely, bringing your products and services into view, along with your brand story.

1. Image Ads

Instagram image ads are the most straightforward form of ad format. This ad format allows the business to promote their brand using only one high-quality image. Image ads might show up in feeds, stories, or the Explore tab.

How to create an image ad:

Open Instagram Ads Manager and select your campaign objective, such as awareness, traffic, sales, etc.

• Choose “Image” as the ad format.
• Upload a high-quality image that represents your product or service.
• Design an attractive call-to-action button such as “Shop Now” or “Learn More.”
• Set a budget, target an audience, and your ad will go live.

2. Story Ads

Instagram Story Ads are full-screen, vertical ads that appear between user-created Stories. Because more than 500 million people use Instagram Stories daily, this ad format is perfect to capture the attention of users.

Also see How to Reset Your Instagram Explore Feed for New Contents

How to create a Story ad:

Open Instagram Ads Manager and select your campaign objective.  

• Choose “Story” as the placement for your ad.  
• Upload a vertical image or video that fits the story format.  
• Add interactive elements to your ad, such as polls, stickers, and swipe-up links.
• Choose your budget and target audience before publishing.  

3. Video Ads

Instagram video ads can allow a business to tell a story or demonstrate how its product works. Videos can be longer than a minute, but the shorter videos tend to work more effectively.  How to create a video ad:

• Go to Instagram Ads Manager and select your campaign objective. 
• Choose the “Video” format. Upload your video file, keeping in mind size and quality requirements on Instagram.
• Sparse add CTA, like “See more” or “Shop now.”
• Set Budget and target audience – Publish your ad.

4. Carousel Ads

Carousel ads consist of multiple images or videos that move along in a viewable carousel fashion. It’s helpful if you want to show a collection of products or to tell a story in multiple parts or to show various features about your product.  

How to Create a Carousel Ad: 

• When you’re setting up your Instagram Ad campaign, select “Carousel.”
• You can upload up to 10 images or videos consecutively.
• Add a unique link or CTA button to each image or video.
• Align your audience and budget before launch.

5. Collection Ads

Collection ads put together the carousel and shopping features to feature products in your ad so that users can browse right in Instagram. These ads are ideal for e-commerce brands and allow them to route users to an in-app shopping experience.

To create a collection ad, do the following:

• Open Instagram Ads Manager and select the format of the ad “Collection”.
• Connect your product catalogue to Instagram Shopping.
• Upload pictures of products with their prices and descriptions.
• Choose an action, like “Shop now”, that encourages people to purchase.

6. Explore Ads 

Explore Ads are the ads that appear in the Instagram Explore tab through which users discover new content that is relevant to their interests. These are display ads-image or video formats that appear when people tap on an interest on the Explore grid.

To create an ad in Explore, you should:

• Open Ads Manager on Instagram and select your campaign objective.
• Select “Explore” as the placement.
• Upload your image or video.
• Place your budget and target audience, then publish your ad.

7. Reel Ads

Instagram Reel Ads are full-screen vertical video ads that appear between user-created reels. These ads can be up to 60 seconds in length, and users are allowed to like, comment, and share them just as they do regular reels.

How to create a Reels ad:

• Open Instagram Ads Manager and select your campaign goal.
• Ad format: Select “Reels”.
• Upload your video, ensuring that the video contains music or sound that best fits the Reels format.
• Add a CTA like “Buy now” or “Learn more”.
• Set your budget and target audience before publishing.

8. Shopping Ads

Shopping Ads are targeted at e-commerce brands to route potential consumers directly onto product pages on Instagram. Users can see the details of a product and purchase within the app itself.

Steps to create Shopping ads:

• Have your Instagram Shopping activated and linked with the product catalog.
• Within Ads Manager on Instagram, select “Shopping” as an ad format.
• Select the products you want to advertise and add relevant details to them.
• Post your ad with a call-to-action, like “Shop now”.

Read about how Meta Announces New Instagram account for Teens

How Do Nigerians Pay for Instagram Ads?

