Instagram Reel Safe Zones
Today, I'm shifting gears to discuss the importance of safe zones on social media posts, specifically Instagram, where a ‘reels’ ad recently caught my attention. This is a very simple redesign that has a lot of commentary to go with it. A little bit goes a long way with this and the redesign itself only took me 5 minutes. It simply demonstrates the importance of paying attention when you’re uploading, or repurposing ads from different platforms. Plus, my husband suggested I analyze a larger brand, and this Instagram example presented a timely opportunity!
Ad before the call to action appears
Ad when the call to action appears
Below I’ve added some comments to the ad as it appears with its call to action. It's crucial to avoid obscuring elements in an ad, and in this view with the CTA visible it reveals significant layout issues and content overlap.
The pink transparent overlay below highlights the Instagram guidelines 'safe zone.' Any content within the pink area is outside of these parameters. Although the content is close to compliance and the safe zone's visibility is less pronounced during standard viewing, neglecting it can negatively affect ad performance
This ad appears to have been repurposed from an Instagram Story to a Reel format. These formats have distinct safe zone requirements. Instagram Stories utilize a 250px safe zone at the top and bottom, while Reels adhere to specific margins: 108px top, 320px bottom, 60px left, and 120px right.
The graphic below illustrates the subtle adjustments I'd make to this Instagram ad, incorporating the safe zone guidelines.
META provides a safe zone overlay during ad creation, so it’s really just as simple as paying attention. While these adjustments may seem tedious, tools like Canva and Adobe Express offer optimized resizing options, including AI-powered dynamic resizing in Adobe Express. While further manual adjustments may be needed for optimal layout, these tools really streamline the process.
I’ve provided before and after’s below featuring the pink safe zone overlay again just to demonstrate how everything in my new design is more visible simply by following those guidelines.
Below you’ll find the final before and after with the call to action and no safe zone template. These quick, five-minute edits significantly improved the ad's overall aesthetic. As META prioritizes content that adheres to its guidelines, these adjustments are not only visually beneficial but also strategically important for achieving optimal performance when repurposing content across various social media platforms
Original With Call To Action
Redesign with call to action
Every social media platform, from Instagram and TikTok to YouTube, has its own 'don't overstep the lines' rules! If you're scratching your head about those safe zone requirements, just Google something like 'Instagram Reel safe zone template' (or whatever platform's your jam), and bam! You're sure to find the perfect cheat sheet.
