Instagram ads have opened up every business to the world. Instagram and social media platforms have made it easier for the modern-day entrepreneur to reach clients from the other end of the world, from the comfort of their homes. As Ads and social media have evolved, they have strived to make our lives easier at every turn. And one such initiative was the Automated Instagram ad Targeting option. Now, should you use this? Well, we hope you have an answer to this question by the end of this guide.
So, without further ado, let us go ahead!
What Is Targeting for Instagram Ads?
If you have ever run an Instagram ad, you know what Targeting is. For those of you who don’t know, here is a concise version.
When running Instagram ads, Meta allows you to choose the type of audience you want to display the ad to. Now, Meta has an extensive targeting parameter that allows you to really target a precise set of people.
Although this option excited many marketers, some were scratching their heads. Because with all these nuanced settings that allowed accurate target demographic selection, came a complication. It was too complex! Most first-timers needed a learning curve and time to understand it.
Which is where Meta’s Automated Targeting came into action. With automated targeting, Meta takes out the hassle of manually choosing your audience but promises to deliver results.
So, how to access these automated targeting settings, read on to learn.
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2 Types of Automated Targeting vs Manual Targeting
There are 2 ways in which you can access automated Instagram ad targeting. Let us take a brief look at how to find these settings and how they differ from the manual approach.
1. Boosting a Post
Boosting a Post on Instagram is one of the easiest ways to post an ad. The process is further simplified because of the addition of this automated targeting option. But how to access them? This is how:
- To start boosting a post, click on the “Boost post” option.
- Now select the ad goal that you want to reach, which can be anything from profile visits to website visits. Once done, click “Next”.
- Here is where an automated or manual targeting choice can be made. If you pick the “Suggested audience”, you go with the audience pre-selected by Instagram. You also get to see a brief description of the characteristics of the audience.
- If you do not want to go with this selection, then Instagram allows you to choose your audience, aka Manual targeting. Here, you can alter your audience based on the parameters of location, age, and interests. Here, you also have the option to turn on the Advantage+ audience. Advantage+ is an ML-driven meta algorithm that automatically finds your audience and improves ad performance.
- The last leg of the boosting process is to set a daily budget and duration for your ad. Once done, review the ad settings and hit “Boost post” to conclude.
You can also choose to set up Instagram auto-posting with the help of AI for boosting your posts.
2. Through Facebook Ads Manager
If you are not interested in boosting ads and would like to explore automated Instagram ad targeting options in the Facebook Ads Manager, then Meta has something for you, too.
Remember the brief peek you got into Advantage+ audiences in the previous section? Now, this option is available in the Ads Manager as well. Let us see how you can access this:
- Visit the Facebook Ads Manager and select the “+ Create” option.
- Choose the goal of your ad and then hit “Next”.
- Now, as soon as you enter the ad set creator, you will see Advantage everywhere, from ad placements to smart budgeting options. These were all designed to make ad-making as painless as possible.
- As you navigate through the ad set creation, you can see an Advantage+ audience section. By clicking this on, you can use Meta’s extensive knowledge about its user base to find the right set of audience.
- But if you are fairly confident about your audience, you have the option to create your own. You can create your custom audience and save it. You can upload your current clients and use them as an audience. You can ask Meta to find an audience who shares similar attributes with your clients and create a lookalike audience. The possibilities are endless.
- Once you have selected the necessary parameters, uploaded your creatives, and edited and previewed them, you can hit “Publish”. And that is it!
Weighing Both Sides – Automated vs Manual Targeting
Now, like most things in the world, both of these options come with their own set of advantages and limitations. But what are they? Let us dissect:
1. Advantages of Automated Targeting
- With Automated Instagram ad targeting, you do not have to worry about setting up an audience. This can be perfect for a first-timer who may or may not know their audience.
- Meta offers extensive targeting options, which are often complex to navigate. But automated targeting can take this problem out of the way.
- AI-powered automation coupled with Meta’s extensive database can actually help you target users whom you might not have originally thought of.
- Since there is no manual intervention, the chances of scaling are better.
- The error percentage is lower because of reduced human intervention.
2. Limitations of Automated Targeting
- Your choices are limited. Choosing automated targeting means you are relinquishing your ability to make any modifications to your audience.
- The algorithm that chooses your audience might not have an accurate understanding of your business, audience, or your requirements.
- Does not work as efficiently without a lot of data.
3. Advantages of Manual Targeting
- Your audience selection is your choice. With manual targeting, you get to drill down into your audience segment as minutely as possible.
- Meta has an extensive targeting option, as we have stressed throughout the guide. With such a vast majority of options at hand, you can efficiently reach your target audience.
- You can analyze the performance of your ad from time to time and make precise adjustments to your audience selection.
4. Limitations of Manual Targeting
- With manual targeting, marketers have to navigate through a myriad of options to choose the audience of their preference.
- The whole manual targeting process can be time-consuming and labor-intensive because of its complexity.
- Any new user would require a learning curve and a good understanding of the platform, and the audience to make good use of these options.
- Because of manual intervention, the chances of error are higher than with automated targeting.
Should You Choose Automated Targeting Over Manual Targeting?
There is no right or wrong option when it comes to choosing a targeting option for your Instagram ads. What we suggest you do is weigh the pros and cons of both sides that we listed above, think of your situation as well, and pick a targeting option. This way, the solution is best suited for your unique situation.
Broadly, we would suggest new users with little or no experience and time to choose the automated targeting option. This way, you will be able to get a better grasp on the type of audience that likes and engages with your ads. If you are a company with lots of historical data, then automated targeting might work for your ads as well. The more data, the better the prediction results.
But if you are someone who has a deep understanding of your audience, then manual targeting can equip you with the tools you need to reach them. Automated predictions are not the endgame, sometimes, they may be contradictory to what you know. In such cases, manual targeting can help you reach your clients.
So, based on your requirement, pick a targeting option that suits you best.
Final Thoughts
Besides targeting, ad creatives are another major source of motivation when it comes to converting your audience.
And good creatives are hard to come by, with most requiring lots of time, effort, and manpower. But Predis AI can take this whole process out of the equation and deliver you a high-quality ad in a matter of seconds.
How? With our AI-generative capabilities and an extensive library of templates, there is something for every business owner to use and create their next best-performing ad.
So, without further thought, sign up today and get your free Predis AI account now!
FAQ:
Automated targeting is the ability to use Instagram’s algorithms to find an audience who are more likely to engage and convert. This audience is selected by Instagram based on factors such as age, demographics, and interests.
In manual targeting, you have to actively select your audience one factor at a time. But in automated targeting, Instagram’s algorithm does this work for you.
If you are a beginner to Instagram ads, have little to no insights regarding your audience, or if you are experimenting with a new product, then automated targeting might be a good option for you.
