How to create awesome Instagram Stories

What does an awesome Instagram Story need to be watched gladly by your followers? Here come some tips, tricks and ideas to spice up your Instagram Story. How do you even know whether you are using your Instagram Story correctly and getting the most out of it? As almost always, a quick first look is offered by your Insights. If you want to get even more out of your Stories, however, our guide will help you further. If we look at pure numbers and facts, the importance of Stories quickly becomes obvious. Half of all monthly users use Stories, which is 500 million users. And 62% say that their interest in a brand has already been sparked by a Story. If you want to reach many people, you can also buy Instagram Story views. So if you want to reach people via Instagram Stories, organically or paid, this is also an advantage for your brand, especially if they are good. So let's get started.

How to use Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories - a camera-first full-screen format modeled on Snapchat that disappears after 24 hours - are not shown in the Instagram newsfeed. This means users can publish posts for their followers quickly and spontaneously without having to worry about overloading them. Compared with the polished look of Instagram's décor, the mood at the edges is certainly a bit rougher. This is fantastic news for beginners: no videographer has to be hired to dive in. Even companies post videos of office dogs. Stories are for all your followers, how to get more followers you can find out here.

Here are some tutorials.

The best way to create Instagram Stories:

Tap the camera icon in the upper left corner of the app to open the Instagram Stories camera
Use the white ring at the bottom of the screen to take a photo, OR
Press and hold the white ring to record a video, OR
Swipe up (or tap the square gallery icon on the left) to use graphics you already have
At the bottom of the display you can choose a format to experiment with: Shape, Music, Live, Boomerang, Superzoom, Focus or even Hands-free.

How to view your Instagram Story views

Take a look at your Insights.

On the app's home page, tap the Your Story icon in the upper right corner
Your own Story will appear in the lower right corner
Swipe up to find the list of users who viewed your Story
For those with a professional account (e.g. creators or businesses), you can also tap the chart icon to view insights
While Stories only last 24 hours, your viewer list will likely survive 48 hours and your insights will last.

The best way to use Instagram Stories stickers

What captions are for posts, stickers are for Stories - by the way, we also have some tips for good captions. Stickers are fun additions that are also a crucial tool for brand aesthetics. They change constantly, but the ideal way to keep up would be to use them. Just don't feel obligated to use all of them.

Stickers come in many forms, but they all have a function such as:

Increase your reach and perspectives using hashtags and locations
Express a mood with GIFs, emojis or songs
Encourage participation in polls, countdowns or even questions
Make your post shoppable together with product stickers

In addition, in April Instagram added 2020 stickers that let small businesses easily support their customers by buying a gift card for possible use or ordering meals.

How to add a sticker

Share a photo or video in a Story (or use create mode to work with a blank canvas).
Tap the sticker icon at the top of your display - it's the square with a grin and a folded corner
Select exactly the sticker you want to use. Each type has its own tips and tricks that require a little experimentation.
Add music to your Story. It's a better option than playing music in the background, and it will also caption the lyrics.

Pro tip: Instagram Stories are an art as much as a science. If you're not yet familiar with the format, invest some time in learning the language of stickers: what is too much and what is actually too much?

The best way to bring a hashtag to Instagram Stories

Why you should also use hashtags in Insta Stories. When you include a hashtag in your Story, it is shown to a wider audience, since it may be picked up by the Instagram algorithm to appear on the page for that hashtag. (If this happens, you will know, because that hashtag's page will show up in your viewer list.)

There are two ways to add a hashtag

Use the hashtag sticker (tap the sticker at the top of your display - the grinning square with the folded corner).
Use regular text (tap the text - the one that says Aa) and use the # key

Either way, Instagram shows a few hashtag ideas to get you started. You can add up to ten hashtags to your Stories. (In this case we recommend shrinking them and hiding them behind stickers, GIFs or emojis.) Shrink, stack and hide your hashtags behind other stickers to achieve a tidy look. Beyond your follower list, potential reach expands like hashtags. Many businesses have a location page (users can find it by tapping a hashtag or hunting on the Explore tab). If your Story lands there, you may gain perspectives. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, your customers can showcase their expertise on your location page, and potential customers can get to know you. (To set up a location page for your business, you need an Instagram business account.)

