Instagram Paid Advertising for Self-Published Authors

In today’s digital age, getting your book in front of the right readers can feel like an uphill battle—especially for self-published authors without the backing of a traditional publisher. That’s where Instagram ads come in.

With approximately 2 billion active users as of 2024, Instagram has powerful targeting options that provide a unique opportunity to reach your ideal audience, boost book sales, and grow your author brand.

But is it worth the investment? Ads aren’t mandatory, but they certainly help a lot.

Let’s break down why Instagram ads are a game-changer for self-published authors and how you can use them effectively to market your book.

Why Use Instagram Ads?

That’s the big question, isn’t it? Why should you spend your hard-earned money on this?

Well, Instagram ads allow you to:

• Increase your books visibility
• Drive traffic to your book sales pages
• Grow your email lists through lead magnets
• Boost your engagement (e.g., followers, likes, comments)
• Retarget potential readers who interacted with your content

Organic reach is limited on Instagram, but ads allow you to target specific reader demographics (e.g., fantasy readers, indie book lovers). It allows you to control budget, audience, and placement for maximum effectiveness too.

Types of Instagram Ads

Ads are defined by their placement options. In other words, where the ad appears.

Let’s explore the different places on Instagram you can advertise.

Feed Ads

Feed ads appear directly in the users’ main Instagram feed as they scroll. They work great for book promotions, announcements, and lead magnets.

For the best quality, the following sizes are recommended:

• Images
  • Square
    • At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
    • Aspect Ratio 1:1
  • Landscape
    • At least 1080 x 566 pixels
    • Aspect Ratio 1.91:1
  • Vertical
    • At least 1080 x 1350 pixels
    • Aspect Ratio 4:5
• Videos
  • Vertical
    • Aspect Ratio 4:5
    • Aspect Ratio 9:16
  • Landscape
    • Aspect Ratio 1.91:1

Story Ads

Story ads are full-screen vertical ads that show up between stories. They’re great for eye-catching book trailers, giveaways, and lead magnets. The recommended size in this case is 1080 x 1920 pixels, or 9:16 aspect ratio.

Reels Ads

Reel ads are short videos that appear between reels. They are highly engaging and work best for fast-paced book trailers, character introductions, and writing tips.

The recommended size is the same as story ads: 1440 x 2560 pixels (or 9:16 aspect ratio).

Explore Ads

These ads appear on the Explore page, reaching users actively searching for new content.This makes them a great tool for being discovered by a broad audience and reaching new readers. The recommended size is at least 1080 x 1080 pixels, a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Instagram Search Ads

Search ads appear in search results when users look for specific topics (e.g., “fantasy books” or “writing tips”). Make use of these to target readers actively searching for book-related content!

The recommended size is at least 1080 x 1080 pixels , with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

While these may not sound as flashy, this ad group has a high impact. This is because unlike feed or story Ads, search ads reach users with high intent: these are people already looking for content like yours.

Shop Ads

Shop ads are for authors selling directly on Instagram Shop. It allows users to purchase books directly from Instagram. It’s a great option for merchandise, signed copies, and limited editions.

The recommended size is 1080 x 1080 pixels, a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Best Placement Strategy for Authors

So, what’s the best option for authors? This depends on your particular needs, but here’s a good framework: Use story & feed ads for maximum visibility (these are great for book promos!), add search ads if you’re targeting book buyers or writing-related searches, and consider reel ads if you have an engaging book trailer.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

Ad Type	Best For
Photo Ads	Book cover reveals, author branding
Carousel Ads	Book series, reviews, lead magnet offers
Story Ads	Short, high-impact book promo, giveaways
Reels Ads	Engaging, short video ads
Video Ads	Book trailers, writing journey clips

Setting Up a Paid Instagram Ad

Alright, so you’re ready to dive into Instagram ads—but where do you even start? Now that you know how ads work, let’s go over how to set them up.

Step 1:

• Go to Meta Ads Manager.
• Click “Create” to start a new campaign.

Step 2:

Choose Your Ad Objective. Your goal will determine how Instagram delivers your ad.

