# Instagram ads

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/instagram-ads/

11 people recommended Instagram ads in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 12 months, in 10 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended for well-targeted ads that produced bookings and leads; some advertisers report account blocks and campaigns that did not work.

Summary written by Claude from 16 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Seen as best online advertising (5 comments in the sample): "the only useful places to advertise online these days are LinkedIn and Instagram" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49670498)) "they accomplish their goal better than any other ads I've ever seen" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48776153)) "That’s advertising done right!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47752713))
- Well-targeted to users' interests (4 comments in the sample): "Until last year I used Instagram and most of the ads I got were actually relevant. Zero scams, mostly local businesses." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49672375)) "have had some success with very micro targeted Instagram ads" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46358062)) "Instagram ads are exceptionally well tuned to my interest" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48664286))
- Campaigns produced leads and bookings (3 comments in the sample): "The result: 4 paid bookings in 48 hours - all confirmed leads from the new Instagram ad campaign." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46453327)) "Our new Instagram campaign just bore fruit in the first hour" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46426050)) "The results of above mentioned advertising have been great." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48221982))

## What people warn about

- Ads seen as ineffective or generic (2 comments in the sample): "Basically none of the explicit advertisement worked at all and it wasn't worth the money." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46195449)) "Instagram ads are no different to the WURGLBIXY and HUYTVING and XORMLINAP" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46456640))

## Other advertising platforms people recommend

- [Google Ads](https://hackerapproved.com/p/google-ads/): 14 recommend, 9 mixed, 138 criticize
- [Meta Ads](https://hackerapproved.com/p/meta-ads/): 11 recommend, 1 mixed, 24 criticize
- [Google AdSense](https://hackerapproved.com/p/google-adsense/): 7 recommend, 4 mixed, 46 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Instagram ads", https://hackerapproved.com/p/instagram-ads/ (11 recommend, 1 mixed, 4 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.