Males 'more receptive to Instagram ads'

New research suggests men find ads on Instagram more effective than women across virtually all categories.

A study conducted by Influence.co and Fractl and analysed by eMarketer shows that males rated ads higher on all but two product categories. On an effectiveness scale of 0 to 5, men scored fashion ads 2.7 - compared to 2.5 for women - and a similar trend was seen across beauty, health and wellness and electronics.

The only categories in which men did not outscore women were TV and movies and food and drink, where both sexes gave ads an effectiveness rating of 2.2.

Age is also a factor when determining the effectiveness of Instagram ads, the study showed. Respondents classed as millennials were more likely to respond positively to ads featuring selfies. However, those who fall into the 45 to 54 age bracket reacted better to marketing containing portrait-style product-only shots.