Objective	Best For Authors Who Want To…
Traffic	Send readers to Amazon, website, or newsletter sign-up.
Engagement	Get more likes, comments, and interactions.
Lead Generation	Capture emails via a lead magnet (free eBook).
Conversions	Drive book sales directly.

Step 3:

Now it’s time to define your target audience. Instagram allows precise targeting based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.

Ideal audience targeting for authors will depend on your situation. The age, for example, depends on your book’s genre. The gender will depend on your reader base, and the location will depend on the countries where your book is available.

If your genre is YA science fiction, for example, you can use hashtags like #Bookstagram, #YAReaders, #SciFiFans.

Your target audience’s behavior is important as well. Aim your ads at people who engage with book-related content.

Pro Tips:

• Use Custom Audiences to retarget users who interacted with your past content.

• Use Lookalike Audiences to target users similar to your current followers.

Step 4:

Choose the Ad Placement. Meta Ads Manager offers two options:

• Automatic Placements (Recommended) which will have your ads appear across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
• Manual Placements, in which case consider feed and/or story for best results.

We recommend using Instagram-only placements for book promotions.

Step 5:

It’s time to set your budget and schedule.

For budgeting, you’ll have two options. You can have a daily budget, which controls how much you spend per day or a lifetime budget which controls how much you spend over the campaign.

Our recommended budget for authors is 5 dollars to 10 dollars for small-scale book promotions, or 50 dollars to 100 dollars for launch ads.

For your schedule, you should run ads for at least 6–7 days to allow Instagram to optimize delivery.

Step 6:

Now it’s time to create your ad creative. This is everything you audience will see.

Don’t just post anything and call it a day. You’ve got to make sure your ad is effective. In order to do that, you need to have the following:

• Eye-Catching Image or Video: This could be a high-quality book cover, teaser, or trailer.
• Compelling Headline: Let your imagination run wild and use words aimed at your target audience. For example: “Escape into a thrilling fantasy world. Get your copy today!”
• Persuasive Caption: Include a short, engaging message and call-to-action.
• Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Examples might include, “Pre-Order Now” or “Download for Free.”
• Landing Page: Direct users to your Amazon listing, website, or a lead magnet.

Pro Tip: Use A/B Testing (run 2 versions of your ad) to see which performs better.

Key Metrics to Track an Instagram Ad

Instagram ads aren’t set it and forget it.

After launching, it’s important to monitor performance metrics in Meta Ads Manager. This way, you’ll know if the ad is performing well, or you need to adjust.

But what should you look for? Here’s a quick table for guidance:

Metric	What It Means	Ideal Range
CTR (Click-Through Rate)	% of people who clicked the ad	1–3% (higher is better)
CPC (Cost Per Click)	Cost of each click	$0.20–$1.00
Conversion Rate	% of people who bought or signed up	5–10%
Engagement Rate	Likes, comments, shares	Higher = Better

Optimizing Your Instagram Ad

After checking your metrics, it may be time for you to adjust your ad to get the best results.

• If Click-Through Rate (CTR) is LOW (<1%) → Try a stronger CTA or headline.
• If CPC is TOO HIGH ($2+) → Narrow your audience (e.g., target only book lovers).
• If Conversions are LOW (<5%) → Improve your landing page (Amazon or bookstore page).

Pro Tip: Test different images, ad text, and video clips to see what works best.

Strategies for Paid Ads

Let’s talk about some smart, tried-and-true strategies to make your ad budget work for you, not against you.

Retargeting Campaigns (Re-Engage Readers)

If someone interacted with your content before, chances are that they’re already interested in your book.

This is where retargeting comes in.

By running ads that specifically reach people who’ve visited your website, clicked on a past ad, or engaged with your Instagram posts, you’re reminding them why they were interested in the first place. Use that to your advantage!

Lead Magnet Ads (Grow Your Email List)

Want to build a loyal reader base and keep them excited about your books? Lead magnet ads are a powerful way to do just that.

By offering something valuable—like a free chapter, a bonus short story, or an exclusive behind-the-scenes look—you can encourage potential readers to join your email list. Once they’re in, you can stay connected, share updates, and turn casual readers into lifelong fans.

Make sure the ad sends users to a landing page with an email sign-up form. The budget can range from 5 dollars to 20 dollars per day.

