Creating an Instagram Story is a great way to actively engage with your followers and to promote your brand or creative project. Although it can seem intimidating, crafting an effective Instagram Story is relatively easy to do. In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive guide on how to do an Instagram Story, with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips for making your Stories stand out.
1. What is an Instagram Story?
Instagram Stories allow users to share moments from their day for up to 24 hours in a slideshow format composed of photos, text, audio, video or GIFs. When creating an Instagram Story, it will be displayed at the top of a user’s profile feed, and can be seen by their followers.
The current “Stories” feature on Instagram can include the following:
- An image or a video
- Text
- GIFs
- Mentions
- Hashtags
- Location tags
Stories also include interactive features such as polls, question and answer boxes, and a variety of other fun elements. Once created, stories are located in the top-left corner of the home page. Stories appear between regular posts, and users can tap through them one-by-one.
2. How To Create An Instagram Story
Creating an Instagram Story
An Instagram story is a multi-media post with photos, videos, GIFs or texts that vanishes within 24 hours. You can post a wide range of content to your story, such as:
- How-to videos
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Time-limited deals
- Highlights from recent events
Creating a story on Instagram is an easy 3-step process:
- Step 1: Tap the ‘plus’ icon on the upper left-hand side of the screen to create an Instagram story post.
- Step 2: Add text, images and videos to the post. You can also add GIFs, stickers and polls to your post. You can draw and write over existing images if needed.
- Step 3: When you are done creating the post, tap “Share” to post the story.
By following these steps, you will have successfully created your first Instagram story.
3. Best Practices for Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are a fabulous way to build relationships with your followers, and engage with others, so it’s important to make sure you’re using them strategically. To do so, here are the best practices to keep in mind when using Instagram Stories.
- Add Context To Your Content
Whether you’re sharing a photo or video, use text, music, or a sticker to add context. This will ensure that your viewers understand what’s going on in your story and help you create stories that are more engaging. - Feature Your Brand’s Personality
Instagram Stories are a great way to showcase the unique personality of your brand, which will help you create an emotional connection with your customers. Tell a story about your brand, highlight exciting new products and events, and share inspiring clips behind how your brand is changing the world. - Include Multiple Story Blocks
Don’t limit each Instagram Story to one video or image. Instead, add multiple story blocks or story sections to keep viewers engaged throughout the entire story. You might include a video, a question or poll, a behind-the-scenes look, and a call-to-action.
By using these best practices, you’ll create Instagram Stories that captivate your followers, allow you to build relationships within the community, and help you reach a larger audience.
4. Tips for Making Engaging Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are a great way to reach your followers and capture their attention. Here are some helpful tips for making your stories more engaging:
- Make it visually pleasing. Play with colors and the variety of design elements Instagram story provides to give your stories an eye-catching look. Use matching filters, vibrant colors or funny stickers to capture your viewers’ attention.
- Share valuable content. Keeping your stories interesting and creative will draw in your followers and make them more likely to engage with what you post. Share inspirational quotes, interesting video snippets, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks and educational information to keep your followers engaged.
- Include graphics and animations. Make your stories stand out with images, graphics and videos. Experiment with how you can use these to best communicate your message. For example, graphs and animation can add more interaction and allow you to explain complicated topics in a simple way.
Use Calls-to-Action. Ask your followers to interact with you by adding calls-to-action such as poll questions, swipe-up links, questions and statements in the story. Encourage them to take action, comment and share your stories for even more engagement.
With these tips, you’ll be able to create memorable and engaging Instagram stories that’ll keep your followers interested.
5. Spicing Up Your Instagram Story Content
Add Multiple Photos or Videos – Instagram allows you to group multiple photos and videos into one story post. This allows you to fit more content into your story in a visually striking way. When you share multiple photos or videos together, make sure they have a consistent theme or story to keep your audience engaged.
Try Different Filters & Effects – Instagram stories come with a huge range of filters and effects. Using the right filter or effect can make your story more eye-catching, such as:
- Vibrant: Adds vivid and bright colours to your photo.
- Retro: Makes your photos look like they’re from the 70s or 80s.
- Glow: Adds a soft halo effect to your photos.
- Duo: Makes your pictures and videos look split-screen.
Make Use of Interactive Elements – Instagram stories offer some fun interactive elements, such as quizzes and polls. This can help you engage your followers and learn more about them. You can also use Instagram’s stickers and GIFs to customise your stories with fun visuals and animations. With creative use of interactive elements, you can really make your stories stand out. Thanks for taking the time to read our guide for creating an Instagram Story. With a few simple steps, you’ll be able to make a story to share with your followers. Whether you want to show off your latest craft project, or just share a funny picture of your furry friends, your story will be sure to wow your followers. Have fun, and get creative!
