How to Launch Instagram Ads via Business Manager

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Instagram ads through BM are launched not from the “Boost” button inside the Instagram app, but through Meta Ads Manager. This gives you a clearer way to manage the ad account, permissions, Facebook Page, Instagram profile, budget and creatives inside one structure.

In simple terms, you need to connect Instagram to Business Manager, link it with the right Facebook Page and ad account, and then choose Instagram placements at the ad set level. If you are still mixing up a personal profile, Page and BM, it is worth checking the guide on how to switch a Facebook account to Business first. Below is a practical step-by-step flow without shortcuts or unrealistic promises.

Check the basics before launch

Before creating the campaign, do not start with the creative or the budget. First, make sure the setup is ready for a normal launch through BM:

• access to Business Manager Facebook;
• an ad account inside this BM;
• an Instagram account that can be used for advertising;
• a connected Facebook Fan Page;
• permissions for the Page, Instagram account and ad account;
• a payment method added to the ad account;
• creatives prepared for the required Instagram formats.

So when people talk about creating a Facebook ad account for Instagram, they are usually not talking about a separate “Instagram ad cabinet”. They mean a Meta ad account that works with Instagram through BM and Ads Manager. If the ad account itself is not ready yet, the related Ads account setup checklist will help you check the Page, roles, billing and first launch basics.

Step 1. Connect Instagram to Business Manager

Open Business Settings in BM and go to the Instagram accounts section. Add the required profile, confirm the login and check that it appears in the list of business assets.

Then assign permissions: who can use this Instagram account, which ad account it is connected to, and which people or partners can run ads using it. If this step is skipped, the Instagram account may not appear at the ad level. When several people work inside the same BM, it is better to review Business Manager roles and access levels so you do not give unnecessary permissions or lose control over assets.

Also check the connection with the Facebook Page. Even if the ad will run only on Instagram, the Page is often part of the advertising identity in Meta Ads Manager. The Page, Instagram account and ad account should be arranged in one clear structure.

Step 2. Create a campaign in Ads Manager

Go to Ads Manager and click “Create”. Choose the campaign objective that matches your goal: traffic, engagement, leads, sales, app promotion or another available option.

Do not choose the objective randomly. If you need website visits, traffic or sales may be more logical. If you need inquiries, check lead campaigns. If your goal is activity inside Instagram, look at objectives that work properly with engagement and the selected placements.

At this stage, you can also set the campaign name, budget logic and additional settings. Name campaigns clearly from the beginning: project, GEO, objective, launch date or creative type. This makes reporting and checks much easier later.

Step 3. Set up the ad set and Instagram placements

At the ad set level, you define the audience, budget, schedule and placements. If you want to run ads only on Instagram, open placements and keep Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels, Explore or other required options.

Automatic placements can be used when you are ready to give the system more flexibility. Manual placements are better when you need to test Instagram specifically or compare Feed, Stories and Reels separately.

Not every objective and creative format works equally well with every placement. For example, a Reels or Stories creative should look good vertically, while a feed image may not crop well in a full-screen format.

Step 4. Select the Page and Instagram account at the ad level

Most confusion starts at the ad level. This is where you choose the advertising identity: the Facebook Page and the Instagram account that the ad will run from.

Check three things:

• the correct Facebook Page is selected;
• the right Instagram account is selected;
• the preview looks correct for every selected placement.

If Instagram does not appear in the dropdown list, return to Business Settings and check the profile connection, user permissions and ad account assignment. Sometimes the problem is not inside the campaign itself, but in the fact that Instagram is added to another BM or the user does not have the required role.

Step 5. Prepare Instagram-specific creative

Instagram is highly visual, so one banner rarely looks equally good in Feed, Stories and Reels. Before publishing, check the size, crop, text readability, first video frame, CTA button and landing page.

Square or vertical formats are often used for Feed, while Stories and Reels usually need a vertical 9:16 format. If the creative is uploaded in one size, always check the preview: important text, a face, product or button should not be cut off by the interface.

If you work with different profiles, check which Instagram account is selected in the ad. A mistake at this step can make the ad run from the wrong project identity.

Use this checklist before publishing

• Instagram is added to BM and visible in Business Settings.
• The Facebook Page is connected to the required Instagram profile.
• The correct ad account is selected.
• The user has access to the Page, Instagram account and ad account.
• The required Instagram placements are selected at the ad set level.
• The creative looks correct in Feed, Stories, Reels and other selected placements.
• The link, UTM tags, CTA and landing page are checked before publishing.
• The ad text does not conflict with Meta policies and does not promise something that is missing from the landing page. Before publishing, you can also go through the compliant Ads campaign checklist.

What to do if Instagram ads through BM do not launch

If the campaign does not publish or Instagram cannot be selected in the ad, do not rebuild everything at once. Start with the simplest checks:

• the Instagram profile is not added to the current BM;
• the account is added but not assigned to the required ad account;
• the user does not have access to Instagram or the Page;
• the Facebook Page is not connected to this Instagram profile;
• the selected campaign objective does not support the required placement;
• the creative does not fit the format for the selected placement;
• the ad account has a payment or status issue.

A proper Instagram ad launch through BM is not one magic switch. It is a chain of simple checks: BM, ad account, Page, Instagram, placements, creative and preview. When every element is in the right place, the campaign is easier to build without chaos and unnecessary rework.