Guides / Run ads
How to run Instagram ads
Instagram ads are bought in Meta Ads Manager, in the same campaign as Facebook. You choose the placements, and you cut the creative for Reels, Stories, and the feed. A separate Instagram-only account is rarely the better structure.
About 966 US searches a month for “how to run instagram ads”. Updated October 4, 2026.
| Placement | Shape | What has to be true |
|---|---|---|
| Reels | 9:16 | The product and the claim are in the first second, with sound off still readable |
| Stories | 9:16 | A single frame can carry the offer; the swipe-up is the click |
| Feed | 4:5 or 1:1 | The caption can do more of the explaining |
Same account as Facebook
You do not open a second ads manager. The Instagram account is connected to the Facebook page, and the campaign’s placements include Instagram. Turning Facebook off to “focus on Instagram” throws away inventory and usually raises the cost.
The setup steps that are shared, pixel through learning, are on how to advertise on Facebook.
The creative is the placement
A landscape video with burned-in captions at the bottom gets its text covered by the Reels UI. Export a 9:16 cut with the claim in the middle third, and a 4:5 cut for the feed. Same idea, two files.
Creator posts run as partnership ads from the creator’s handle. That is a different ad from uploading their file into your own page.
Read placements, not a second account
Break the ad set down by placement after it has spend. If Reels takes the budget and the CPA holds, leave it. If Stories spends and never converts, exclude that placement on the next ad set rather than building an Instagram-only campaign.
Creative that dies in a couple of weeks is the normal Meta pattern now. How often to replace it is on creative fatigue.
Questions
Can I run Instagram ads without Facebook?
The buying happens in Meta Ads Manager, which is the Facebook ads tool. You can limit delivery to Instagram placements. You still need the Meta account, the pixel, and a connected Instagram profile.
Do Reels ads need a different campaign?
No. Reels is a placement. Give it a vertical cut inside the same ad set, and let the auction decide how much it earns.
What is a good length for a Reel ad?
Short enough that the offer lands before someone swipes, usually well under 20 seconds. The first second does the work. Length past that only helps if the product needs a demo.
Keep going
Put it in the account
Connect the ad account. Sprites reads it, drafts the change, and waits for your approval before anything spends.
Start 7-day trial →Rather talk it through? Book a demo