There are over 1 billion people scrolling through Instagram every month, and your ads could be popping up in their feeds! That’s a billion opportunities for your ads to catch someone’s eye! Isn’t that intriguing?

However, It’s a little tricky especially because Instagram keeps updating its platform.

In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of Instagram ad sizes. We’ll help you create impressive ads that not only mesh with your brand but also reach your target audience. This way, you’ll get the most return on every dollar you invest in ads.

And guess what? With tools like Social Champ, you can easily schedule your ads ahead of time, making your Instagram advertising journey a whole lot smoother.

Understanding Instagram Ad Sizes Specifications

When it comes to creating Instagram ads, it’s crucial to understand that one size does not fit all. Instagram offers various ad placements, each with its own unique specifications. From the traditional in-feed posts to the trendy Instagram Stories and emerging Reels, each format demands specific size and aspect ratio requirements.

Instagram Image Ad Sizes

Pictures are a powerful way to quickly catch people’s attention. Instagram gives you different size options for your pictures. This means you can change the size of your pictures based on what you’re posting. This helps you get more likes, comments, and shares on your posts.

Square (1:1)

For a balanced look, Square images are a popular choice. They fit perfectly within the grid layout of Instagram. Ensure the main focus of your image is in the center, as this is where the ad will appear in user feeds.

Landscape (16:9)

If you’re looking to showcase wide, sweeping visuals, Landscape ads are your best bet. They command attention and are perfect for displaying panoramic scenes or products with extensive details.

Portrait (4:5)

Portrait images align well with the natural scrolling behavior of users. They made it to the vertical viewing trend, particularly on mobile devices where the majority of Instagram users engage with content.

Each of these formats has minimum resolution requirements. For square ads, the minimum is set at 600 x 600 pixels; for landscape, it’s 600 x 315 pixels; and for portraits, it’s 600 x 750 pixels. But don’t limit yourself to these minimums. Going beyond them gives you more flexibility, allowing you to take full advantage of the 1080 x 1080 pixels maximum for high-resolution images.

Instagram Ad Video Specs

Video ads are a lively way to share your brand’s story, and they can encourage more interaction from your audience. Each video format on Instagram needs a different type of ad creation.

Videos let you use visuals, sounds, and movement to create a strong connection with your audience. It’s important to make sure your videos are high-quality, sound good, short and to the point.

Now, let’s talk about the different sizes for Instagram ad video specs:

Square Video Ads (1:1)

These are great for quick, engaging content that fits perfectly in your audience’s feed. The recommended size is 1080 x 1080 pixels.

Landscape Video Ads (16:9)

If you have a lot to show, landscape video ads are a good choice. They’re great for showing off panoramic views or detailed products. The recommended size for landscape videos ads is 1080 x 608 pixels.

Portrait Video Ads (4:5)

These are taller ads, which makes them perfect for mobile viewing. They take up more space on the screen, so they’re really hard to miss! The recommended size is 1080 x 1350 pixels.

Instagram Stories Video Ads

These full-screen vertical ads provide an immersive experience. They’re great for step-by-step guides, behind-the-scenes looks, or just fun, engaging content. The recommended size is 1080 x 1920 pixels.

Related Article: Instagram Ads: An Informative Guide in 2024

Instagram Carousel Ad Specs

Instagram’s carousel ads are a great way to share more about your brand. These ads can have multiple slides, each with a different picture or video. This lets you show different parts of your product or service.

The best size for carousel pictures is a 1:1 ratio. This means the picture is as wide as it is tall. Each picture should be at least 600 x 600 pixels big. This makes sure your pictures look clear and sharp, even on big screens.

For videos in your carousel ads, each one should be between 3 to 60 seconds long. This is because people usually scroll through Instagram quickly, so shorter videos work better.

But pictures and videos aren’t the only things you can put in your carousel ad. You can also add text, stickers, and other fun stuff to make your ad more interesting. For example, you could put captions on your pictures or videos to give more information or use stickers to point out important parts of your product. These things can make your ad look better and can help guide people to do what you want them to do (like buy your product).

By knowing the right Instagram carousel ad specs and how to use all the features, you can make ads that really connect with your audience and help your business succeed.

Instagram Story Ad Specs

Instagram Stories is a popular feature that sees over 500 million daily users. It’s a prime location for advertising and should not be overlooked.

The recommended image dimensions for Instagram Stories ads are 1080 x 1920 pixels. This size is perfect for full-screen vertical photos that fill up the entire screen of a mobile device, providing an immersive experience for the viewer. The aspect ratio, which is the ratio of the width to the height of the image, is 9:16. This tall, vertical format is ideal for mobile viewing as it takes up the whole screen, making it hard for the audience to miss your ad.

