You can run Instagram ads to target new audiences who may be interested in your products and services. Most businesses can create attractive product photos or videos and think that’s all there is to running a successful ad campaign. However, if you’re not targeting the right audiences, the most compelling creative ad may not increase your sales. Advertisers can increase the success of their ad campaigns by leveraging customer interests on Instagram.
One useful tool for this purpose is Instagram Ad Interests. This feature uses insights from targeting in Meta Ads Manager to help advertisers understand customer interests. From there, advertisers can create audiences based on customer interests to find relevant customers. For example, let’s say you own a fitness products store. You may be interested in targeting audiences interested in working out, eating healthy, or going to the gym. If you own a digital marketing agency, you may want to target business owners and entrepreneurs interested in online advertising and marketing.
In this article, we will go over what interest targeting is, what interest targeting categories are available to you, and how to best reach your desired audience.
What Are Instagram Ad Interests?
Instagram Ad Interests are audience targeting options offered by Meta’s advertising system that help reach people who care about a product, service, or topic offered by an advertiser. In the advertising system, interests may cover subjects such as hobbies, shopping, technology, fitness, travel, food, business, and other topics. The interests offered to advertisers may vary and are subject to change.
Let’s say you own a women’s clothing store. You may be interested in targeting customers who like shopping for women’s clothes. On the other hand, a travel agency may be interested in travel, adventure, and holiday interests.
To help you understand why Instagram Ad Interests are important, let’s look at the ad delivery system. The aim is to present your ads to people who are more likely to respond to your message, rather than showing the same ad to everyone. This requires identifying a list of people who are likely to respond to your ad. This process is known as targeting.
The advertising platform limits the number of people who can see your ad. Showing ads to the right audience makes your advertising dollars work harder. Your ads reach people who are likely to care about your offer, and are more likely to click, make a purchase, or contact you.
Why Are Instagram Ad Interests Important?
Choosing the right audience can make your advertising budget work harder. When your ads reach people who are more likely to care about your offer, you have a better chance of getting useful clicks, enquiries, and sales.
Here are some benefits of using interest-based targeting:
- Better audience matching: Reach people who may already care about your product or service.
- More relevant ads: Create messages that match the interests of your audience.
- Improved testing: Compare different audience groups to learn what works.
- Better budget planning: Focus your testing on audiences that fit your campaign goals.
- More chances to convert: Bring relevant offers in front of potential customers.
Interest targeting is not a guarantee of success. Your ad creative, offer, landing page, budget, and campaign setup also play an important role.
Best Instagram Ad Interests List for Different Industries
The right audience for one business is usually not the right audience for the next business. The starting point for defining your audience for each campaign will largely depend on your offering and what kind of customers you want to reach.
The ideas for Instagram Ad Interests that follow are topics that you can use to build and test audiences in Meta’s Ads Manager. Not all suggestions will definitely be available for selection. Use these ideas as a starting point for building and testing your own audiences for your Instagram ads.
1. Fashion and Clothing
Audience interests related to clothing, personal style, and shopping may connect to fashion and related brands. These audiences may be applicable to businesses selling all types of wear, bags, shoes and accessories.
Interest ideas may include:
- Fashion and clothing
- Streetwear and casual wear
- Shoes and sneakers
- Beauty and personal style
- Online shopping
- Luxury fashion
Try different ad styles, such as product demos, customer outfit ideas, seasonal collections and customer photos.
2. Fitness and Health
Audiences related to fitness and sports may be applicable to gyms, sportswear, and fitness equipment brands.
Potential interest ideas include:
- Fitness and exercise
- Gym workouts
- Yoga and meditation
- Running and cycling
- Sports and outdoor activities
- Healthy food and nutrition
Make your ad offer clear. A free trial, class booking or discount on fitness equipment may work well.
3. Digital Marketing and Business
Digital marketing agencies may be able to use business audiences. These audiences may be applicable to agencies, business consultants and service providers, website developers, and business software and services.
Try audiences related to:
- Digital marketing
- Social media marketing
- Online advertising
- Entrepreneurship
- Small business
- E-commerce
For B2B campaigns, test audiences related to business and the people who make buying decisions.
4. Technology and Gadgets
Audiences related to devices, tools, and software may be applicable to technology, electronics, accessories and services.
Potential interest ideas may include:
- Smartphones and mobile devices
- Computers and laptops
- Consumer electronics
- Mobile apps
- Software and technology
- Gaming
Videos or carousels should demonstrate your product in action and highlight your product’s differentiating factor.
5. Travel and Tourism
Travel brands can find audiences of people passionate about exploring new locations and planning trips. Brands like hotels, travel agents and operators, and luggage brands can test audience interests related to travel.
Potential interests are:
- Travel and tourism
- Adventure travel
- Beaches and island holidays
- Camping and hiking
- Hotels and resorts
- International destinations
Destination images attract the eye. Once you’ve got their attention, simple travel packages and clear booking links can help get people to book.