How to use a location sticker on an Instagram Story:

Use the sticker icon at the top of your screen
Choose the Place sticker

Yes, there are location Stories. Choose your favorite place from the list (it can be a shop, a street, a city - as broad or as specific as you like). Adjust the color, size and position of the sticker so it complements the mood of your Story. You can change the appearance of your location tag.

How to use Instagram Stories Highlights

Stories don't have to disappear after 24 hours. If you highlight them, they stay pinned at the front and center for your viewers. This is really a great place for your best work. As you wish, each highlight can contain multiple Stories, and you can keep adding to them as you publish new content.

Open the Story you want to highlight
Now tap the highlight icon in the lower right corner.

The Instagram Explore page is your endless cascade of algorithm-selected posts and Stories, shown when you tap the magnifying glass icon. For creators, appearing on the Explore page means a boost in engagement and reach, since your content is shown to eyes the algorithm deems relevant. So how do you increase the likelihood that your own Stories appear there? According to Instagram, the biggest ranking signal is interest: a user is more inclined to see Stories from accounts they already follow. Things you can do to improve your chances include: Posting video (it gets more attention because it autoplays on Explore, but a fantastic photo performs better than a mediocre video)

Creating exceptionally visual Stories that don't contain too much text

Writing Stories that are representative of your brand's visual identity (more on this in tip 1 below). On the other hand, Instagram has also said that Stories you reshare from other users (perhaps not a bad trick to increase your post volume and build relationships - see note No. 11) are far less likely to be featured on Explore.

The best way to use Instagram Stories polls

Stories have two types of engagement: replies, which are active, or passive views. By inserting a poll into your Story, your viewers can take part without any significant effort. They're fun. For example, instead of just reading what the experts recommend, Harvard Business Review uses poll Stories in its own study courses to involve the audience by letting them weigh in. For added value, the poll results remain visible to the audience after the poll closes.

How to create an Instagram Story poll:

Share a photo or video with your Story, or you can use create mode to work with a blank background Use the sticker icon at the very top of your screen - it's the square that smiles and has a folded corner

Choose the Poll sticker
Enter your question
Enter your two possible answers (the default option is yes/no, but you can enter an answer with about 24 characters, including emojis).

Let your poll run for 24 hours Don't forget to discuss the results: people want to know! Pro suggestion: There are also several stickers that use polls or questions to motivate viewers: the emoji slider, the quiz and the question sticker. Depending on your goals, each can sometimes be helpful.

Instagram Stories dimensions

If you are designing or editing your own Stories on desktop, or uploading a Stories ad to Facebook's Ads Manager, you need to take these figures from Facebook into account: Recommended image ratio: 9:16 (all aspect ratios are checked, but this ratio optimizes the Stories layout) Recommended resolution: 1080 × 1920 (minimum resolution is 600 × 1067 with no maximum, although a very high resolution may increase upload times) Maximum file size: 30 MB for images, 4 GB for videos Maximum video length: 15 seconds (longer videos will likely be split) Maximum video length for video ads: 120 seconds (note that viewers should see the whole thing, so if you run long, make it compelling) Title-safe area: leave a title-safe area of 14% at the top and bottom (in other words, don't place text or logos in the top or bottom 250 pixels of the Story, to avoid overlap with the interface).

Instagram Stories tips and tricks

Below are our practices as well as some examples to inspire you.

Find your new visual identity

Stories are an immersive experience. Play with pinpoint-accurate graphics. Remember that a consistent visual identity is among the rankings that, according to Instagram, matter if you want your Story featured on the Explore page. It is also about building a connection with your audience, a cornerstone: your personality should be recognized by them before they check out your username. Using consistent colors, fonts, approved GIFs and Instagram Stories templates is really a good start. If you have the tools, keep a full-size guide to bring your new tone together (and get your team on exactly the same page). And even if you don't have a design team (or a degree in fine arts), there are many Stories-focused design programs that can help you get ready for this important point.