When it comes to videos in Instagram Stories ads, they need to be brief and impactful. Videos should be no longer than 15 seconds, keeping in line with the quick, engaging nature of Instagram Stories. Remember, many users view Stories without sound, so your video content should be designed to catch attention and convey your message even without audio.

You can do this by using bold visuals, clear text overlays, and engaging graphics. The goal is to create the right Instagram story ad specs content that will grab the viewer’s attention in the few seconds that they’ll see your ad while swiping through their Stories.

Instagram Reels Ad Specs

Instagram Reels lets you make ads in two sizes:

• 9:16: This is a tall, vertical size that covers the full screen of a phone. It’s great for videos that fill up the whole screen.
• 4:5: This is also a tall, vertical size, but it’s not as tall as 9:16. It’s a good choice if you have a video made for another place that you want to use on Reels.

You can make videos for Instagram Reels ads that are up to 60 seconds long. This gives you enough time to share your message, but keep in mind, your video should be interesting from the very beginning to keep viewers watching.

The video for your Instagram Reels ad should also  be fun and interesting, and it should look like it belongs on Instagram. This means it should blend in with the other videos on the user’s feed, and not feel like an annoying ad. Keep in mind that Instagram Reels is known for being fast-paced, creative, and fun when you’re making your video.

By knowing the right Instagram reel ad specs and making videos that fit with Instagram’s style, you can make ads that really connect with your audience and help your brand succeed.

Related Article: Instagram Reels: How to Escalate Your Marketing Strategy in 2024

Instagram Shopping Ad Sizes

When it comes to Instagram shopping ad sizes, there are certain rules you should follow to make sure your content looks its best:

• Size of the Picture (Image Size): The suggested picture size for Instagram Shopping ads is 1080 x 1080 pixels. This size is perfect for showing off your products in detail, making sure that customers can clearly see what they’re thinking about buying.
• Shape of the Picture (Aspect Ratio): Instagram Shopping supports a 1:1 aspect ratio, which means a square shape. Whether you’re sharing one picture or a series of pictures, keeping this square shape ensures your content will look good on all devices and screen sizes.
• Style of the Picture (Image Style): Think about using either square or landscape pictures for your ads. Square pictures are great for showing off one product, while landscape pictures might be better for showing off several products or a wider view of one product.

Choosing the Right Instagram Ad Specs for Your Goals

The size of your ad can make a big difference in how effective it is. So, when you’re planning your ad campaign, it’s important to choose the Instagram right ad size based on what you want to achieve with your campaign.

If you’re trying to create an experience that’s all about your brand and draws people in, bigger ad formats might be the best choice. For example, you could think about using Collection ads or in-feed ads. These types of ads give you lots of space for telling stories creatively and showing off your products in detail, which can help you connect with your audience and build a strong image for your brand. They can grab viewers’ attention with a rich visual experience that shows off what your brand is all about.

On the other hand, if your campaign is all about getting a direct response and boosting sales, smaller, more action-focused formats might work better. These include Stories ads or smaller in-feed ads. These types of ads are designed to encourage immediate interaction, so they’re great for driving actions.

They usually include clear call-to-action buttons and short, to-the-point messages, encouraging viewers to take immediate action, like buying something or signing up for a newsletter.

Matching your ad size with what you want to achieve with your campaign is a key step in creating an effective ad strategy. It not only helps you visualize performance but also helps you measure how well your ads are doing.

By choosing the right Instagram ad sizes carefully, you can make sure that your ads connect with your target audience and achieve what you want them to, whether that’s raising awareness about your brand or increasing sales.

Tips for A/B Testing Different Instagram Ad Sizes

A/B testing is a way to check which ad format works best for your audience. It’s like an experiment where you run two different Instagram ad sizes to see which one performs better. Just make sure everything else in your ads, like the text, call-to-action, and offer, stays the same.

This way, you can be sure that any changes in how well your campaign does are because of the Instagram ad specs.

You can use the information you get from A/B testing to make your future ads even better and understand what kind of pictures or videos your audience likes most.

Wrapping Up

Creating great Instagram ads isn’t just about making them look cool or sound funny. It’s also about understanding how each type of ad works and what people like to see on Instagram. This guide will help you learn how to create Instagram ads that not only meet Instagram’s rules but also really catch people’s attention.

By learning all about Instagram ad sizes, you’re doing more than just following rules. You’re using a really helpful tool to make your brand more popular and connect with your audience in a meaningful way on one of the biggest social media platforms in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions