Instagram Ad CTA Optimisation: Setup Guide for UK Brands

Key Takeaways

• CTA buttons are objective-locked: Instagram CTAs are tied to Meta’s six objectives (Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App promotion, Sales), not freely selectable

• Three factors control your options: Campaign objective, conversion location (website, app, lead form), and Instagram placement selection

• “Shop Now” needs Sales objective: This button only appears with Sales or Traffic objective plus website/Shop destination

• First 125 characters matter most: Feed captions truncate after 125 characters - put your CTA there, not at the end

• Stories use link stickers now: Tappable stickers replaced “swipe up” - place them anywhere on screen alongside the native bottom CTA

• Reels need 35% bottom clearance: CTA buttons overlay video content, so keep key visuals away from the bottom third

• Specific CTAs lift conversions 10-20%: UK fashion brands see double-digit improvements matching button labels to exact actions

How Instagram CTA Buttons Work in 2024

Instagram ad CTA optimisation is about getting the right button in front of the right people at the right stage. Sounds simple, but the system changed completely in 2024 and catches people out constantly.

You can’t just pick whichever button you fancy anymore. Meta decides which Instagram ad CTA options appear based on campaign setup choices you made three steps earlier. The button labels (“Shop Now”, “Learn More”, “Sign Up”) connect directly to your campaign objective and conversion location. Choose Sales with a website destination and you’ll see shopping buttons. Pick Awareness and those same buttons vanish.

Available buttons include: “Shop Now”, “Learn More”, “Sign Up”, “Subscribe”, “Get Quote”, “Contact Us”, “Book Now”, “Apply Now”, “Download”, “Get Offer”, “Send Message”, “Send WhatsApp Message”, “Get Directions”, “Call Now”, “Use App”, “Install Now”, and “Play Game”. Not every label works with every objective or placement.

The Setup Sequence: Campaign to Ad Level

Campaign level: Select your objective (Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, App promotion, Sales). This filters which CTAs appear later. Simple step, big consequences.

Ad set level: Choose “Conversion location” - Website, App, Shop, Messenger, WhatsApp, or Calls. Then pick your optimisation event like Purchase or Lead. Instagram-only or Reels-only placements may limit CTAs here.

Ad level: The “Call to action” dropdown shows only valid labels for your objective + conversion location + placement combination. Sales with Website typically offers “Shop Now”, “Learn More”, “Get Offer”, and “Sign Up”.

Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns auto-suggest CTAs based on live performance, usually prioritising “Shop Now” or “Buy Now” when a product catalogue is configured. Manual override works in some setups, though honestly, Meta pushes automatic for scale.

Feed CTA Strategy and Caption Placement

Feed ads show roughly 125 characters before “…more” appears. Most people don’t bother expanding. Ever. This means your Instagram ad CTA needs to sit in that first sentence: “New AW coats – tap ‘Shop Now’ to explore”. Hashtags go after the CTA, below the fold. Three to five targeted ones work best.

Carousel ads work differently. First card uses softer language (“Explore the collection”), middle cards show variety, final card delivers the direct CTA. The progressive approach pays off - carousels drive 2.4% engagement versus 2.0% for single images worthwhile for conversion.

Stories: Link Stickers and Native CTAs

Stories work differently now. “Swipe up” vanished and got replaced with tappable link stickers you can place anywhere on screen. Bit more flexible, truth be told. Put the sticker near your product with arrows pointing to it, whilst the native CTA at bottom acts as backup. Stories are 9:16 at 1080×1920 minimum. Keep stickers away from top 14% and bottom 35%.

Multi-layer approach works well: engagement sticker at top (poll, quiz), link sticker mid-screen, native CTA at bottom. UK brands use countdown stickers before events to lift registrations.

Reels CTA Placement and Safe Zones

Reels are full-screen 9:16 with the Instagram ad CTA button overlaying your content near bottom-left. Keep roughly 35% of the bottom clear. Primary text: approximately 72 characters. Add on-screen text for muted viewers.

Timing matters. Introduce the benefit in first 2-3 seconds, bring arrows towards the CTA zone, end with a clear frame. Fashion brands see double-digit lifts pairing “Shop Now” with “Shop the collection” versus generic “Learn More” - simple conversion psychology.

Shopping Placements: Tags and Checkout

Product tags show details and a “View on website” CTA when tapped. Tap-through averages 1-2%, higher for fashion and beauty. Collection ads show a hero image plus product tiles - main button stays “Shop Now”.

Instagram Checkout (where enabled) delivers roughly 2.7% conversion versus 4-5% on Shopify. Lower conversion, less friction. If checkout is in-app, use “Shop Now” throughout. If external, use “Learn More” at awareness, “Shop Now” for remarketing.

