More than 500 million people utilize Instagram Stories every day. And those Instagram users accept a keen eye for new products and trends. 58% say they've become more interested in a product or make after seeing it in Stories. And half say they've actually visited a website to buy a production or service after seeing it in Stories.

So mayhap it'southward no surprise that four million businesses advertise on Stories every month.

In this post, you lot'll learn everything you demand to know nearly how to use Instagram Stories for business.

Download your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now . Save time and look professional person while promoting your brand in style.

How to use Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are vertical, total-screen photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. They appear at the elevation of the Instagram app, rather than in the news feed.

They contain interactive tools like stickers, polls, and Instagram Story filters to make your content really pop. Here'south how to go started with the format.

How to brand Instagram Stories

  1. In the app, click the plus icon at the pinnacle of the screen.
  2. At the bottom of the screen, choose STORY from the menu.
  3. Optional: If you want to switch to the selfie camera, tap the switch-camera icon on the bottom right.
  4. Tap the white circle at the bottom of the screen to have a movie, OR…
  5. Press and concord the white circle to record video, OR…
  6. Swipe up (or select the square camera scroll icon on the left) to use pre-existing photos or videos.

select Stories option in Instagram app

On the left of the screen, yous can select a format to experiment with: Create, Boomerang, Layout, Multi-Capture, Level, or Hands-Free.

How to check your Instagram Story views

If your Insta Story is still live — meaning less than 24 hours have passed since yous posted it, just tap the Your Story icon on the app principal folio to come across a viewer count for your Story. Tap the number in the lesser left to get a listing of the people who make up those Instagram Story views.

After 24 hours, once your Instagram Story has disappeared, you can withal access insights, including reach and impressions.

Reach is the number of unique accounts that viewed your Story. Impressions is the total number of times your Story was viewed.

Here's how:

  1. On the app's homepage, tap your profile photo at the lesser right of the screen.
  2. Tap Insights.
  3. Cull the time period y'all'd like Insights for: seven, 14, or 30 days, the previous month, or a custom timeframe.
  4. Scroll down to Content Y'all Shared and tap on Stories.
  5. Choose your metric and time menses.

Instagram Stories reach last 30 days

Source: Instagram

How to use Instagram Stories stickers

To add a sticker to your Instagram Story:

  1. Starting time creating your Story post-obit the steps above.
  2. Once the photograph or video is ready to go, tap the sticker icon at the peak of your screen—it'southward the square that's smiling and has a folded corner.
  3. Select the type of sticker you'd like to use. Each type has its ain properties, then experiment to run across how each one behaves when y'all tap on it. You can compression and drag to relocate and resize the sticker.

add Stickers to Instagram Stories

Source: Instagram

How to add a hashtag to your Instagram Stories

Adding a hashtag to your Insta Story makes it discoverable to a wider audience.

There are two means to add together a hashtag to your Story:

  1. Use the hashtag sticker (tap the sticker icon at the top of your screen—the grin square with the folded corner).
  2. Employ the regular text function (tap the text icon—the ane that says Aa) and use the # symbol.

Either way, once you lot start typing, Instagram will propose some pop hashtag ideas to get you going. You can add upwardly to ten hashtags to your Stories. (In which case we recommend shrinking them downwardly and hiding them behind stickers, gifs, or emojis — learn how to do that from our Instagram Story hacks post.)

How to add a location to your Instagram Stories

Like hashtags, calculation a location to your Instagram Story expands its potential achieve beyond your follower listing.

Places and businesses may have a location page. Users can discover the location page under the Places tab when they search, or by tapping on the location in another user's postal service. If your Story ends up in that location, you could stop up with a lot more views.

And if you take a brick-and-mortar business organization, your location page is where your happy customers can showcase their feel with you lot, and potential customers can check yous out. (In guild to set up up a location page for your business organization, yous'll need an Instagram business account.)

To use a location sticker on an Instagram Story:

  1. Tap the sticker icon at the elevation of your screen.
  2. Select the location sticker.
  3. Cull your preferred location from the list (could be a store, a street, a metropolis — get every bit broad or as specific as you lot like).
  4. Tap and elevate to adjust the sticker's color and size and location then information technology complements your Story'southward look.

How to add together captions to Instagram Stories

sixty% of people lookout man Instagram Stories with the audio on. That means, of grade, that 40% watch with the sound turned off. If you're posting videos, captions are a bang-up fashion to make your content more useful to that twoscore% of people.

Captions are too an of import fashion to aid brand content more attainable.

Instagram will motorcar-create captions for your video Stories if you add the captions sticker.

