Why Instagram needs its own plan, not a TikTok repost
Instagram looks like TikTok from a distance. Up close it behaves differently. People follow brands and creators they already like, they save and share posts to friends in DMs, and they check your profile before they buy. A Reel can reach strangers, but the grid, Stories and comments are where trust gets built.
That gives you two jobs. Reach new people with Reels and paid placements, then make the profile, Stories and DMs good enough to close them. Most brands only do the first, or post nicely and never put money behind it. An Instagram marketing agency should plan both as one campaign, with the same hooks and offer running through each surface.
Instagram ads are bought in Meta Ads Manager, so the paid side shares an auction and a pixel with Facebook. We cover the media buying in detail on our Facebook and Meta ads page. This page is about the creative and the account.
Instagram formats and what each one is for
| Format | Specs (late 2026) | Best use in a campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Reels | 9:16, 1080 x 1920; up to 3 minutes | Reach non-followers; hooks, demos, creator videos |
| Trial Reels | Public professional account; shown to non-followers first | Test a new hook without your followers seeing a flop |
| Carousels | Up to 20 photos or videos; first slide sets the ratio | Saves and shares: guides, before and after, comparisons |
| Feed photos | 4:5 (1080 x 1350) or 3:4 (1080 x 1440); grid shows 3:4 | Launch visuals and product detail |
| Stories | 9:16 full screen, 24 hours | Countdowns, links, polls and the daily push in launch week |
| Collab posts | One post shared on two accounts | Creator and brand reach in one post |
| Partnership ads | Paid ads that run from a creator's handle and yours | Scale a creator post that already works |
Specs from Instagram Help and Meta announcements. The profile grid switched to 3:4 thumbnails in January 2025, so keep key details in the center of 4:5 images.
What works on Instagram right now
Reels with a reason to share
Instagram has named sends per reach as a top signal for reaching non-followers. We write Reels people send to a friend: a tip, a reaction, a "this is so you" moment.
Carousels that teach
A 7 to 10 slide carousel that solves one problem earns saves. Saves keep a post alive long after a Reel has peaked.
Creators, not just influencers
Mid-size creators with real comment sections often outsell big names. We run them through our influencer and creator program and pay for usage rights up front.
Partnership ads
Formerly branded content ads. The ad shows the creator's name and yours, and you can use their post without re-uploading. Usually our first paid move on Instagram.
Stories as the closer
Launch week Stories with a countdown sticker, a link and a reason to buy today. Low reach, high intent.
Case study: a new product launch
We launched a new product. In 2 weeks, these are the results.
- 115kfollowers, starting from zero
- 7,000+emails collected
- 100+purchases across an app, a book and a paid community
No audience, no list and no sales on day one. Organic content earned the follow, a landing page captured the email, and three offers closed the sale. Read the case study.
How our Instagram marketing agency runs a campaign
The same five steps we use everywhere, with the Instagram-specific work called out.
Brief
You send your brand, goal and launch date. In 48 hours you get a concept and launch plan, free. We review your profile as if we were a first-time buyer.
Concept
One big idea, then 3 to 5 angles, each scripted as a Reel, a carousel and a Story sequence. Creators get their own briefs.
Produce
Reels shot vertical for Instagram, carousels designed for the 3:4 grid, creator videos with partnership ad permissions in place, and the campaign landing page.
Launch
New hooks go out as Trial Reels first. Winners go to followers and get paid spend through partnership ads and Reels placements.
Optimize
Weekly reports on reach, shares, saves, link clicks, emails and sales. We cut, re-edit and reshoot what is not pulling its weight.
Instagram mistakes that cost brands sales
- Posting TikTok exports with the watermark. Instagram has said watermarked Reels can get less reach.
- Designing feed posts for a square grid that no longer exists.
- A bio link that goes to the homepage instead of the offer in the Reel.
- Paying an influencer for one post with no rights to run it as an ad.
- Testing new ideas on your main feed instead of Trial Reels.
- Counting followers and likes, not emails and purchases.
- No one answering DMs in launch week, when buyers ask the most questions.
What Instagram ads cost and how we measure them
Instagram ads run in Meta's auction. Third-party 2026 benchmarks put Meta CPMs at roughly $7 to $18 per 1,000 impressions across placements, with Q4 peaks well above that. Your category and season move the number more than anything we can promise.
We judge Instagram on cost per email, cost per purchase and blended revenue, read from Meta's reporting, your store and post-purchase surveys. Followers are a nice side effect. Ad spend is paid by you directly to Meta and is separate from our fee, as are creator fees. Our paid social team sets budgets with you before launch.
What Lumiflo costs
Campaign launch
from $5,000
- Strategy, big idea and hooks
- Short-form video, UGC and static ads made for each platform
- Ads set up and a campaign landing page built
- Launch, first round of fixes and a results report
Always-on campaigns
from $3,500 a month
- Fresh creative every month
- Paid social managed and tested every week
- Organic posting on your main platforms
- Weekly numbers, in plain English
Revenue share
% of salesplus a lower fee
- Organic growth, funnel and sales built as one system
- A lower upfront fee
- A share of the revenue we help create, tracked at checkout
- For creators and brands we believe in
Ad spend is paid by you, straight to the platforms. Creator and influencer fees are billed at cost.