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George Howes
Your instagram marketing campaign is in full swing, with developers, designers and digital marketers all working together to create perfect ads. But one aspect of instagram advertising that often gets overlooked is an image’s or video’s size and specs.
To know which instagram ad specs are optimal, you must know what type of ad you’re trying to create.
Instagram supports various ad formats, including single image ads, carousel ads, video ads and more. By applying the correct dimensions, ratio and file size, your ads will be optimised for the platform and new viewers.
In this Instagram ad size guide, we'll keep things stupid simple! By the end, you’ll understand the optimal sizes and specs for all ad types in 2023:
- Single Image Ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
- Slideshow ads
- Story ads
- Lead ads
- Why Instagram Ad sizes and specs matter
Single Image Ads
Sometimes, the best things in life are simple. A single image ad is the most popular, yet least complicated form of instagrams ad. It includes just one image, some copy, and a CTA, nothing more.
So why are single Instagram image ads so effective?
First, they take up the entire screen in a user’s feed, instantly grabbing attention as no other competitors' ads are visible. Second, there's no complicated setup or clutter to navigate through, unlike video ads that require users to hit play and watch. In seconds, you can make a vivid impression on your target audience.
When creating an Instagram image advert, you can choose square, vertical or landscape aspect ratios. Landscape ads are wider, ideal for images like a skyline or the ocean, while vertical ads are slimmer and fit better with portrait shots. Square ads have equal length and width, perfect for product images or logos that have a balanced composition.
Instagram Single Image Ads Specs
File type: .jpg or .png
Maximum file size: 30MB
Landscape image size: 1080 x 566 pixels
Square image size: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Vertical Image: 600 x 750 pixels
Text limit: 2200 characters (125 is recommended)
File format: .jpg or .png
Maximum file size: 30MB
Square image size: 1080x1080 pixels
Landscape image size: 1080 x 566 pixels
Minimum and maximum image width: 320 pixels to 1080 pixels
Minimum to maximum aspect ratio: 4:5 to 1.91:1
CTA recommendations:
- Book Now
- Buy Today
- Visit Instagram Profile
- Shop Now
- Download
- Get Offer
- Apply Now
Remember, you want to keep CTAs short and sweet since there's limited space. Keep them straight to the point and don't add filler.
Instagram Video Ads
While single image ads can convey your messaging in one glance, Instagram video ads can pack a bigger punch!
Video ads can fully explore your product and give users more information. They also improve user experience and immerse them into your world. For example, ads involving a charitable cause, a success story or even an entertaining video, can make users emotionally invest in your brand.
The main drawback with video ads is in the content creation process, which takes time, money and other resources. Video components like scripts, shots, and music all have to be researched and refined before it's ready to be published.
Instagram Video Ad Specs
Recommended video formats: .mp4 or .mov, however, there are other accepted video formats
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 to 4:5 (horizontal 16:9, square 1:1, vertical 4:5)
Maximum video file size for all formats: 30MB
Video Ratio: 400x500, max. 191x100
Video Duration: 2 minutes maximum
Text recommendations: 125 characters
Hashtags recommended: 1-30
CTA recommendations:
You can either include a CTA in your instagram post or in the video caption.
If you include your CTA in your instagram post, write down a description that’s to the point. Also ensure your CTA compliments the video theme - you don't want to use "Shop now" if it’s about a charity event!
Instagram Carousel Ads
Carousel ads feature up to 10 images or videos, with users scrolling horizontally to view each one. This type of ad enables multiple products or categories to be showcased, allowing users to better understand your product selection. It can also tell a story in a more visual way, compared to single image or video ads.
If you want to be really creative for your carousel ad, try featuring a panorama image. This type of image shows a field of view greater than what the human eye can see. Such a unique format lets you see the same photos throughout multiple images.
Instagram Carousel Specs
Number of cards: 2 to 10
File format type: recommended but not limited to jpg or png (image) or .mp4 or .mov
Maximum image file size: 30MB
Maximum video file size: 4GB
Video Duration: 1 minute maximum
Recommended image resolution: min 1080 x 1080
Carousel ratio: landscape (1.91:1), square (1:1), vertical (4:5)
Text limit: Two rows of text
Headline: One row of text
Instagram Slideshow Ads
If scripting and creating video content is quickly draining your resources, try an Instagram Slideshow ad. This ad type lets you combine up to 10 images, with music and text, into a video ad. Unlike Carousel ads which are just images you swipe, Slideshow ads automatically play each image for viewers to enjoy.