UK E-Commerce and Service CTAs by Objective

Awareness (fashion/retail): “Learn More” with caption “Tap ‘Learn More’ to see the full edit” works well for seasonal launches. Soft approach, discovery mode.

Consideration: “Shop Now” plus specific caption (“Shop the AW coats”) - brands see 10-20% conversion lifts over generic wording. Specificity matters more than you’d think.

Retargeting: “Get Offer” pointing to discount pages delivers better ROAS than generic “Learn More”. They already know you, just need the nudge.

Services (hospitality, health, beauty): “Book Now” for appointments. “Contact Us” or “Get Quote” for B2B. “Call Now” and “Get Directions” for local mobile users. Match the natural next step.

Lead generation: “Sign Up” with in-app forms outperforms external ones. Less friction, fewer drop-offs. For events, countdown stickers plus “Sign Up” builds urgency. UK audiences respond to clear language: “Save your spot for Thursday’s session”.

Testing CTAs and Measuring Results

Use Meta’s A/B test tool to isolate one variable: variant A uses “Shop Now”, variant B uses “Learn More”. Keep creative, audience, and budget identical. One change at a time, otherwise you won’t know what actually worked.

Smaller budgets (£500/month): focus on one split, allow 7-14 days for meaningful data. Larger budgets (£5,000+/month): can run multiple tests but still need time. Patience matters - we’ve seen people kill winning tests on day three.

Look beyond click-through rate. Prioritise cost per conversion, on-site conversion rate, and ROAS. Check bounce rate by UTM parameter to spot low-quality clicks. A sustained 10-20% lift across multiple weeks warrants permanent changes.

Lucky Penny’s CTA Setup Approach

At Lucky Penny, we treat Instagram ad CTA optimisation as strategic foundation, not a last-minute dropdown selection. We work through objective and destination pairing with you before campaign build starts, so CTA options align with what you’re actually trying to achieve. No surprises three steps deep into Ads Manager.

We’ll show you exactly which CTAs become available based on setup choices and walk through the trade-offs. Sometimes “Shop Now” looks perfect on paper, but if your real goal is list building, “Sign Up” with a lead form might deliver better cost-per-acquisition. We test both, report results through our live dashboard, and let the data make the call.

Our handpicked specialists bring Instagram expertise without traditional agency layers, which means faster iteration on format tweaks that typically get overlooked. We focus on sustainable performance - not vanity metrics - so CTA choices get evaluated on actual conversion data, not how impressive the CTR looks in a screenshot.

If you’re a UK e-commerce or service brand trying to squeeze more from tighter budgets, getting objective, destination, and CTA alignment right saves rebuilding campaigns mid-flight. Get in touch and we’ll review your Instagram ad setup together - proper audit, no sales pitch.

Caio for now

Ali Puglianini

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I see “Shop Now” as an option for my Instagram ad?

“Shop Now” only appears when you’ve selected Sales or Traffic as your campaign objective and chosen Website or Shop as your conversion location. If you picked Awareness, Engagement, or Leads, Meta filters out shopping CTAs completely. Frustrating, but that’s how they force alignment between what you said you wanted and what action you’re asking people to take. Go back to campaign level and switch your objective.

How many characters should my Instagram ad caption be?

Instagram allows up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 appear before “…more” on Feed ads. Most people don’t expand captions - we’ve tested this - so put your hook and CTA within those first 125 characters. For Stories, aim for 125 characters. For Reels, approximately 72 characters works best.

What’s the difference between the link sticker and native CTA in Stories?

Stories ads have two separate link elements. The link sticker is part of your creative - you place it anywhere, resize it, style it. The native CTA button appears at the bottom (“Shop Now”, “Learn More”) and is controlled by Meta. Best-performing ads use both: sticker near your main visual for attention, native button as backup.

Should I use “Learn More” or “Shop Now” for UK fashion retargeting?

For retargeting, “Shop Now” or “Get Offer” typically performs better because users already know your brand. The harder CTA matches their funnel position. “Learn More” works better at awareness stages. UK fashion brands report 10-20% conversion lifts moving to specific “Shop Now” or “Get Offer” in retargeting, especially with discount messaging.

How long should I run a CTA button test?

Allow at least 7-14 days for smaller budgets (£500/month) to reach meaningful data. Larger budgets (£5,000+/month) can collect data faster but should still run tests for at least a week to account for day-of-week effects. Look for sustained 10-20% lifts in conversion rate or ROAS across multiple weeks. Early swings don’t tell the full story - we’ve seen too many good tests killed on day two.