Charlotte Kellogg, Strategic Services Manager
The right partner can help you churn out Instagram Stories Ads that are perfect for this full-screen, mobile-first format
Instagram Stories has been a big hit with consumers, surging to 300 million daily active users by the end of last year. Brands have embraced the format as well, with one-third of the most-viewed Stories posted by brands. In our recent post on Instagram Stories Ads: Top 10 Creative Best Practices That Drive Performance, we dove into some practical ways you can make the most of this format.
You may be thinking “Great, but Instagram Stories Ads require vertical video assets. I don’t have the right elements on hand and geez shooting new video is expensive!” We hear you, and we’re here with a solution. Two of them, in fact.
In that previous post, we mentioned that working with a partner can help you address your creative needs. There are a number of companies out there that specialize in producing cost-effective, mobile-first ad creative — at scale. As social media platforms continue to become more and more entrenched in consumers’ lives, especially among the oft-targeted and highly coveted millennial demographic, getting these companies on your radar is a must. There are two primary types you can work with: video creative networks and image-to-video producers.
Video Creative Networks
Think of video creative networks as plugging you into a marketplace of cost-effective freelance creative talent. They’ll connect you to an on-demand copy writer, director, or video editor that can help you create original and authentic Instagram Stories Ads — repurposing existing video assets or producing something entirely new.
“There’s this antiquated notion that creating great video content is prohibitively expensive and time consuming,” says Greg Lieber, Head of Strategy and Partnerships for Vidmob. “The reality is that platforms like VidMob are able to take existing content — be it video or static — and create highly engaging videos that drive brand awareness and convert customers in a cost efficient manner. By leveraging our curated pools of talent, we are helping brands create high quality Instagram Stories Ads from concept to completion in a matter of days and for a fraction of the costs to which they’ve been accustomed.”
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Because of their efficiencies, video creative networks can enable you to refresh your ad creative mid flight — something that has been typically too expensive and too time-consuming to do for large-scale campaigns — allowing you to test your ads and optimize your spend to get the best return.
Image-to-Video Producers
Do you have at least one static image that you think represents your brand well? Perfect! You have what you need to work with an image-to-video producer. These creative pros can take a static image and make it come to life with motion in ingenious, eye-catching ways.
“Through bringing sleepy static images to life, we provide a fast, easy, and scalable way to deliver hand-crafted video creative for social media formats like Instagram Stories Ads,” said Jonny Mole, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships for Shuttlerock. “Our secret sauce is a combination of proprietary technology and a streamlined process that adapts and enhances an advertiser’s existing creative assets. We’re focused on delivering Stories creatives that drive results across the full marketing funnel – in quantities that allow advertisers to continuously test and learn.”
Another partner in this space, Olapic, offers brands on-demand access to its SaaS platform Content in Motion, which transforms existing images and long-form videos into mobile-ready assets. “We help advertisers scale video production and develop high-quality creative with agility, without comprising brand integrity,” said Meryl Serouya, Olapic’s Senior Director of Partnerships. “Our team of animators works with you to create a library of custom, branded templates optimized for each social channel’s ad formats. You then swap in new images, video clips, copy, and CTAs, generating new assets for IG Stories in minutes.”
As you can see, budget and time constraints no longer have to keep you out of the Instagram Stories Ads game. Pairing up with the right partner can help you test this immersive ad format and tell your brand’s story in new and engaging ways. Reach out to your Skai rep to talk about testing Instagram Stories Ads and to determine which partner would be best for you.
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