Plus, you can customise the ad design and mood by selecting royalty-free music and adding text overlays to each slide. This type of ad takes minutes to create, saving energy, time and money, but can still capture attention.
Instagram Slideshow Specs
File type: jpg or png and mp3, wav, m4a, and ogc for sounds
Minimum image width: 600 x 600 pixels
Maximum image width: 1080 x 1080
Maximum text: 125
Ad Recommendations
While you're given plenty of leeway on video time duration, ad fatigue is a real thing. If you're running ten images in a lead ad, refrain from going over 5 seconds per image. You want to showcase most, if not all, of the ad images - not just 2 or 3.
Also ensure photos use a unified aesthetic that matches brand identity. By the end, viewers (hopefully) will know your brand based on your visuals. For example, Coca-Cola has a red and white colour scheme and script that's instantly recognisable. If a new competitor implemented a similar design, they'd be ridiculed for their lack of originality.
Remember that inspiration can be drawn from others ads, but don't copy them. Instead, generate new ideas by saving and downloading competitor ads into the MagicBrief ad library. You can then compare and contrast their concepts to your own and create something unique.
Instagram Stories ads
Instagram story video ads appear in between instagram stories, used for targeting a more engaged audience (since they're already paying attention). They offer a full-screen immersive experience and have a maximum duration of 15-seconds. Instagram stories image ads, meanwhile, are only present for five seconds or until it's swiped away.
Due to a story ad's relatively short time-frame, they should be straight-to-the-point and have a strong CTA to be effective. You can also include interactive features, like swipe-up links, polls, questions, and more, since they're highly engaging and hard to miss.
Instagram Stories Image and Video Ad Specs
- File type: mp4, mov for instagram stories video ads and and jpg, png for images
- Maximum file size: 4 GB for videos and 30MB for images
- Recommend image size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- resolution: 720p
- video length: 15 seconds
- Photo video length: 5 seconds
Instagram Lead ads
An instagram lead ad helps collect more information about your potential customers. Rather than CTA’s like 'Shop Now' which drive immediate sales, lead ads ask for contact information like full names, emails, or phone numbers. For example, common CTAs may include 'Subscribe', ‘Learn more’, 'Sign Up', or 'Register' instead.
These types of CTAs explicitly focus on capturing contact information, whereas leads get something valuable like a demo, guide or newsletter. By exchanging something of value, viewers are more likely to provide their details.
When creating instagram lead ads, always include a 'privacy policy' link that clearly states that lead information will not be shared with any third-parties.
Instagram Lead Ads Specs
File format type: jpg or png
Minimum width of ad image: 1080 x 1080 pixels or 1200 x 628 pixels
Maximum text: 125 maximum
Why are Instagram Ad Sizes and Specs important?
Have you ever seen an instagram ad that looked completely off? While the headline or copy may have triggered the right emotions, the image was distorted or too small. This is because the wrong size was used for that ad.
Besides just looking bad and even lazy on the part of the advertiser, an ad with out of whack dimensions and specs is always counterproductive. They're harder to see and less engaging, giving potential leads just one more reason to skip your ad.
Consider these reasons to optimise your instagram ad sizes and specs:
Improved visibility - an instagram ad that's blurry, overly stretched and pixelated decreases visibility. With an optimised size, it will be easier to spot and understand your ad’s messaging.
Increased engagement - overly large or small ads compromise your CTA and message, meaning less clicks and potential conversions. Choosing the right ad sizes ensures users can easily view and interact with them.
Cost-effective - ads that are sized correctly ensure you don't have to edit it later on. Do it right the first time and save time and money in the long run.
Future-proofs your ad content - By keeping up-to-date with instagram specs, you'll always know what specs to create your content. Platforms occasionally change specs to improve user experience, so always try to stay on top of this.
Final Thoughts
As long as Instagram remains relevant in the marketing space, their marketing tools will continue to evolve. With more businesses investing in instagram, knowing which size and specs to use will be essential.
Remember, using the wrong image size or text length can distort your instagram ads, detracting from user experience. Instead, they'll notice the bad design, creating a negative first impression. And a good first impression can be the difference from gaining a loyal customer, or losing one.
So go out there and use the right sizes and specs for all your instagram ads. It's the little details like these that can make a huge difference in your marketing success.
Go forth and optimise! :)
