Dubai: With Instagram going live with ads and Facebook already having a formidable presence, marketers and their brands will have their work cut out in deciding which ad should go where. But what of the cost for advertisers?
“Facebook has a self-serve model which allows advertisers to optimise and create campaigns real-time without committing a specific amount for any given campaign,” said Hoshi Siganporia, CEO at Dubai-based tbi Advertising.
“Instagram has also come a long way since they first started the ad roll-out to premium advertisers in the US.”
It was a few weeks ago that Instagram announced a phased launch of their self-serve advertising model in 30 new countries, including UAE and Saudi Arabia. Considering that Facebook has a much higher penetration in the region in absolute numbers compared to Instagram, the cost of ads served on Instagram in the initial phase could be higher.
In a statement that Instagram released confirming the new markets’ roll-out, it also listed the ad options brands could choose from. These include the landscape photo and video to “unlock new creative opportunities and give ads a more cinematic feel” and “video ads of up to 30 seconds ‘so brands can engage in richer storytelling’.”
There will also be the ‘Marquee’ option, a premium product to “help drive mass awareness and expanded reach in a short time frame — perfect for events like movie premieres and new product launches.”
According to Phil Adrien, general manager of Blue Barracuda, “The cost [of placing ads] needs to be evaluated relative to return. We want to deliver on clients’ objectives while staying within budget and providing the highest rate of return. That may mean leveraging different social media platforms, for different brands who are each trying to reach a very specific audience.”
