How Great Instagram Ads Are Made (Step by Step with Examples)

What makes a good Instagram ad? Let's talk about it.

There are 3 key aspects of a good airbnb or hotel Instagram ad:

• Hook

• Content

• Call to Action

I'm not going to just talk about these.

Instead, I'm going to share my swipe file of great ads and pick each aspect apart.

Let's dive in:

1 ) Hook

There are two parts of a hook.

1. Visual hook

2. Headline

The visual hook is the first 1-3 seconds of what people see.

The headline is the first thing they read.

People will know what an ad is about faster by reading the headline.

People will watch longer because of the visual hook.

Formula: The quicker someone understands something, the longer they'll pay attention = higher likelihood of buying.

Here are 3 ads that use hooks really well:

Bolt Farm Treehouse

Headline: Tennessee Couples Getaway

Onera Wimberly

Headline: Romantic Summer Getaway

Dunya Camp

Headline: People drive 3 hrs from Nashville just to sleep here

What you'll notice:

• The visual hook shows the exterior of the stay.

• The headline speaks to a specific person.

We see the same thing with our ads. If the first 3 seconds is an exterior shot of the stay with a headline that speaks to a specific person, they do well.

2 ) Content

The best Instagram ads have Hollywood quality content.

• Lighting is perfect

• Shot using 4K

• The camera movements guide the eyes

Unlike many industries, people book airbnbs and hotels based on what they see.

The better it looks, the more will book.

The best way to get good at creating ads is by referencing others who have already done so.

Not copy. Reference.

I idol these 6 accounts:

• Onera Wimberly

• Paradise Lake Ohio

• Boxhop

• Mike Iannetta

• Trainstays

• Outpost X

You should too.

Callback: Notice their hook format. It's very similar.

3 ) Call to Action (CTA)

Your ad will have two call to actions.

• Ad CTA: The button people click

• Creative CTA: The CTA in the ad

The Ad CTA will be a default option like, "Learn More" or "Book Now."

Unfortunately, not many people pay attention to the Ad CTA. Which is good because “Book Now” is somewhat bland.

Most see the Creative CTA. So this statement should be a little more punchy. Examples:

• Save your dates.

• Limited 2025 weekend. Book now.

• Limited availability. Book now.

• You deserve to stay here. Book now.

• Take that vacation you’ve been planning. Book now.

Either way, make sure it’s clear you want people to book versus browse.

Great! Now what?

Focus on mastering the 3 aspects of a great Instagram Ad:

• Hook

• Content

• Call to Action

Next step:

• Create the ad

• Run the ad

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

P.S. Post triathlon again this week. This race was brutal. Lake Michigan fed us some big-ish waves, I had a traffic stop on the bike and the run always sucks. Still always fun to get out though.

Before you go

I spend about 10 hours writing this newsletter each week. The rest of my time is spent running Lodge Social.

Our marketing team will help you get more guests to like, share and book.

Work with me and my team here.

Links you might like:

1. What is a pre-booking campaign? Find out (The Lodge Social)

2. Is glamping a trend? (YouTube)

3. The 8 best road trips in the USA (Wander)

4. Want more bookings? Get specific (Unique Stays)