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March 26, 2019

Bringing Interactivity to Instagram Stories Ads

BY: Instagram Business Team

San Francisco, CA

(Update on November 14, 2021 at 9:00AM PT: This blog post was published in 2019. For up-to-date information about reaching your audience on Instagram, learn more about ads on Instagram.)

500 million Instagram accounts are using Instagram Stories every day1, and so are some of the world's biggest brands. Fullscreen, ephemeral and native stories are helping businesses tell bigger, faster and stronger brand stories. And interactive elements, like polls and questions, bring people closer together by enabling direct participation in the shared expression. 60% of businesses on Instagram Stories use an interactive element in their organic story—hashtag, @mention or poll sticker—every month.2 Now, we're inviting businesses to engage with audiences beyond their followers by using interactive elements in stories ads, starting with the polling sticker.

When we launched COLLUSION we wanted to collaborate with customers, and interactive Instagram Stories ads are a great format for this. Our poll asked “Do you think clothes should be gendered?” Nearly two-thirds of people who interacted with our story voted that clothes should not be gendered, in-line with how we concept COLLUSION and providing insight into the customer. We loved using the polling sticker to engage with our audience and make them feel a part of the brand.
HANNAH CRAIK, HEAD OF BRAND MARKETING, COLLUSION
Introducing Interactive Stories ads

Interactivity adds a whole new dimension to the world of stories ads on Instagram that help bring people closer to brands. Interactive ads in Instagram Stories, starting with the polling sticker, allow businesses to be more engaging and playful in order to build better connections. Not only do they help stories ads stand out, but they can generate more impact for your campaigns by encouraging people to watch longer. In 9 out of 10 beta campaigns, the polling sticker increased 3-second video views3.

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Advertisers in our beta launch have already seen success using the polling sticker in ads. Brands like Dunkin' achieved a 20% lower cost-per-video-view using the polling sticker, and Next Games' polling ad drove 40% more app installs4.

We’re always open to testing ad products that give people a new experience and memorable touchpoint with our brand. Delivering ads in Instagram Stories with the polling sticker showcased our new product story seamlessly and encouraged participation, while driving results that matter.
MELANIE COHN, SENIOR MANAGER, BRAND STEWARDSHIP AT DUNKIN' BRANDS
Getting started

Creating an interactive stories ad is simple. In Ads Manager, choose Instagram Stories as your only ad placement. Then, where you upload your creative and edit your ad's text, check the box Add an interactive poll. Try out the polling sticker to co-create a product, spark a conversation with your community, crowd source insights for product development, gamify your ad or run a contest.



Looking ahead

As we continue to innovate in stories ads, we hope interactivity sparks new creativity and spontaneity for businesses on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you come up with.

For brands just getting started with stories, learn more about stories here.

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BY: Instagram Business Team

San Francisco, CA