Why You Need Instagram Sponsored Posts and How to Create Them

Let's face it: organic reach on Instagram isn't what it used to be. Remember the glory days when posting a photo of your avocado toast would get you hundreds of likes without trying? Yeah, those days are long gone 😢

With Instagram's always-changing algorithm, getting your content seen by your target audience requires more than just posting and praying. Enter Instagram sponsored posts (also referred to as ads). They’re not-so-secret weapons brands and businesses use to cut through the noise.

I’ll break down everything you need regarding Instagram sponsored posts, from what they are to when to use them and how to create them. Let's dive in!

_{What is an Instagram sponsored post?}

An Instagram sponsored post is simply content that a business pays to promote to reach a wider audience beyond its followers. Think of it as giving your regular posts a megaphone — they look almost identical to organic content but with a little "Sponsored" label underneath your username.

When you sponsor a post, you're tapping into Instagram’s powerful targeting tools to get your content in front of people who are most likely to care. You can define your audience by location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and past brand interactions.

What makes sponsored posts so worthwhile is their flexibility — you can promote almost any type of content on Instagram:

Feed sponsored posts 

Whether it’s a single image, a carousel, or a video ad, sponsored feed posts blend seamlessly into users’ scrolls while putting your brand front and center. Perfect for grabbing attention without disrupting the experience.

Stories sponsored posts

Sponsored Instagram Stories let you take over the entire screen, delivering your message in an immersive, fast-paced format that keeps users engaged before they tap forward to the next one.

Reels sponsored posts

With Reels sponsored posts, you’re stepping into the hottest content format on Instagram. Short, snappy, and designed for discovery, they help you reach new audiences while keeping things fun and dynamic.

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^{When should I use Instagram sponsored posts?}

Not every post deserves the sponsored treatment. Knowing when to put money behind your content can be the difference between a wasted budget and a spectacular ROI. Sometimes, all your post needs is a push to go from steady momentum to full-throttle impact.

 Here are some prime opportunities for Instagram sponsored posts:

1. When organic reach hits a plateau: If your follower growth has stalled or engagement rates are dropping, sponsored posts can help you reach fresh eyes.
2. For product launches or promotions: Have a new product, limited-time offer, or seasonal sale? Sponsored posts ensure your announcements don't get buried in the feed.
3. To target specific customer segments: When you want to reach people based on specific demographics, interests, or behaviors that may not be following you yet.
4. For event promotion: Driving attendance to your webinar, store opening, or other events? Sponsored posts with location targeting can be particularly effective.
5. To retarget website visitors: If someone has visited your website but didn't convert, a sponsored post can be a gentle reminder of what they're missing.
6. To boost already successful content: If a post performs well organically, putting ad spend behind it can amplify those results.

Two types of sponsored posts on Instagram

When it comes to Instagram sponsored content, two distinct types often get confused. Let's clear up the difference:

Paid ads

These are what most businesses mean when they talk about sponsored posts. Brands create these directly through Meta's advertising platform and appear in users' feeds with the "Sponsored" label. You make these ads and then pay Instagram (Meta) directly to show them to your target audience.

The benefits of paid ads include:

✔️ Complete control over targeting parameters

✔️ Detailed performance metrics

✔️ Various bidding strategies and budget options

✔️ Multiple ad format choices

✔️ No need for influencer relationships

Instagram ads are your go-to option if you're looking to drive sales, traffic, awareness, app installs, or other specific business goals.

Brand-sponsored posts

These posts refer to influencer marketing, where brands pay content creators to feature their products or services in posts. The influencer creates and publishes the content on their account, and these posts typically carry a “Paid partnership with [brand]” label right under the username. It’s part of Instagram’s branded content tools, which help maintain transparency and allow brands to access performance insights like reach and engagement.

The benefits of influencer-sponsored posts include:

✔️ Riding on the credibility and trust influencers have built with their audience

✔️ Access to niche communities that align with your brand

✔️ More authentic, native-feeling content

✔️ The possibility of repurposing the content for your channels

While both approaches involve paying to reach audiences, they serve different purposes in your marketing mix and complement each other quite effectively.

How to create a sponsored post on Instagram

Ready to dip your toes into the world of Instagram sponsored posts? Follow these steps to get your first campaign up and running:

Option 1: Boost a post directly from Instagram

This method is the simplest and perfect for beginners who want to boost an Instagram post that’s doing well organically. You can read our article to learn more about the difference between boosting and running regular ads:

1. Open the Instagram app and head to your profile.
2. Find the post you wish to promote and tap the ‘Boost Post’ button below the image or video.