  1. Starting time creating your Story. The captions sticker volition but appear if you use a video.
  2. In one case the video is ready to become, tap the sticker icon at the pinnacle of your screen.
  3. Tap the Captions sticker.
  4. Instagram will auto-create captions. Information technology's a practiced thought to accept a wait and see how good a task the tool did at capturing what you actually said. If it got something incorrect, tap the text to edit any word.
  5. You tin can change the explanation font and color using the tools at the top and bottom of the screen. When you're happy with the captions, tap Washed.
  6. You tin can pinch and drag the caption to relocate and resize it as you lot would with whatever other sticker.

If yous use the Music sticker to add music to your story, you can caption your video with music lyrics.

  1. Start creating your Story. The music sticker volition simply appear if you use a video.
  2. One time the video is gear up to become, tap the sticker icon at the top of your screen.
  3. Tap the Music sticker.
  4. Select a song from the suggestions or search for a specific song.
  5. Employ the slider at the lesser of the screen or scroll through the lyrics to get to the department of the song y'all want to use.
  6. You can change the caption font and colour using the tools at the top and bottom of the screen. When y'all're happy with the captions, tap Done.
  7. Yous can pinch and elevate the caption to relocate and resize information technology as y'all would with whatever other sticker.

How to use Instagram Stories highlights

Stories don't have to disappear after 24 hours. Highlighting keeps them pinned to your profile until you choose to delete them. This is a dandy way to showcase your all-time, brand-defining content.

Each highlight can contain as many Stories as you like, and you can proceed adding to them as yous post new content.

How to create an Instagram Stories highlight:

  1. If the Story is less than 24 hours sometime and still visible on Instagram, just tap Your Story to open information technology, OR…
  2. If the Story is more than 24 hours onetime, recollect information technology from your archive. Tap your profile icon at the lesser right, so tap the carte icon (iii lines) in the elevation right. Tap Archive. Curlicue back to the Story yous desire to highlight.
  3. In the lower right corner of the screen, tap the highlight icon.
  4. Choose the highlight to which you'd similar to add the Story, OR…
  5. Create a new highlight.

Bank check out our full guide to Instagram Story highlights, including icons and covers.

Instagram Stories on Explore

The Instagram Explore page is the collection of algorithm-selected photos and videos that appears when you click the magnifying glass icon. Getting on the Explore page usually means a boost in reach and engagement, because the algorithm is showing your content to fresh, interested optics.

So how do you increase your Stories' adventure of getting featured there? Instagram says that the biggest ranking signals of what you lot'll encounter in your Explore feed are:

  1. How many and how speedily people are interacting with the post
  2. Your interaction history with the person who posted
  3. Which posts you've interacted with in the past
  4. Information about the person who posted, like how many times other people have interacted with them recently

Here's some information virtually how to create content that'due south most probable to appear on Instagram'south Explore page.

How to use Instagram Stories polls

To create an Instagram Story poll:

  1. Start creating your Story post-obit the steps in a higher place.
  2. Once the photo or video is ready to get, tap the sticker icon at the top of your screen.
  3. Choose the Poll sticker.
  4. Enter your question
  5. Enter your two potential responses. The default is Yep/No, but you can type whatsoever response up to 24 characters, including emojis.
  6. Allow your poll run for 24 hours.
  7. Don't forget to share the results!

OfficeLadiesPod Instagram Story poll

Source: OfficeLadiesPod on Instagram

How to apply Instagram Stories questions

Similar polls, IG Stories questions offer a way to make your Stories interactive.

Download your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now . Salvage time and look professional while promoting your brand in way.

Download the templates at present!

Instead of asking your followers what they recall, the questions sticker allows your followers to ask yous questions. Think of it as the Instagram equivalent of an Ask Me Anything.

To apply Instagram Stories questions:

  1. Start creating your Story following the steps to a higher place.
  2. Once the photo or video is set to go, tap the sticker icon at the superlative of your screen.
  3. Choose the Questions sticker.
  4. Customize the text of the question prompt.
  5. Tap Washed.

You'll find the questions in your viewers list. Tap whatever question to share it and respond. The identity of the asker will not be revealed.

Canadian Olympic Team Story question best flying tips

Canadian Olympic Team shared responses to flying question

Source: Team Canada on Instagram

How to add together links to Instagram Stories

In gild to add together Swipe Up links to Instagram Stories, you need to either take 10,000 followers or accept a verified account.

If that's you, read on. If not, skip to the video at the bottom of this section for a simple hack to add links to Stories even without x,000 followers.

How to add a Swipe-Up link on Instagram Stories:

  1. Start creating your Story following the steps above.
  2. Once the photo or video is prepare to go, tap the link icon at the superlative of your screen.
  3. Paste your link.
  4. Tap Done or the green check (depending on your blazon of phone).

Don't have 10,000 followers or a verified account? Here'southward a hack to add links to your Stories:

Of course, in that location'due south one final style to add a link to IG Stories, and that'due south to pay for it. Instagram Stories ads e'er include a link.

