5 Lessons You Can Learn from The Most Persuasive Marketing Campaigns on Instagram
Have you ever had the experience of scrolling through your Instagram feed and coming across an ad, but surprisingly you didn’t want to just ignore it and move on?
Perhaps you have even been interested enough to buy something you weren’t even aware you wanted before you saw the advertisement.
This, dear reader, is the power of persuasive advertising.
All advertising is ultimately about persuasion – getting the viewer to purchase something or take an action by the end of the advertisement.
But as we all know, not all advertising is created equal. Some advertising is so bad that it turns you off the brand entirely.
Today, we are going to take a look at some of the best examples of persuasive advertising on Instagram. All of these campaigns have some universal lessons that all business owners on Instagram can benefit from.
Let us begin.
1. Curio: Most Interesting Person
Curio has an interesting value proposition – you don’t have to open up your email or your newspaper to get your news. It is an audio journalism app that allows you to listen to the news on the go.
Curio’s “Most Interesting Person” Instagram campaign does a few things right.
Firstly, it is a video-based ad which has been proven to generate much more engagement than photo ads. It has a clever caption that includes a user review (“I can honestly say this app is life-changing.”) and includes a summary of the app at the bottom.
· What you can learn
The success of Curio’s ad campaign proves yet again that customer reviews and testimonials are absolutely key for influencing a purchase. If you have a lot of good customer reviews, make sure you feature them front and center in your advertising.
Secondly, make sure your value proposition is absolutely clear in your ad. To make it better, try personalizing it for your audience.
2. Revolve: If You Love It, Buy It
Revolve is a fashion brand that has really hit the mark with this campaign. If you have seen these ads, they are basically a carousel of pretty clothes from the Revolve catalog.
But what makes it special is the copy – “if you love it, buy it <3 (before someone else does)”.
The ad creates a sense of urgency and appeals to the viewer’s desire to be part of a cool and exclusive community.
· What you can learn
Appeal to the viewer’s FOMO (fear of missing out) by creating urgency with your ad copy. Fear may not be the best angle to take for all products, but it works really well for fashion and apparel. After all, nobody wants to miss out on a great deal.
3. Crave App: Save Money
Crave has a video-based Instagram advertisement that is almost indistinguishable from normal user content. The ad follows a person who gets discount after discount on five meals because they use Crave.
This ad works because it is immediately clear how you should be using the app and how it will save you money. You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel.
· What you can learn
If your product or service is cheaper than your competition, you should play up this angle in your marketing. By clearly laying out exactly how you are going to help your customers save money, you will be able to persuade them.
Provided all other things are equal, helping people save money is a powerful tool for conversion.
4. Otto Greenpoint: Endless Amenities
Otto is a brand advertising luxury rental apartments. Since it is an apartment complex, Otto is able to use aesthetically pleasing photos of rooms and beds in their marketing.
With this particular campaign, OTTO is asking the audience to imagine living in an apartment so comfy that they never wanted to leave. Hence the “Endless Amenities” moniker for the campaign.
One of the major things this campaign gets right is evoking feelings of laziness and comfort that are so important to today’s working professionals.
· What you can learn
Evoking a mood or atmosphere is crucial if you want to convert a prospect. Comfort and homeliness are powerful motivators and if you can invoke these feelings in your advertisements, you have a great chance of making the sale.
5. Lyft: We’ll Get You There
Lyft is one of the premier ride-sharing apps out there, and for a company of its size it is no surprise that they have some pretty fantastic advertisements.
Their “We’ll Get You There” Instagram campaign is interesting because it isn’t technically an advertisement aimed at the customer. Instead, the ad is focused on Lyft drivers and addresses how they might be aspiring engineers or actors who are just trying to make ends meet by driving for Lyft.
By celebrating their own employees, Lyft is demonstrating that they are a great company to work for. For the casual viewer, this ad paints Lyft as an inclusive and authentic brand.
· What you can learn
Not all ads are about selling things. Some ads are about branding.
By using ads that celebrate your own team and employees, you are showing people that you are a real brand powered by passionate people who enjoy what they are doing.
In turn, this will help people to do business with you further down the line when you are actually selling something.
Instagram advertising is a fantastic way for brands to reach new audiences and build communities of loyal, passionate people.
We hope these examples light the creative fire in you and help you take your Instagram marketing to the next level!