In Creative Series part 1, we talked about what defines good creative on Instagram. Here's a hint: good creative is just good creative. Since that post, we've studied ways that advertisers can make direct response adverts even more effective on Instagram. Unlike adverts that raise brand awareness, direct response adverts are ones that make the viewer take an action when seeing your advert. This could be anything, from visiting or shopping on your website, to viewing a video or downloading a mobile app. On Instagram, there are a few creative tactics you can use to make your direct response adverts stand out. Bear in mind that these tactics aren't meant to be prescriptive, but help guide you as you experiment, test, learn and optimise your campaigns.

Stop people as they scroll through their feed by creating a single focal point in your advert. Like the creative from Everlane (@everlane) below, when there's only one subject for people to look at, customers view your business as approachable and accessible. If you want to include more than one subject in a photo, consider using carousel or video adverts to tell a deeper story. Whether you create a single photo, carousel or video, make sure that there's visual consistency between your adverts, making them more easily recognisable.

When creating for Instagram, remember that you're creating for mobile. Think about the size of each element in your photo or video, then view it on your phone before sharing.

Connect with people when they look at your advert by incorporating branding elements. Branding is an important part of having people remember your advert after they've viewed it. And it doesn't have to be blatant to be effective. Instead of posting your logo at the top of a photo, include elements of your brand such as your shop front, packaging or products in an authentic way. Like the example below: Harry's (@harrys) uses branding in a natural, everyday way that people can relate to.

When writing copy for your advert, keep it short and sweet. The copy should communicate what you want your audience to take away. Take a first stab at writing copy, then try rewriting it with fewer words to get the point across even faster.

Inspire people to act on your advert by explaining what's in it for them. The most successful adverts, such as this one from Hawkers Co. (@hawkersco), tell consumers what they need to know – who the advertiser is, what their value proposition is and how they can learn more or even purchase this product.

Adding a relevant call-to-action button that aligns to your goal is key. While Learn More may work great for consideration, Shop Now may work better for conversions.

You can also promote relevant products to shoppers who browse items on your website or mobile app with new dynamic adverts on Instagram and dynamic adverts for travel. Simply upload your entire product catalogue once, and dynamic adverts on Instagram will automatically show the right products to the right people at the right time.

In addition to these three tactics, remember that good creative on Instagram is simply good creative. The key to creative success across Instagram, or in any other marketing channel, is relevant creative that's well-branded, concept-driven and well-crafted. Follow these tried-and-tested principles when creating your next direct response campaign, and see how the adverts perform. Experimenting, testing and learning are key to long-term success.