6. Food and Restaurants
Food and drink brands, and restaurants, can test audiences connected to different cuisines, dining and preparing meals.
Potential interests are:
- Restaurants and dining
- Cooking and recipes
- Baking and desserts
- Coffee and cafes
- Vegetarian food
- Food delivery
Local restaurants should think about location targeting. Someone close by may be more inclined to visit you than someone far away who’s interested in food.
How to Choose the Right Instagram Ad Interests
Identifying your target audience is key to advertising success. Instead of choosing random interests, think about what your best-case scenario customer looks like.
Step 1: Understand Your Target Audience
Write down some of your target customer’s important demographic info. Consider:
- Their age range, where relevant to your product and campaign.
- Their location and language.
- Their hobbies and interests.
- The problems they want to solve.
- Their reasons for buying your product.
For example, a local gym may be interested in targeting local adults, while an online store may be able to reach a wider audience who is willing to order online and have it shipped.
Step 2: Research Relevant Interests
Make a short list of topics that people may be interested in and relate to your product. Customer feedback, competitor research, data from your website, and advertising options within Meta Ads Manager may be helpful.
Recommended Instagram ad interests should be used as a starting point, and relate to the audience you’re trying to reach.
Step 3: Test Different Audiences
If your advertising budget is limited, you’ll want to test audiences, rather than interests. Start with a few broader audience groups and compare their results.
For example, a fitness brand may test an audience interested in gym workouts, as well as an audience interested in yoga workouts.
Step 4: Track the Right Metrics
Just because an ad receives a lot of likes or comments, doesn’t mean it’s a successful ad. Look at the metrics that align with your campaign objective to evaluate success.
Consider using the following metrics to gauge success:
- Cost per click.
- Click-through rate.
- Cost per lead.
- Purchases and conversion rate.
- Return on ad spend, when sales tracking is available.
If an audience isn’t performing well, consider altering it. If an audience is performing well, test it more to learn more about your target audience.
Tips to Improve Your Instagram Advertising Results
Interest targeting functions best in conjunction with a clear campaign strategy. Use the tips below to help you along the way.
Use clear visuals: Show your product or service in your promotional image in under 30 seconds.
Write simple ad copy: Inform the audience what you are offering and what is in it for them.
Match your landing page: Your landing page should align with your ad.
Test different formats: Compare different ad formats (i.e. photos vs. videos, carousels vs. reels, etc.)
Monitor results regularly: Look for trends over time instead of making decisions based on daily performance.
Retarget interested users: Use your audience datasets to reconnect with users who engaged with your business.
Test broad targeting: Use more general audience settings to widen your potential reach.
Remember, Meta can use automatic delivery and interest targeting settings to determine who to show your ad to.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with a solid plan, irrelevant audience targeting and ad messaging can squander your budget.
Do not:
- Choosing interests only because they are popular.
- Selecting too many unrelated interests.
- Changing campaign settings before collecting useful data.
- Ignoring the quality of your offer and landing page.
- Measuring success only through followers and likes.
- Spending the full budget before testing different creatives.
- Assuming every interest option is available in every account.
A simpler campaign can be more effective as long as it meets the right objectives and uses the right creative.
FAQs
What are the best Instagram Ad Interests?
Options vary by industry and audience. Clothing and shopping interests could work for a fashion brand. A fitness brand could try interests related to exercises and sports. Check your options in Meta Ads Manager.
Where can I find an Instagram ad interests list?
You can check audience targeting options in your Meta Ads Manager account.
Can I use ad interests Instagram targeting for a small business?
Yes. Small businesses can try audience interests along with location and age targeting. Start with an affordable test budget and monitor conversions.
What is the average cost of Instagram advertising?
It depends on your goals and audience, and the costs associated with acquiring a customer. Spend an amount that you feel comfortable testing.
Can I promote Instagram posts using interest targeting?
You can promote eligible posts using Instagram’s in-app promotion tools. Keep in mind audience controls may be different from what you see in Meta Ads Manager. Use Ads Manager when you need more control over campaign setup and reporting.
Can I add links to Instagram Story ads?
Yes. Instagram Story ads can contain a call to action that leads to a destination that supports a clickable link. You can also use organic Story link stickers to share a link, as long as Instagram permits it.
What are IG sponsored ads?
IG sponsored ads are advertisements on Instagram. They can be placed in Story, Reels, Feed, or Explore, depending on your campaign settings and placements.
Conclusion
Picking the right Instagram ad interests can help you find people that may be more relevant to your products or services. With your audience in mind, include ideas and topics you would be willing to test. Then, consider how the interest you choose aligns to your audience, creative and the campaign goal to edit, pause or increase your budget.
There is no interest list that works for every single business. The best lists come from iterative testing, learning and adjusting based on actual performance.
Are you wanting to improve your Instagram campaigns?
Reach out to ByteWEB Digital and let us assist you with your advertising goals and audience strategies to establish a plan that allows you to reach your target market.
Leave a Reply