Common Mistakes with Paid Ads

While Instagram ads can be powerful, there are some mistakes that can lead to poor results and wasted spending that you need to watch out for.

Here are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them:

Targeting the Wrong Audience

Many authors target too broadly (e.g., all book lovers) or too narrowly (e.g., only fans of a specific author). Broad targeting wastes money on uninterested users, while narrow targeting limits reach, making ads expensive.

Fix this by:

• Researching Your Ideal Readers (Who reads your genre? How old are they? What are their interests and behaviors?)
• Using Lookalike Audiences (i.e., targeting people similar to your existing fans).
• Refining Interests: Instead of just “Books,” try “Romance Book Lovers” or even focusing on specific tropes.

Let’s walk through an example together.

Bad targeting would be something like “People who like reading.” You can improve this if you change it to “People interested in #Bookstagram, Kindle readers, and romance novels.”

Poor Ad Creative (Bad Images & Videos)

Using low-quality book covers, blurry images, or dull videos in ads can be a surefire way to push people away. Instagram is visual-first, so bad visuals mean ignored ads.

Plus, unprofessional images hurt your credibility.

Fix This By:

• Using High-Quality Covers (e.g., 3D Mockups)
• Create Visually Appealing Reels & Story Ads
• Test Different Creatives

For example, while a pixelated book cover with tiny text makes for an awful image that people are likely to skip, they’re likely to be drawn into a 3D mockup with a short, bold tagline.

Weak Call-to-Action (CTA)

Using a weak CTA or just not having one in the ad can leave users confused about what to do next. If people don’t know what action to take, they won’t take it. A vague CTA like “Check it out!” is ineffective.

Fix this by using clear, action-oriented calls-to-action like:

• “Download the first 3 chapters for FREE!”
• “Pre-Order now before the price goes up!”
• “Click to grab your signed copy today!”

Sending Traffic to the Wrong Landing Page

Users won’t spend time searching for your book, so make it easy for them to find. For example, directing users to a website homepage instead of a specific book sales page can cost you sales. Too many choices can lead to decision fatigue as users don’t know what to do.

Fix this by sending traffic directly to:

• Your Amazon book listing
  • A dedicated landing page with a clear CTA
  • A Lead Magnet Sign-up Page

Setting Unrealistic Budgets

Don’t expect huge results if you spend only 2 dollars per day on your ad. Too small an ad budget won’t provide enough data for Instagram to optimize the ad.

(In addition, it takes a few days for ads to “learn” so turning them off too soon wastes potential as well.)

Fix This By:

• Starting with 5 dollars to 10 dollars per day for at least 5–7 days.
• Increasing the ad budget of an ad that performs well.
• Monitoring Cost Per Click (CPC)—if it’s too high, tweak the targeting.

In other words, don’t spend 2 dollars a day for two days and then turn the ad off. Instead, you’d want to spend 10 dollars per day for 7 days, analyze results, then scale up.

Ignoring Instagram Insights (Not Tracking Performance)

Not checking analytics or adjusting ads based on performance data is a huge mistake that many people make.

We know it can be a pain to analyze the information, but if you don’t track results, you might be wasting money on bad ads. Metrics tell you what’s working and what needs improvement.

Fix This By:

• Checking Instagram Insights (Meta Ads Manager → Campaign Reports)
• Tracking CPC (Cost Per Click), CTR (Click-Through Rate), and Conversions
• Adjusting the targeting or creative of an ad if it isn’t working

Remember to check results daily and tweak low-performing ads to get those sales!

Relying Only on Paid Ads (No Organic Strategy)

Running ads without posting organically can make your page look empty or inactive. Readers will check your Instagram profile before trusting your ad and an inactive profile makes you look inauthentic.

Fix This By:

• Posting organically on a consistent basis
• Using Stories & Reels to keep engagement high
• Running ads on top of organic content—not as a replacement

Conclusion Summary

Instagram ads can be a game-changer for self-published authors by helping you reach more readers, grow your audience, and boost your book sales.

The key? Choosing the right ad type, targeting the right people, and keeping an eye on your metrics to fine-tune your strategy. With a little testing and tweaking, you can turn Instagram into a powerful marketing tool for your books.

Ready to give it a try? Your next reader could be just one ad away!