Instagram expands Reminder Ad features for developers via Marketing API

Instagram, the popular photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by Meta, has significantly expanded the capabilities of its reminder ads feature for developers using the Marketing API. This update, which took effect on August 19, 2024, aims to bridge the functionality gap between Meta's Ads Manager and the Marketing API, providing developers with more tools to create effective reminder campaigns.

According to Meta's official announcement, made on September 9, 2024, the expansion comes in response to consistent feedback from partners and their customers who were seeking parity between the Ads Manager and API functionalities for reminder ads. The new features introduce three key improvements:

1. Reach on Instagram Reels: Developers can now create reminder ads that appear on Instagram Reels, in addition to the previously available Feed and Stories placements.
2. Flexible Reminder Timing: The API now supports configuring the timing of reminder notifications for event subscribers, allowing for more precise targeting.
3. Enhanced Ad Optimization: Developers can add events to ads optimizing for thruplay or reach, providing more options for campaign strategies.

Jessica Hickey, Product Marketing at Instagram, stated in the announcement, "We appreciate the feedback received from our developer community and their clients, and hope to continue improving the reminder ads experience available via Marketing API."

Reminder ads, a feature introduced by Instagram to help advertisers bridge the gap between promotion and launch time, allow users to set reminders for upcoming events or product launches. When users opt-in, they receive notifications at specified intervals before the event occurs.

The technical implementation of these new features involves several steps:

1. Creating an ad campaign with the objective set to "OUTCOME_ENGAGEMENT" or "OUTCOME_AWARENESS".
2. Setting up an ad set with the destination_type parameter set to "ON_REMINDER" and selecting an appropriate optimization_goal.
3. Creating an ad creative that includes an upcoming event, specified using the asset_feed_spec parameter.
4. Finally, creating the ad itself, linking it to the ad set and creative.

Developers can now specify multiple notification times for subscribers using the notification_subtypes parameter. Options include reminders one day before the event, 15 minutes before, at the start of the event, and various intervals after the event.

The expansion of reminder ad features via the Marketing API is part of Meta's ongoing efforts to provide parity between its various advertising tools. This update allows developers to programmatically create and manage more sophisticated reminder ad campaigns, potentially increasing engagement and conversion rates for their clients.

However, there are some limitations to be aware of:

• Reminder ads will stop delivering once the associated event is in the past.
• Not all ad campaign objectives or ad set optimization goals support reminders.
• Ad creatives using reminder functionality may not always be transferable across different campaign objectives.

Instagram's reminder ads feature is particularly useful for businesses promoting time-sensitive events, product launches, or limited-time offers. With these expanded API capabilities, developers can now create more tailored and effective campaigns programmatically.

For developers interested in implementing these new features, Meta has updated its documentation to include detailed instructions and code examples for creating and managing reminder ads through the Marketing API.

As the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, updates like these demonstrate Meta's commitment to providing developers and advertisers with robust tools to reach and engage their audiences effectively across its platforms.

Key Facts

• Update released on August 19, 2024
• Announcement made on September 9, 2024
• New features include reach on Instagram Reels, flexible reminder timing, and enhanced ad optimization
• Requires specific API parameters such as destination_type set to "ON_REMINDER"
• Supports multiple notification times for event subscribers
• Part of Meta's effort to provide parity between Ads Manager and Marketing API