3. Pick your goal—getting more profile visits, website clicks, or messages—and tap ‘Next’ once you’ve made your choice.

4. Define your audience. You can let Instagram generate an audience for you or customize your targeting based on location, interests, age, and gender. If your post concerns housing, employment, or finances, don’t forget to select the ‘Special Ad Category’ option. 

If you prefer to create a custom audience, you must name the group and select the locations, interests, age, and gender. Hit ‘Next’ when done.

5. Set your budget and the duration of your boost. Instagram recommends at least $5 per day and a campaign length of six days or more for better results. Tap ‘Next’ to continue.

6. Review all your settings, then tap ‘Create Promotion’ to launch your promotion.

That’s it! Boosting a post on Instagram is a quick and easy way to increase visibility. Just keep in mind that while it’s convenient, it doesn’t offer the same level of targeting and optimization as a full-fledged ad campaign.

Option 2: Create a sponsored post through Meta Ads Manager

For more control and advanced ad setup options:

1. Go to Meta Ads Manager and click the ‘Create’ button. A window then pops out where you can choose your campaign objective. I’ll select ‘Sales’ for this demonstration, but you can choose one that matches your business needs. Click ‘Continue’ when done.

2. Choose your campaign setup: The Advantage+ Shopping campaign offers a fast, guided setup, while the manual setup gives you complete control to build your campaign from scratch. I’m demonstrating using the standard manual setup. Tap on ‘Continue’ to move forward.

3. Next, you can choose special ad categories, set up A/B tests, apply spending limits, or enable the Advantage campaign budget. Click the ‘Next’ button afterward.

4. Now, you must set your audience targeting, ad schedule, and, most importantly, placements, which determine where your ad appears. By default, Meta selects Advantage+ placements across multiple platforms, but since we’re focusing on Instagram, we’ll switch to manual placements. From there, remove Facebook, Audience Network, and Messenger so your ad runs exclusively on Instagram. Click ‘Next’ to continue.

5. Connect your Instagram account if you haven’t already, so you can browse your organic posts and select the one you want to sponsor. Under the Ad Setup section, you’ll now have two options:

• Use existing post – This lets you turn one of your published Instagram posts into a sponsored ad. Just click ‘Select post’ under ‘Ad creative’ to browse your feed and choose the post you want to promote.
  
  
• Create ad – Alternatively, you can build a brand-new ad with custom visuals and text tailored to your campaign.‍

6. Choose the correct post from the list and click ‘Continue’ afterward. You can amplify the reach of content that has performed well organically while retaining its original engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares).

7. Check the preview window to ensure you have the correct post. 

8. Select your preferred CTA button under the ‘Call to action’ section, such as "Shop Now."

9. Hit ‘Publish’ when you’re done. And that’s it! You’ve sponsored an Instagram post 🥂

As you can see, using Ads Manager gives you significantly more control over your campaign settings and allows you to run more sophisticated ads beyond just boosting existing posts. Detailed optimization is also the best way to get the most bang for your advertising buck.

Option 3: Create a sponsored post through an influencer collab

Creating a sponsored post through an influencer collaboration involves a mix of strategy, creativity, and clear communication. Companies like Meltwater provide free influencer briefing templates you can use. Once the influencer has crafted the ad and you’ve approved it, Instagram allows them to invite you as a collaborator by sending a collaboration request directly through the platform.

Generally, the process goes like this:

1. Define your goals: Determine what you want to achieve with the collaboration—brand awareness, product promotion, or sales.
2. Find the right influencer: Look for influencers whose audience aligns with your target demographic. Platforms like Afluencer can help you connect with influencers open to collaborations.
3. Establish clear terms: Discuss the scope of the collaboration, including deliverables (e.g., posts, Stories, Reels), timelines, and compensation. Ensure both parties agree on the terms.
4. Provide creative freedom: Share your brand guidelines and key messages, but allow the influencer to create content in their authentic style. This creative freedom ensures the post resonates with the influencer’s audience.
5. Use relevant hashtags and tags: Work with the influencer to include hashtags, tags, and links that enhance visibility and engagement.
6. Monitor and measure performance: Track the post's performance using metrics like reach, engagement, and conversions. That will help you evaluate the success of the collaboration.

Create stunning Instagram ads with Madgicx’s AI

As we’ve said already, not every post is worthy of sponsoring. So, how do you make sure your content is consistently ad-worthy? Use the genius and efficiency of AI! 

