Short answer: Instagram ads are created in Meta Ads Manager, the same tool used for Facebook ads, and can appear in the Instagram feed, Stories, Reels, Explore, profile feeds and search results. A Meta Ads specialist usually runs them with Advantage+ placements switched on, then makes sure every ad has creative built for each format, especially vertical 9:16 video for Stories and Reels. The placement is rarely the problem. The creative almost always is.
How Instagram ads work
There is no separate Instagram ad platform for serious advertisers. Instagram ads are Meta ads, built in Ads Manager with the same objectives, audiences, budgets and tracking as Facebook ads. The difference is where they show and what the creative needs to look like.
You can also boost posts from the Instagram app. Boosting is fine for quick reach, but it gives you limited control over objectives, tracking and testing. For sales or leads, I recommend running campaigns from Ads Manager and connecting your Instagram account there, so ads show your handle and the comments sit on your profile.
Instagram ad placements explained
According to Jon Loomer’s guide to Meta ads placements, the Instagram placements available in Ads Manager are:
| Placement | Where people see it | Best creative shape |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram feed | Main scrolling feed | 4:5 vertical or 1:1 |
| Instagram profile feed | When browsing a profile’s posts | 4:5 or 1:1 |
| Instagram Explore and Explore home | Discovery grid and its feed | 4:5 or 1:1 |
| Instagram Stories | Full-screen between Stories | 9:16 vertical |
| Instagram Reels | Full-screen between Reels | 9:16 vertical video |
| Ads on Instagram Reels | Overlay ads within Reels | Short, simple assets |
| Instagram search results | Within search result feeds | 4:5 or 1:1 |
Meta keeps adding options on top of these. In 2025 it expanded Reels trending ads, which place ads next to popular Reels content in categories such as beauty, sports and pets. The same update let brands extend Instagram or Facebook campaigns to Threads using existing posts. Newer formats are worth testing, but they are not where most brands should start.
Advantage+ placements vs manual placements
Advantage+ placements (previously called automatic placements) let Meta show your ads across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads and the Audience Network, shifting budget to wherever results are cheapest. Manual placements let you pick, for example, only Instagram.
For campaigns optimised for purchases or qualified leads, I keep Advantage+ placements on in most cases. Jon Loomer makes the same point in his placements guide: when you optimise for a real conversion, the weakness of some placements matters less, because Meta is chasing the conversion, not cheap clicks. Restricting to Instagram only usually means a smaller pool and higher costs.
There are good reasons to go manual:
- Your brand only has creative suitable for Instagram, and you cannot adapt it for other placements yet.
- You optimise for link clicks or video views, where some placements can deliver low-quality actions.
- You are running a deliberate placement test with a clear question and a fixed time frame.
If you want “Instagram ads” mainly because your customers are on Instagram, Advantage+ placements will already put most of the spend there if that is where results come from. Check the placement breakdown in reporting before deciding to restrict anything.
Instagram ad creative specs
Specs change, so check Ads Manager’s preview before launch. As a working guide, based on this 2026 Instagram ad dimensions guide:
- Stories and Reels: 9:16 vertical, at least 1080 x 1920 pixels. Shorter Reels ads, around 30 seconds or less, are the usual recommendation.
- Feed: 4:5 vertical (1080 x 1350) takes up the most screen space. 1:1 square also works.
- Carousels: 2 to 10 cards, square or 4:5 in feed.
- Primary text: only around the first 125 characters show in feed before the text is cut off, so lead with the point.
Safe zones matter for vertical placements. The profile name sits at the top, and captions, buttons and icons cover the bottom. Meta’s guidance, summarised in Shopify’s ad specs guide, is to leave clear space at the top and bottom of Stories creative. Keep logos, prices and key text in the middle of the frame.
When you upload, use placement asset customisation to give each placement the right version: 9:16 for Stories and Reels, 4:5 for feed. Letting Meta crop one square image into every placement is one of the most common reasons Instagram ads look cheap.
How I run Instagram ads: a step-by-step process
- Check tracking. Pixel and Conversions API sending clean purchase or lead events, with Instagram account connected in Business Manager.
- Pick the objective and event. Sales or leads, optimised for the real business event. For online stores, an Advantage+ sales campaign is often the simplest start.
- Keep targeting broad. Country and essential limits only, with Advantage+ audience. My guide to Facebook ads targeting explains why, and the same logic applies on Instagram.
- Leave Advantage+ placements on, unless there is a clear reason to restrict.
- Build native creative. At least one vertical video made for Reels, plus 4:5 statics or carousels for feed.
- Launch 3 to 6 different concepts, not small variations of one idea.
- Review weekly by placement and by ad, then replace the weakest concepts with new ones.
Creative that works on Instagram
Instagram, and Reels in particular, rewards ads that look like they belong there. Polished TV-style ads often get skipped. What tends to hold attention:
- A strong first second. Show the product, the problem or a person talking straight away.
- Sound plus captions. Use sound for people watching with it on, and captions for everyone who is not.
- Creator-style content. Customer videos, founder explanations and demos often feel more native than studio footage.
- Partnership ads. These run ads through a creator’s handle. Meta added more options here in 2025, including optional brand labelling on partnership ads.
- One clear message. One product, one benefit, one action per ad.
Measuring Instagram ad performance
Judge Instagram ads on the same business results as any Meta campaign: cost per purchase or qualified lead, and return on ad spend checked against your real sales. Use the placement breakdown to see how Reels, Stories and feed compare, and use hook rate to judge whether your Reels creative stops the scroll. My post on Facebook ads metrics covers which numbers to watch and in what order.
Be careful with likes and follower growth. They feel good, but they do not pay for ads. If a Reels ad gets lots of engagement and few sales, it is entertaining the wrong people or failing to explain the offer.
Frequently asked questions
Are Instagram ads different from Facebook ads?
Should I run Instagram ads only, or use Advantage+ placements?
What size should Instagram Reels ads be?
Is boosting an Instagram post the same as running Instagram ads?
Who can manage Instagram ads for my brand?
Need help with your Instagram ads?
If your Instagram ads get attention but not sales, or your creative is not built for Reels and Stories, I can help. I work as a Meta Ads specialist for brands in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, covering setup, creative testing and reporting. Start with a free ads audit and I will tell you what to fix first.