(6 Steps) How to Create Instagram Ads That Work

In this article, I'm going to teach you how to create Instagram ads that work.

I see a lot of entrepreneurs run ads with creative and text they "think" will serve them well. Sometimes this works, most times this leads to crickets.

Guessing which ad will make your audience go "oooo lala" is hard. I get it.

What if I told you there's a different way? A guess-less way.

Today, I'm going to show you how I make ads that I know guests will love.

How do I know they will love them?

Because they created the ads for me.

Let's dive in:

How Sprint Testing Works

Sprint testing is the quickest way to see which part of your property gets people to book. Here's my sprint testing process:

Step 1: Do competitor research

Step 2: Create a sprint plan

Step 3: Test the creative

Step 4: Test the headlines

Step 5: Recreate the competitor ad

Step 6: Continue with the 80/20 rule.

After going through these 6 steps, you'll get 3-5 ads that work.

Let's pick apart each step:

Step 1: Do Competitor Research

See what others are already doing.

We all know who the top accounts in our niche are. Use Meta Ads Library to find their ads and take note on the creative and text they use.

This step is to get inspiration because chances are, those ads perform well for them.

Step 2: Create Your Sprint Plan

List out all the variables you'll want to test overtime. I recommend starting with:

1. Your property. Or if you have multiple, your properties.

2. The headlines.

Once those two things have been tested, you can get more specific. Here are some variables I would include in my sprint plan:

• Exterior

• Interior

• Premium amenities (hot tub and sauna)

• Local attractions

Step 3: Test Creative

Here's how to test creative:

1. Capture 15-18 different variations of one variable.

2. Fit the images to a 1x1 canvas on Canva.

3. Advertise all images in a traffic campaign with no description.

Your goal is to see which image gets the most clicks to your website at the lowest cost.

The winning 3 are your keepers.

Step 4: Test Headlines

Here's how to test headlines:

1. Write down 15-18 headlines on a Google Doc. Have some that are 5 words and some that are a couple sentences.

2. Place the full headline over your winning variable from the creative test on a 1x1 canvas using Canva.

3. Advertise all 18 headlines as an image in a traffic campaign with no description.

Pro tip: My best headlines are audience callouts.

Your goal is to see which headline gets the most clicks to your website at the lowest cost.

The winning 3 are your keepers.

Step 5: Recreate a Competitor Ad

Now we want to fit our winning variables to the format of an ad we already know does well. (Found in step 1).

I always try to ask myself these questions when analyzing a competitors ad:

• Where is the headline placed?

• How quick are the cuts? (If it's a video).

• What is the main point of the description?

• What is the final call to action?

From there I grab my camera and go create 3-5 ads with the winning variables in mind.

Pro tip: If your competitor's are running video ads (which most are), you can edit the video yourself or hire an editor on Fiverr for da low. Just be sure they understand what the video needs to look like.

Once your ads are complete, switch your campaign goal from 'traffic' to 'sales'. a.k.a bookings.

Step 6: Continue with the 80/20 Rule

By this point you have:

1. An ad that will do well.

2. With headlines that speak to your ideal audience.

3. A live direct booking campaign.

Even though you have ads that perform well, you don't want to stop testing.

I recommend using 20% of your advertising budget to complete your sprint test plan (step 2) in a separate campaign.

This will only make your ads better.

The Cost of Sprint Testing

Here's the cost breakdown of sprint testing:

• Each test (one variable with 15-18 different variations) costs me about $36.

• It takes about 24 hours to complete a test.

• I spend about 1hr preparing the test.

A very small price to pay to create Instagram ads that work.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

Before you go

Enter your email below to get my:

👉️ Sprint Test Planner (Step 2)

👉️ 14 Best Headlines (Step 3)

Totally free.