How to Run Effective Instagram Ads for B2B SaaS
October 9, 2024
Instagram is often overlooked by B2B SaaS companies – yet it holds untapped potential for lead generation and brand visibility. With over a billion active users and advanced targeting options, this visually-driven platform can effectively engage key decision-makers and drive sales. Our PPC Manager Alesia Sidaruk shares 7 tried-and-tested strategies for Instagram Ads, drawing from our successful approach to B2B SaaS campaigns here at Aimers.
Instagram isn’t just a platform for B2C brands. With the right approach, it can be turned into a powerful tool for B2B SaaS companies. Instagram may seem like an atypical channel for promotion for this particular industry, but its focus on visuals and great targeting options open up unique opportunities for attracting new users.
In this post, I’ll cover 7 tips that will help you effectively use Instagram Ads to promote your SaaS product. These are specifically tailored to reach your B2B target audience of business owners and professionals. We use these strategies for our clients here at Aimers – so you can be sure that these are tested for effectiveness in the most competitive SaaS niches.
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1. Convey Value with Engaging Visuals
Instagram’s visual format is ideal for showcasing your product’s value to a B2B audience. I advise creating infographics and short videos that demonstrate your clients' success stories. Such visual formats are especially effective for B2B topics, since you can showcase specific features and use cases to the decision makers, who value efficient and straightforward communication.
Videos and images allow you to quickly demonstrate how your product solves real business problems, which is very important for the target audience at the upper stages of the funnel. In addition, this content has a high potential for engagement and sharing, which can increase organic reach of your advertising campaigns.
2. Use Instagram’s Native Lead Forms
Lead Ads are ideal for collecting leads directly on Instagram without having to redirect your users to the website or landing page. Moreover, pre-filled fields with user’s profile information make filling out the form much easier. Integrate Lead Ads with your CRM system to automate the following interactions with the leads.
Lead Ads also work great at the consideration stage of your customer journey, helping to turn interest into action and speed up the decision-making process.
3. Engage With Your Website Visitors
Launching retargeting campaigns will remind potential customers of the benefits of your product at the right moment, and when they are most likely to make a decision. You can create personalized ads based on user behavior on your website. For example, if a potential customer showed interest in a specific solution, offer them a case study that centers on it and fully demonstrates the capabilities of your product.
In addition, retargeting will help bring back users who started a free trial but didn’t continue with a paid subscription. For maximum effectiveness, it is worth segmenting the audience by job title, industry, and demographics. You can then create unique advertising messages demonstrating how your solution solves specific business problems of the target audience.
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Get Started4. Boost Efficiency With Lookalike Audience
Create lookalike audiences based on the lists of your most valuable clients, and allow Instagram to find similar users. This approach allows you to reduce customer acquisition costs and increase ROI. For example, if you are promoting data analytics software, you can create an audience based on customers who have purchased the most expensive subscription and run ads for them.
Here are some additional audience tips from me:
- Regularly update your audiences: the market is constantly changing, and so are your customers.
- Combine lookalike audience targeting with targeting by interests and demographic for more accurate results.
- Always keep track of the results: analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments.
5. Target Specific Job Titles
Do you want your ads to reach the decision makers among your potential client base? Then job title targeting is your indispensable tool. Focus on CEOs, CTOs, marketing directors, sales managers, and other key figures in your niche. Personalized ads that take into account the specifics of each job title will increase the effectiveness of your ads. Combine this targeting with other parameters – such as lookalike, interests, location, and age – for even more precise targeting.
6. Experiment With Ad Formats
Constantly changing algorithms require constant adaptation, so I always advise testing various Instagram ad formats. Carousels, videos, stories – each is unique in its own way and evokes different reactions from users. By regularly testing new formats, you can find the optimal solution for your target audience and achieve maximum return on your advertising campaign.
7. Regularly A/B test
Don't be afraid to experiment! Regularly conduct A/B testing of different visuals, copy, and audiences to find out what works best for your target. Analyze the obtained data on clicks, conversions, and other key metrics. Constantly optimize your advertising campaigns based on the obtained data to increase their effectiveness and reduce CPA. Don't rest on your laurels: the market is constantly changing, and what worked yesterday may not work today. Be ready to experiment and adapt to new trends.
Wrapping up, I’d like to stress that every SaaS business is unique. What works for one company may not work for another. So use these Instagram Ads tips as a starting point and adapt them to your specific goals and audience.
Takeaways
- The potential of Instagram ads for SaaS is often underestimated. But the platform’s creative visual formats and targeting options offer unique opportunities for attracting new users.
- Leverage visual content. Use engaging visuals like infographics and videos to clearly convey your product's value. Focus on showcasing real success stories and specific use cases to capture the interest of decision-makers.
- Utilize native lead forms. Implement Instagram’s Lead Ads to collect user information directly within the platform, simplifying the process for potential leads and enhancing lead collection during the consideration stage.
- Implement retargeting campaigns. Launch retargeting to remind website visitors of your product's benefits and tailor messages based on their behavior, such as previous interest in specific solutions or incomplete trials.
- Create lookalike audiences. Develop lookalike audiences based on high-value clients to find similar users. Regularly update these audiences and combine with targeting based on interests and demographics for improved results.
- Target specific job titles. Use job title targeting to reach key decision-makers in your niche. Personalize ads based on the specific needs and circumstances of different roles to increase engagement.
- Experiment with various ad formats. Test different Instagram ad formats (e.g., carousels, videos, stories) to discover which resonates best with your audience, as various formats can lead to different user reactions.
- Conduct regular A/B testing. Consistently run A/B tests on your ad visuals, copy, and target audiences to refine your campaigns. Monitor key metrics to adapt quickly to market changes and optimize your strategy.
- Customize strategies for your business. Recognize that every SaaS company is unique; adapt these strategies to fit your specific goals and audience for maximum effectiveness.
Did you know that you can hire Aimers team to work on Instagram ad campaigns for your SaaS? See our paid social offering here. Drop a line to our team for more information, and we’ll get back to you shortly!
Alesia is an exceptionally skilled PPC Manager who consistently delivers outstanding results, managing campaigns with precision and creativity.