Brief:

• Instagram added polling stickers to Stories ads, giving brands and retailers another way to engage the image-sharing app's users with interactive content. Nine out of 10 campaigns that used poll stickers in a pilot program boosted the number of three-second ad views, according to an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
• Dunkin' saw a 20% lower cost-per-video view in its trial of Stories poll stickers, while Next Games boosted app installs by 40%. Retailer Asos used a similar poll to gauge user sentiment about gendered clothing with the rollout of its Collusion fashion concept.
• Each day, about 500 million people use Instagram Stories. About two-thirds (60%) of businesses on Instagram Stories include an interactive element, such as a hashtag, mention or poll sticker, each month, according to Instagram.

Insight:

Poll stickers for Stories ads are another interactive element that Instagram advertisers can use to gauge viewer sentiment and encourage fans to engage with the brand's social content. Instagram Stories ads provide a full-screen, vertical format that lets marketers share photos and videos with key audiences to boost brand awareness or drive some other desired action, such as app downloads, shares and sales. For example, Nilla Wafers, the cookie brand marketed by Mondelez's Nabisco, said a campaign that included Instagram Stories ads boosted ad recall by 32 points and reached 11.9 million users.

Any advertiser can now add an interactive poll to a Stories ad using Ads Manager, Instagram's self-service platform. The company said advertisers must choose Instagram Stories as the only ad placement before uploading creative and editing an ad's test. By checking the box labeled "Add an interactive poll," advertisers can use the interactive feature to gain consumer insights, gamify an ad, run a contest or spark additional conversations with customers, per Instagram's blog.

The move is the image-sharing app's latest feature rollout aimed at brands after positive test results. Instagram this month announced the closed beta rollout of Checkout on Instagram, a native feature that lets mobile users complete and track purchases without leaving the app. Adidas, Nike, H&M, Uniqlo, Zara and Warby Parker are among the more than 20 brands participating in the beta test, and Instagram plans to introduce more businesses in the near future.