Are you looking for a way to maximize the long term success of your Instagram content? It is important to note the lifespan of different types of content as well as the average amount of time stories linger on followers’ feeds. In this article, we will provide an overview of how long stories last on Instagram and offer tips on how to ensure maximum engagement and longevity.
1. Understanding the Lifespan of Instagram Stories
We can easily think of Instagram stories as being temporary, since they disappear after 24 hours, but these stories are actually part of a larger lifespan. Many of these stories remain visible to both you and other users for a longer duration, even after the 24 hour period has passed.
How Instagram Stores Stories
Instagram stores each story in two main locations: your profile page and in the memories section of your ‘archive’. Your profile page is viewable by all your followers, and is only updated shortly after you upload your story. It’s important to note that if you delete a story from your profile page, it will remain in the memories section of your archive.
Stories which have expired will remain in the memories section of your archive indefinitely. Although these stories are no longer visible on your profile, they can still be viewed without restriction by anyone with access to your account. Furthermore, if a user has taken a screenshot of your story, it will remain stored on their device even after it is no longer visible to other users.
What are Highlights?
Sometimes you may see stories permanently stored on a person’s profile in the form of ‘highlights’ – sections of stories which the account owner chooses to keep visible indefinitely. This can be achieved by archiving selected stories, which will then appear as a highlight on the user’s main page. Highlights are kept in a separate space from regular stories, and can only be accessed through the user’s profile page. Any stories which have been archived become visible to the public, and will remain visible to other users until they are manually deleted.
For the purpose of keeping a selection of stories indefinitely, it is important to remember that highlights are still subject to the same privacy restrictions as regular stories – if you choose to share a story publicly, it will be visible to everyone who can see your profile.
2. How to Lengthen the Duration of Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are a great way to engage with your followers, but sometimes you may want to show more than what the 15-second limit allows. Here are a few tips to help you extend the duration of your Instagram stories:
1. Add multiple images or clips
Rather than recording and uploading a single long video, break it down into smaller segments. Unleashing your creativity is key here – try different takes in different settings and add a few stories of the same theme together to extend the duration and make sure your followers stay hooked.
2. Consecutive stories
Depending on your use case, you may be able to use consecutive Instagram stories and combine them into a single narrative. With Instagram’s “Create” option, you can even add text elements and voiceover to tie up your story seamlessly.
3. GIPHY stickers
GIPHY stickers, in combination with video and image uploads, can bring your stories to life. Even better, these stickers don’t count towards the 15-second limit and can help enhance the overall engagement your stories receive.
By taking advantage of the above tips, you can ensure maximum engagement and extend the duration of your Instagram stories.
3. Exceptions to Instagram Story Duration Limits
It’s important to acknowledge that there are some exceptions to the general rule that your story post on Instagram will only last for 24 hours. Understanding the following conditions can help you maximize the value of your story content.
- Tailoring to Your Audience: If you decide to tailor your story content specifically to your target audience, your post will be “pinned” on your profile. This “pinning” allows your story to stay up permanently and be broadcasted to every visitor of your profile.
- Multiple-Day Stories: Instagram has recently introduced the ability for users to create and post stories that extend multiple days. This feature is unlocked after the first post of a story has remained up for 24 hours. By allowing your story to remain up for that period of time, you can unlock a menu with the option to “Keep in story for…” and select a number of days for the story to remain active.
- Highlighted Stories: This feature allows you to designate certain stories that you post to always remain visible on your profile. All you need to do is select the story post and click the “Highlight” button. Once you click “Done” the story post will remain highlighted on the top of your profile page.
Using these features to your advantage can help you create more impactful and longer lasting posts on Instagram. Test out these features and find creative ways to use them in order to create the best story content for your audience.
4. Best Practices to Engage with Instagram Story Content
Social media platforms have evolved over time to allow their users to create and share rich content. Instagram is no different, and its Story feature is a popular and effective way to engage with followers. Here are four best practices to engage with your followers through Instagram Story content.
- 1. Interaction: Instagram Stories allow users to add a ‘poll’ or ‘questions’ sticker to their post, which encourages users to take part in an interactive experience. It gives followers the opportunity to provide feedback and share their thoughts with you.
2. Video Content: Using video to tell stories is an effective and engaging way to reach your followers. According to research, users are more likely to watch and remember stories that are told through video, as opposed to static images or text.
3. Variety: Variety is key when it comes to Instagram story content. Try to mix up the types of content you post, such as photographs, videos, polls, and questions. You should also vary the topics of the content, so your followers remain engaged.
5. Increasing Exposure of Long-lasting Instagram Stories
Social media platforms are continuously evolving to keep audiences engaged. As an effective medium to reach potential customers, businesses are turning to Instagram in hopes of increasing their reach and connecting with their base. To accomplish this, businesses are taking advantage of the recent addition of long-lasting stories to the platform.
Swipe-up Links One of the primary ways to increase the reach of long-lasting stories is by using the swipe-up links embedded in them. The ‘Link in Story’ feature allows you to add URL links to stories and directs followers directly to landing pages or other webpages they may find interesting. With the swiping feature, you will be able to drive traffic to your website and increase your engagement.
Strategically Placed Hashtags Hashtags are another effective method to maximize a story’s reach. Because of the short lifespan of normal stories, including #hashtags can help direct new viewers to the long-lasting one. When using hashtags, it is important to research popular and trending hashtags; this will be beneficial to ensure maximum exposure.
Analytics Finally, businesses must track the performance of their long-lasting stories. Utilizing the Insights feature, business can track their stories and the following metrics: number of views, impression rate, replies, and the reach. This real-time data can help track the performance of the long-lasting story and any adjustments needed to be made.
- Use Swipe-up Links
- Include Strategically Placed Hashtags
- Use the Insights Feature to Track Performance
By implementing these strategies and tracking analytics, businesses can easily increase their Instagram Story exposure. Overall, with the right strategies, you can make sure your Instagram stories last longer and stay at the top of your followers’ feeds. With over 500 million people, now is the perfect time to take advantage of this beneficial format of storytelling!