What is the New Instagram Explore Placement?

Instagram is on the rise! This means you should be doing as much research on how to use Instagram’s explore placement feature to your advantage as soon as possible! 

And if you don’t already have a business account, you need one.

Stat.

But first, let’s cover our basics. 

Instagram is a social media app that places its focus on photos and videos. It quickly became the go-to for brands but has also been proving it’s value when it comes to driving sales.

Instagram has over a billion active users. Facebook and Youtube are the only other platforms that have more daily active users. In mid-2019, Facebook conducted research relating to the power of Instagram for businesses and how Instagram is a tool consumers utilize to both discover and research brands they’re interested in.

? Did you know, when surveyed, people said they perceive brands on Instagram as popular (78%), creative (77%), entertaining (76%) and relevant (74%)?

? How about the fact that 83% of people surveyed stated they used Instagram to discover new products and services? 

? Don’t forget that the people surveyed said they took the following actions after seeing a product or service on Instagram: 79% searched for more information, 65% visited the brand’s website or app, and 46% made a purchase online or offline.

So if there really are that many users using the Instagram platform to find new and upcoming brands? How do you make sure your ads are appearing in the right places?

Enter: Explore placement.

What is Instagram Explore Placement?

The explore feed is exactly what it sounds like: a tab each account has access to where users can find new brands, businesses, and creators. It also gives them the opportunity to find like-minded accounts and connect. The explore feed is tailored to show each account unique accounts based on their interests and likes from their home feed. Over 50% of Instagram users utilize their explore feed each month. 

To date, around 80% of people follow a business account, and explore can be used to help them find the next brand they’ll fall in love with. ?

Brands are the “thing” of Instagram. Consumers love connecting with brands they use. So when businesses show behind the scenes or a day in the life, they’re establishing relationships that will eventually turn into conversions.

Using ads in the explore feed means an opportunity to simultaneously be relevant and trending. They’ll also maximize your audience reach. 

How Does The Algorithm Work?

If you’ve been on Instagram for a while, you’ll know that there have been some changes to the algorithm. 

The explore page is an evolution of the “popular” page that was part of the beginning of Instagram. But, unlike the explore page, the “popular” page wasn’t an extension of the users’ interests and likes.

Now, the Instagram explore placement feed gives users content relevant to past likes posts. This is in an effort to connect the user with on-point brands and businesses. The algorithm monitors the users’ interactions within the platform and then reacts by giving the customer exactly what they want to see.

Because of this, Instagram is quickly becoming the empowered platform for “real” talk and addressing societal issues.

Once a business reached the explore page, they’ve reached an entirely new level of untapped consumers in an instant.

Related: Why You Need to Advertise on Instagram

How Do The Ads Work?

When you want to place an ad on the explore page, you’ll need to indicate that you want that post to appear in Explore. You’ll find this when setting up your sponsored campaign. Usually, Instagram campaigns are set up through Facebook’s automated ad manager.

However, the sponsored posts won’t be visible at the top of the explore page. Ads only appear secondhand, when a user clicks on a video or photo and then scrolls through the related content.

As of right now, your ad won’t be placed on:

• The initial Explore grid
• In the topic channels
• The IGTV, Shopping, or Stories destinations

Compared to Facebook and it’s related apps, Instagram’s explore page is a unicorn. It is designed to allow users to dive deep into the app and truly connect and build community.

Should You Try Instagram Explore Ads?

By incorporating ads in Instagram’s Explore feature, you’ll be opening up all kinds of doors and windows for your business. You’ll have a unique opportunity to get your business or brand in front of a new audience where your ideal consumer can easily find specific products or services you offer.

When you use the easy opt-in feature for your automatic ad placements, you’re making a small action that can lead to an explosion of your business.

With over 1 billion users active on the Instagram platform, and 80% of those users using Instagram to follow their favourite brands and businesses, it’s a no-brainer that using these new ads features will help organizations find an entirely new audience and customer base.

Have you tried using Instagram as a tool to promote your business? Let me know your favourite strategies below! ?