How to create an Instagram Direct Ad (and connect it to a Drop Campaign)

A quick step-by-step guide on creating an Instagram Direct Ad linked to a Drop automated flow

Erwan Ferriere avatar
Written by Erwan Ferriere
Updated over a week ago

Instagram Direct Ads are one of the best ways to use Meta advertising to capture new audiences into your automated DM initiatives. (Read all about it here!) If you’re ready to launch a Instagram Direct Ads, but need a little direction, read along for our step-by-step guide, and don’t skip over our best practices at the end!

Creating an Instagram Direct Ad

  1. First up, go to Ad Creation within Facebook’s Ads Manager

  2. Choose the Messages objective, and start by creating a campaign with an Engagement objective

  3. In the Message Destination section, click Instagram Direct.

  4. Then, within the Ad Set, ( and under Conversion Location), choose Messaging Apps

  5. Below, only select Instagram as the default channel you’ll use for Messaging Apps

  6. Edit your Audience, Placements, Budget, and Schedule and click Next

  7. Choose your ad format and complete your ad setup

  8. Under Message Template, decide to either Create New or Use Existing template

  9. Click + Create to create your flow. Save and Finish when you're all done

  10. Finish editing your ad, and hit Publish when you're ready to go live!*

*Your corresponding Drop Campaign should be live, tested, and ready to go BEFORE your ad goes live.

Connecting to a Drop Campaign

To connect a Instagram Direct Ad to the Drop Campaign, simply use the same keyword in the Drop campaign that is used to trigger the Direct Ads campaign. Easy!

Best Practices

After setting up so many of these campaigns, we do have some best practices that help us get the most out of Instagram Direct ads. Read along below 👇

Timeframe

Give yourself 4 to 6 weeks to test, learn and ultimately identify your best campaigns.

Audiences

Test 2-3 broad audiences to make sure your Drop campaigns are experienced by a large amount of users. Exclude your active customers.

Strategy

Use a top-of-funnel approach, like a Gamified Drop Campaign that will engage more users. Asset must have a strong value props and is incentive driven.

Assets

Craft 1 frame or a 2-frame carrousels maximum. Motion Ads are always the most catchy. The CTA “DM us xyz” must be very clear at the bottom of the visual

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