Sound overwhelming and “techy?” Fear not—Madgicx makes AI easy to use and seamlessly integrates it into your ad creation process.

Madgicx’s AI Ads Workflow keeps your Instagram (and Facebook) ads flowing at full speed and high quality. Just upload your product image, and the AI Ad Generator will create high-performing ad options in seconds.

Have a winning ad that needs a refresh? AI can instantly generate fresh variations to keep the momentum going. You can first browse top-performing ads in Madgicx’s Ad Library, pick one you like, and let AI generate similar, trendy creatives for your brand.

To edit the AI-generated ads, use the built-in AI Editor to adjust elements and refine text.

Ad creation tech is evolving—don’t get left behind. Give the AI Ad Generator a try for FREE for 7 days and start creating high-performing ads today!

FAQ - Instagram sponsored posts

It's time for some of the most popular questions on the net.

How do you get sponsored posts on Instagram?

There are two ways to interpret this question:

If you're asking how to create sponsored posts for your business, follow the steps outlined above in the "How to create a sponsored post on Instagram" section.

If you're asking how to get paid by brands to post sponsored content (as an influencer), you'll need to:

1. Build a dedicated following in a specific niche
2. Create high-quality, engaging content consistently
3. Switch to a business or creator account for access to insights
4. Develop a media kit showcasing your audience demographics and engagement rates
5. Reach out to brands that align with your niche, or join influencer marketing platforms
6. Network with brands at industry events and on social media

The key is authenticity and engagement quality rather than just follower count. Big brands like La Croix now prefer working with micro-influencers (10,000-50,000 followers) with highly engaged audiences over mega-influencers with millions of less engaged followers.

How much is a sponsored post on Instagram?

For businesses creating sponsored posts through Instagram, costs vary widely based on factors like your targeting parameters, ad placement (Feed, Stories, Reels, etc.), industry, and time of year (holiday seasons are typically more expensive).

According to WebFX, on average, businesses can expect to pay around:

• $0.01 – $0.25 per click 
• $0.01 – $4.00 per 1000 impressions (CPM)
• $0.03 – $0.08 per engagement

🛎️ Curious about ad costs on Instagram? Our detailed guide breaks it down—comparing Facebook vs. Instagram pricing and sharing best practices to lower ad costs! While at it, check out our blog comparing Facebook and Instagram ads to learn about their key differences and strengths and which is best for you.

Thinking about working with a content creator? 

According to Shopify’s survey, Instagram influencers charge an average of $1,300 per sponsored post. Here's how their pricing breaks down:

• Nano-influencers (500–10,000 followers): $10 to $100 p/post
• Micro-influencers (10,000–50,000 followers): $100 to $500 p/post
• Mid-tier influencers (50,000–100,000 followers): $500 to $5,000 p/post
• Macro-influencers (100,000–500,000 followers): $5,000 to $10,000 p/post
• Mega-influencers (500,000+ followers): $10,000 upward p/post

Is it worth it to sponsor a post on Instagram?

The short answer: It depends on your goals, target audience, and content quality. Instagram sponsored posts can be highly worthwhile when:

• Your organic reach isn't sufficient
• You need to reach specific audience segments
• You have clear conversion goals
• Your content is visually compelling

Many businesses see excellent ROI from Instagram sponsored posts, particularly for e-commerce, fashion, beauty, food, lifestyle, and travel brands. The platform's highly visual nature and shopping features make it ideal for product discovery.

To determine if it's worth it for your specific business, start with a small test budget and track key metrics relevant to your goals. 

Why does my Instagram post say "sponsored"?

If you see "Sponsored" on someone else's post, they've paid to promote that content to reach a wider audience (including you, even if you don't follow them).

If you're seeing it on your post, it's because you've activated a promotion for that post. Instagram requires the "Sponsored" label to maintain transparency about which content is organic and which is paid.

You cannot remove this label—it's Instagram's way of maintaining transparency with users about advertising content. The good news is that today's users are accustomed to seeing sponsored content and don't necessarily engage less with it if it's relevant and valuable to them.

Conclusion

Gone are the days of effortless organic reach—now, if you want people to see your content, you need a strategy. Instagram sponsored posts are a powerful way to cut through the noise, reach your ideal audience, and drive tangible results. Whether boosting a post for quick visibility or running a full-fledged campaign, these ads give you the tools to make an impact.

For businesses that want to use Instagram for business growth, sponsored posts should be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes organic content, community engagement, and even influencer partnerships.