In Nigeria, there are several ways through which people pay for ads on Instagram. The advertisement on Instagram is payable in Nigerian Naira. Additionally, making the payment is easy. Credit cards and debit cards are the most common; examples of those in Nigeria include GTBank, Access Bank, or First Bank.

These are usually Visa MasterCard, which can be used directly in the Facebook Ads Manager-one that manages Instagram ads for payment.

Another way Nigerians can pay for Instagram ads is by using PayPal. However, with some kind of restriction on PayPal from Nigeria, it does not find very frequent use this way. Where there is access, it would provide a more international means of handling payments.

Of course, some companies in Nigeria use prepaid advertisement credit. You can put money into your account with an exact sum and use it as you run your ad. This is efficient for budgeting and controlling how much you input into your ads.

How Much Do Instagram Ads Cost Per 1,000?

Pricing for Instagram Ads in Nigeria is set in CPM, that is, “Cost Per 1,000” impressions – the cost of showing your ad to 1,000 people. The cost of Instagram ads per one thousand impressions usually falls between ₦400 to ₦2,000 and depends on competition and the target audience.

Your target audience’s age bracket, interests, and location will determine how much you pay for it. For instance, targeting a younger audience or people living in more urban areas like Lagos or Abuja may attract higher rates because of the competitiveness of the demand for the groups.

Besides, the quality of your ad, even to the time you run it-such that running it during holidays, may affect costs.

Hence, it is always prudent to set a daily budget whenever you want to run ads on the platform. This will regulate what you spend, and you can adjust your budget according to the performance of the ad. Instagram allows you to start with as low as ₦500 per day, accommodating small businesses with very friendly budget limits.

How much do I need to run Instagram ads in Nigeria?

What is even more interesting while learning how to run Instagram ads in Nigeria is the fact that you can spend any amount suitable for you daily, weekly, or monthly.

You could, for example, fund your Instagram ads account with N30,000 and set your daily budget limit at N1500. That way, your N30,000 will last you for 20 days.

That simply means that the Instagram ads in Nigeria could cost as minimal as N5,000 or N1,250 per day for four days, based on the current naira to dollar exchange rate.

Instagram Ad Cost in Nigeria

Currently, the cost of running Instagram ads in Nigeria is above N50 for link clicks (CPC). Cost per click for messaging-optimized ads falls within ranges of N200-N1000 and upwards.

• Daily minimum budget for Instagram Ads: ‎₦ 1,250, because of the current dollar rate
• Weekly minimum budget for Instagram Ads: ₦ 8,750
• Monthly minimum budget for Instagram Ads: ₦ 37,500

If your ad account is in dollars, then the minimum you can spend daily will be one dollar ($1). How much you will spend in a day is controlled by the dollar rate.

How Much Does It Cost to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria?

Of course, in running Instagram ads for a brand in Nigeria, the price will depend on a number of factors: your target audience, ad format, and the competition in your industry. Ads on Instagram are usually priced on a “Cost Per Thousand Impressions” basis.

This means that in Nigeria, the CPM will range from ₦400 to ₦2,000, depending on whether the targeting is competitive. For example, ads targeted at a younger audience or to urban cities such as Lagos are going to be more expensive because the demand is higher.

You can begin running Instagram ads for as low as ₦500 per day. What that means is that small brands can kick off their advertising with a limited budget, meanwhile testing different types of campaigns.

Why is Instagram declining my card in Nigeria?

Some of the reasons why your card can be declined on Instagram in Nigeria are:

1. Incorrect Card Details: A payment will not be affected if the card details that were entered-number, expiry date, or CVV are wrong. Please check the details provided.

2. Bank Restrictions: Many banks in Nigeria have put blocks on online payments from their cards for security reasons. You will therefore need to switch on your card for either international or online transactions through the app or by contacting customer care.

3. Insufficient Funds: When there is not enough money in your account to pay for the advert, it would not be accepted; you shall make your account balance capable of affording the advert charges.

