Instagram Stories: Mastering the Basics
Instagram stories have massively increased in popularity since their addition to the app in 2016. The story format evolves almost monthly. How can we keep up and take advantage of this valuable tool? Check out our tips below to build a solid story foundation!
CREATING YOUR STORY
Portrait-oriented content is key. Not only do vertical photos and videos look the best, but they are great for the content that doesn’t fit on your feed’s landscape-preferred squares.
Do you still have a landscape image you want to post? Create your own story templates in Adobe programs or other apps. Be sure to stick to your brand’s colors and fonts! A story post is an extension of your brand. The tone and design should be consistent with what your followers expect.
ADD PERSONALITY
GIFs, hashtags, locations, and usernames can boost any story flair! Keep it relevant and use moderation. These are great accents and can highlight your brand’s image while providing connections to influencers, trends, and hotspots.
LET’S INTERACT
When fellow Instagrammers see something they enjoy, they want to share it. Make sure your account settings allow anyone to share your stories through their messages. When you include other account’s tags, they may share your post to their own stories!
This is a great opportunity to grab feedback from your audience. Be sure to turn on your message replies in your account’s story control setting and use Instagram’s polls and questions as engagement boosters.
MAKING IT PERMANENT
One of Instagram’s latest updates allows you to choose a custom highlight cover without sharing it on your story first. This is a great opportunity to use your graphic design skills and create simple, cohesive covers for your brand’s major categories. Even if you don’t have the art and design skills, you can download free icons online!
Even after 24 hours, your highlights are there to stay unless you delete them. These are great ways to explain your brand, services, team and more to new users without overwhelming the small bio space.
Overall, just get creative! Instagram stories can show off your brand just as well as your feed and are fun to design. From this foundation, the stories are endless.