The road to creating a successful application is difficult, but it does not end after its development. Advertising your app is the next step you need to take and is just as difficult and expensive as the last one. Fortunately, Facebook and Instagram provide great marketing tools for your new mobile app. It is strongly recommended to seek advice on what platforms to use and how much to spend on marketing; whereas more and more app advertisers are aggressively spending money to encourage app installation.

Application marketing is a constantly evolving industry. As more apps are being developed, advertising is needed to expose the mobile app and drive downloads. But what do Facebook and Instagram have to do with this? Facebook and Instagram are the two biggest social media platforms, so if you want to showcase apps, marketing through these two social media giants is the way to go.

Advantages of marketing on Facebook and Instagram

As mentioned earlier, Facebook and Instagram are big players on social media; like Facebook actually owns Instagram. These are two apps that most people use on a daily basis, so why not use this to your advantage. First, make sure your application is optimized for ASO marketing. Once your app is optimized for organic searches, you can now branch out and make impressions, even when people aren't looking for a specific app like yours.

These ads appear in the user's favorite / most used apps, making app ads often seen by Facebook and Instagram users. In this way, giving your application as much exposure as possible. These frequent ads not only encourage the installation of applications, but also increase user retention. In-app event promotions remind users of the app and help strengthen your app's user base.

Types of marketing ads on Facebook and Instagram

Facebook and Instagram provide you with many different types of ads, giving variety to the way your app is viewed. 

Here is a list of ads that can be used on Facebook and Instagram:

Image ads - the simplest form. Just a photo and a caption, like a regular post.

Video Ads - A video post showcasing your product or service.

Surveys - engages users to respond to surveys, after which the results are calculated.

Carousels - A series of images and videos showing a product or service.

Slideshow Advertising - It can also be a series of images and is a good way to create a video ad with low data.

Collectible ads - takes consumers to a direct market.

Instant ads - fast-loading ads.

Hosting Ads - Ads with quick contact information, mobile only.

Dynamic ads - ads targeted to target audiences.

Messenger Ads - Ads through Facebook Messenger.

Story Ads - Vertical video ads that fill the screen.

Augmented reality ads - filters and animations that allow users to interact with brands.

Set clear goals when looking to launch your app. 

Facebook Ads Manager allows you to refine your campaign goals and optimize your campaigns accordingly. 

The goals of the Facebook campaign include: brand awareness, reach, traffic, engagement, app installations, video views, lead generation, messaging, conversions, catalog sales, and store traffic.

Optimize ads on Facebook and Instagram

Facebook and Instagram ads are a handy tool in application marketing. 

They provide a lower cost of implementation, action and installation compared to other application marketing platforms. Facebook ads allow app marketers to reach users, then refine and tailor ads to their target audience. Once your advertising budget is set, advertisers can track data and optimize their ads accordingly.