How to utilise Instagram Stories shopping

If you haven't already set your business up for Instagram Shopping, you'll need to do that first. Cheque out our step-by-step guide to setting upwardly Instagram Shopping for all the details.

One time yous've got your business relationship set up up, only use the shopping sticker to make your Stories shoppable.

  1. Create your Story as usual.
  2. Before you share, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen.
  3. Tap the Product sticker.
  4. Cull the product from your catalog that yous desire to tag.
  5. Move and arrange the shopping sticker by dragging and tapping.
  6. Share your Story.

Mexico Revolve Dala mini dress product sticker

Source: Instagram

Instagram Stories sizes

If you lot're designing or editing your Stories on desktop, or uploading a Stories ad to Facebook Ads Manager, you'll demand to keep these numbers from Facebook in mind:

  • Recommended prototype ratio: 9:xvi (all feed ratios are supported, but this ratio maximizes the Stories format)
  • Recommended resolution: 1080×1920 (minimum resolution is 600×1067 with no maximum, though very high resolution may increment upload times)
  • Maximum file size: 30MB for images, 250MB for video
  • Title-safe surface area: Leave a 14% title-safe surface area at the top and bottom (in other words, don't put text or logos in the top or bottom 250 pixels of the Story, to avoid overlapping with the app'south interface)

Instagram Stories tips and tricks

Before nosotros dive into this list of tips, hither'south a quick video primer with some strategies to optimize your Instagram Stories:

At present let's go into our specific Instagram Stories tips.

Shoot vertical and lo-fi

If you're only getting started, in that location's nothing incorrect with repurposing existing creative assets for IG Stories. In fact, if you want to run Stories ads, Instagram will automatically optimize existing content for the Stories format.

But realistically, you'll have amend results if you plan and shoot your Stories content in vertical format right from the start. The expert news is you lot don't have to get fancy. In fact, Instagram found that Stories ads shot on mobile devices outperformed studio shot ads by 63%.

That's because mobile-shot Stories from brands wait more similar the content regular users post. By blending in with what users expect to run across, brands can create a more immersive and less intrusive experience.

For example, KLM's Stories series Live With Locals uses low-production, mobile-shot videos in which local residents showcase cities KLM flies to.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Live With Locals series

Source: KLM on Instagram

Define your brand's visual identity

Aye, we only said low production value is A-OK. That doesn't mean you can forget the fundamentals of visual branding. For example, notice that the KLM Story above uses the airline's signature colors of blue and white for the text. And, of course, there's the flying bellboy at the bottom of the screen encouraging y'all to swipe up.

Consistent visuals help nurture your human relationship with your audition: they should recognize your style without having to bank check your username.

Using consequent colors, fonts, gifs, and Instagram Stories templates is a not bad start. A fashion guide is a good identify to runway all your design decisions so yous tin keep your brand's tone unified and your team on the aforementioned page.

If you don't have a design team and y'all feel a little unsure of where to start, at that place are plenty of Stories-focused pattern apps to help you get this correct.

Use quick cuts and motion to keep attention

Images are shown for 5 seconds on Stories, and videos last upwardly to 15. But how frequently have you actually looked at a still epitome in Stories for a full five seconds? I'm guessing approximately never. And that holds true for your followers, as well.

Instagram's parent company Facebook found that pinnacle-performing Stories ads accept an average scene length of just 2.8 seconds. For videos, use quick cuts and go along things moving.

For notwithstanding images, y'all can create motion that holds your viewer's attending using stickers like animated GIFs or the new animated text sticker.

Maximize the get-go three seconds

The most effective Stories convey their key message in the beginning three seconds. That might audio fast, simply count it out — it actually gives you plenty of time to get to the point.

Consequent, branded visuals with a clear unique selling proposition right upfront will give viewers reason to keep watching your Story or, even ameliorate, swipe up to larn more than.

This ad from Matt & Nat conveys everything right from the start: the brand and make hope are both clear, the offer is prominent, and there'due south a simple telephone call to action.

Matt & Nat Summer Sale consistent visuals and branding

Source: MattandNat on Instagram

On that annotation…

Include a CTA

Similar all adept marketing artistic, your Instagram Stories should include a clear call to action. What do you lot want viewers to do side by side?

Swipe up is a perfectly fine CTA, simply it can be a good idea to brand it even more articulate. For example, the Matt and Nat ad above uses text overlay to specify "Swipe up to shop."

When you run Instagram Stories ads, you can choose to supercede Swipe Up with more specific text like Store Now or Learn More.

Schedule Stories in advance

Posting Stories regularly is a good way to keep your audience engaged, Only having to interrupt your workflow throughout the day to create and post Stories can become pretty disruptive.

Fortunately, you can create and schedule your Stories in accelerate using the Hootsuite scheduler. You can then work your Stories into your social media posting schedule and then they complement your other social posts and integrate effectively into any ongoing campaigns.

Here's how it works:

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