4. Currency Issues: Considering that the billing for Instagram ads happens via Facebook’s Ads Manager and in US Dollars, ensure your card is right with making foreign currency payments. Most Nigerian cards require you to activate foreign payments separately.

5. Fraud Detection Systems: In the case where your card is suspicious to the payment system on Instagram, or held for fraudulent cases, the payment will be declined. This also occurs because of location-based cards, patterns of payment, and security checks.

Try different cards, call your bank to check if they have any restrictions, or use alternative ways like PayPal and prepaid Facebook ad credits.

How to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria

Running Instagram ads for brands in Nigeria is one of the most effective means through which businesses can promote their products and services to a very large audience.

Instagram provides options for businesses to reach out to target markets for demographics, interests, and behaviors. Here’s how you can run Instagram ads for your brand in Nigeria:

1. Switch to a Business Account: Turn your personal profile into a business account in Instagram. It will let you use its full functionality in your marketing, open up Instagram Insights, and unlock the possibility to run ads.

2. Connect to Facebook Ads Manager: Instagram ads are managed via the Facebook Ads Manager. If you don’t have a business page on Facebook, then create it and connect to your Instagram account.

3. Setting Up Your Campaign: Tap “Create” to create a new ad campaign in the Ads Manager on Facebook. You can select from options like creating brand awareness, driving traffic, or generating conversions as an objective for your ad.

4. Target Audience: Choose your target audience basing your selection on age, location, interests, and behaviors. For brands in Nigeria, target audiences could be living in specified regions or cities, for example, Lagos or Abuja.

5. Choose Ad Placement: Now select Instagram as the placement for your ad. You can run ads in Instagram Feed, Stories, Explore, or Reels.

6. Set Budget: You can set either a daily budget or lifetime budget for your ads. You can start running ads on Instagram with as low as ₦500 per day.

7. Create Your Ad: Select the format of your ad: photo, video, carousel, or story. Add an attention-grabbing caption and use a strong call-to-action for users to take action.

8. Publish and Monitor: When your ad is up and running, use either Instagram Insights or Facebook Ads Manager to monitor your campaign’s results. You can track metrics such as reach, engagement, and conversions.

See more: Instagram now Lets you Post up to 20 Photos or Videos in a Gallery

How to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria for Free

Although no official advertisements can be run for free on Instagram, here are some of the creative ways of promoting a brand on Instagram without necessarily paying for ads :

1. Leverage Organic Content: Think about high-quality and engaging posts that resonate really well with your audience. Utilize features like Instagram Stories, Reels, and IGTV in creatively showcasing the products. Value-driven content streaming consistently can organically build not just followers but prospective customers.

2. Leverage Hashtags: Leverage relevant hashtags that can increase the visibility of your posts. You may look out for popular and trending hashtags in Nigeria so that you can understand how to reach your target audience.

3. Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers or micro-influencers within your target area. They can promote your brand to their networks, which offers exposure without you having to pay for ads.

4. Engage with Followers: A lot of interactive engagement with your followers, like responding to comments, giving away products, or offering Q&A sessions. This will help in community building around your brand and could lead to organic growth of your account.

5. Instagram Stories & Reels: Regularly put up content in Stories and Reels since these features receive more visibility. Reels, in particular, can go viral and help promote your brand with no extra spending on ads.

FAQs

Conclusion

Setting up Instagram ads in Nigeria is one of the surest ways to reach an audience and grow a brand’s business. There are various ways of paying for Instagram ads in Nigeria, including credit/debit cards and pre-paid credits, while the cost per 1,000 impressions depends on your target audience and competition.

Finally, monetizing your Instagram page is possible if you have a strong following and engage your audience right. Running Instagram ads for brands in Nigeria has huge potential for increasing visibility for your brand and driving sales when done properly.

References

• 360hub.club/How to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria
• bingotingo.com/How to Run Instagram Ads in Nigeria
• medium.com/How to Run Instagram Ads
• prolanzdigitals.com/How to Run Instagram Ads for Brands in Nigeria

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