Use multiple quick scenes, especially in video Stories

Images are shown in Stories for 5 seconds, and videos last up to 15 seconds. I can't believe I'm writing this, but when it comes to it. Keep your audience's attention by using more than one "scene" for your individual Stories and especially for your Stories ads. This can be as simple as changing the angle or background color in your product shot, or you can take notes from the music video director. And keep them snappy. According to a Facebook IQ study from 2018, top-performing Stories ads have an average scene length of 2,8 seconds, compared with 4,1 for less popular ones. For example, this Story flickers from one inviting outfit shot to another, all showing exactly the same jeans, and admirers need a screen cap to take a closer look at any one of them.

Persuade from the start, and fast

According to Facebook, users scroll mobile feeds 41% faster than desktop computers. And when it comes to Stories, the most effective brands deliver their message within the first 3 seconds. They do it with a clear and compelling message.More on the importance of the first 3 seconds. For example, Masterclass's ads do a good job of sparking self-improvement aspirations and curiosity at the same time. Their Story ads feature the star "instructor", and the graphics are consistent across their own campaigns. Don't be shy: go for the frame that suits the brand best.

Shoot vertically and think Stories first

We advise against republishing identical content across social platforms: each platform has its own quirks, strengths and terms. That goes double.

Instagram recommends that brands stick to two types of Stories:

Stories-first: vertical full-screen graphics that incorporate the unique design and interactive components of Stories Stories-optimized: a more vertical, non-full-screen image created for other uses but cropped and contextualized for Stories According to Instagram, Stories presented as such consistently deliver improved results. That means if you aren't creating content exclusively, you should consider an opportunity.

Lay out for sound off and seem on

60 percent of Instagram Stories ads are consumed with sound on. If that surprises you, consider whether creating silent Stories is a missed opportunity for your brand.

Tell a story

Tapping into your audience's emotions - outrage, curiosity - is the most effective way to capture and hold its attention. And how can people do that? By telling stories. Maybe it's time to announce your official new story or expand your product offering using mini-documentaries in your field. Brainstorm ideas, but make sure you connect them to your goals and your overall Instagram strategy. Afterwards, you can storyboard your Instagram Story to find the perfect way to tell it.

Deliver value

Stories are a great place to show your audience what it didn't even know it needed. Think carefully about which job your product can do for your audience to earn meaningful taps (or swipes up). If this is hard to pin down, sketch a few audience personas to gain clarity. For example, show how you can handle a task the audience has failed at, timed around Mother's Day, to remind them of your solution.

Get creative

According to Instagram's Adam Mosseri, Stories are people discussing "much funnier moments, raw minutes, actual moments". For brands, this can come down to your choice of how "real" you want to be. For example, if you shift from the studio look to an extremely polished, king-size shot aesthetic, there is a 97% chance of increasing brand awareness compared with a more natural DIY route. On the other hand, the humble, mobile DIY aesthetic (which includes the use of tons of polls, stickers, drawings and camera effects like Boomerang or Hyperlapse) offers a 63% chance of achieving higher conversions in terms of purchase and checkout. Therefore, consistency is crucial, and your Stories decisions should have direct connections, but you need that. More than any other channel, the ephemeral nature of Stories gives you the freedom to experiment, learn and find what works.

Plan ahead

Don't confuse DIY with coming off the cuff. Even the most loyal audience will likely swipe past any obvious "filler" in your content, which hurts not only your Instagram analytics but also your relationship. In our experience, the ideal way is to give yourself enough time to create amazing Stories. And that means first adding your Instagram Stories to your overall social media content calendar. If you're looking for inspiration, we have a number of thoughts on Instagram Stories here.

Don't overlook your CTA

When it comes to monetization, Instagram Stories is a sweet spot in its expansion: the volume is rising, ads don't drown out other content, and the platform offers numerous interface mechanisms that make it considerably easier for consumers to convert (whether that means sales, downloads or traffic)

There are many strategies

Businesses that sell physical goods online can set up Instagram Shopping When you use Instagram Stories ads, you can choose between different CTAs such as "Learn more" or "Shop now". For people with 10.000 followers or a verified badge, including an upward link is an excellent way to give valuable advice

Mention other users in your Story

Tagging others is an excellent way to show your appreciation and build a community. Tag their accounts, whether you're reposting content or collaborating with others in your field. Because your audience learns more, it's a win-win situation and your partner gets more eyes. I hope you now have a rough idea of how to create your own Instagram Stories, and I wish you lots of success with them!