Posts with a lifespan of just 24 hours: that was only recently the main feature of Insta Stories. In the meantime, however, new features such as story highlights , music or surveys open up completely new possibilities. You can find out what is possible with Instagram Stories in the app and on the PC , to what extent the stories allow downloads, reposts, etc. and much more here!
THE INSTAGRAM STORY FORMAT: BASICS
A standard story post remains visible on Instagram for 24 hours and then disappears by itself unless you save it as a highlight in your profile. But more on that later - let's start from the beginning!
CREATE AN INSTAGRAM STORY
Instagram is an app that the best way to explore is by trial and error. Creating a normal story post , for example, is very simple. Start by looking in the newsfeed
· swipe right
· Tap the camera symbol in the top left or
· Tap on your own profile picture or the "Your story" field
You can now take a picture or video, start a live video, write a text or upload media from your gallery directly in the app . Once an image is uploaded, you can edit it by swiping up and choosing an option.
From GIFs to geotags to person links , Instagram regularly comes up with new features. If you hold down your finger on a point in the picture, a bar with picture effects will also open at the bottom of the picture. By the way: The standard view in Instagram Stories is portrait format.
As soon as you are satisfied with the picture / video, you can post it. To do this, simply tap on the plus symbol in the lower left corner. You can optionally save your post beforehand .
IMAGES FROM THE GALLERY IN THE INSTAGRAM STORY
Stories are perfect for showing spontaneity. But that doesn't mean you can only post snapshots here. If you swipe up in story mode, all pictures and videos are available.
INSTAGRAM STORY VIDEOS
A video in the Instagram Stories can last a maximum of 15 seconds - not a lot of time. The good news: There should soon be a new feature that automatically splits longer videos into several individual videos . Pretty practical, because anyone who has ever recorded a story video knows that 15 seconds can be over surprisingly quickly ...
Here is an example of a story with two 15-second story sequences
Videos in Instagram Stories can be played with or without sound . If you want the video to be silent, just tap the speaker icon on the top bar of the screen. Again, if the sound is important to the clip, it's best to add a "Sound On" notice .
The relatively new Live Video feature is also interesting for marketing purposes . You will find this option right next to the "Normal" button in the story view.
1. And what is the point of such a live video? Very easily:Users are notified that they have just gone live. Attention factor: high!
2. A live video appears at the very front of the story bar , so you can gain new viewers extra quickly.
3. The target group can comment live and you come into direct contact with the users. This makes you approachable as a company on Instagram and you can collect sympathy points.
The comment function can of course also be deactivated. Incidentally, the video does not automatically disappear when it is finished: Live videos can also be saved as highlights or posted again in the story .
TIMING AND ORDER IN INSTAGRAM STORIES
Finding the right rhythm for Instagram Stories requires a bit of tact: If you post too often, it can quickly become annoying. But if you post too seldom, you will be forgotten.
So come up with a rough schedule in good time. For example, if you post stories about 8-12 hours apart twice a day , there will always be something to see in your story. However, this is only a rough guideline .
Regardless of the posting frequency, it is important to keep the chronological order of the stories in mind. Ultimately, an Instagram story should be just that: a cohesive story . So if you go too far back in time in a story post, you should somehow indicate that too.
So much for a first look at the fast-moving world of Instagram Stories. Instagram itself provides a precise explanation of the Instagram Stories functions - listing them all at this point would take a bit too long. Let's focus on the details: do Instagram Stories only work in the app? And what other tips and tricks should you know for Instagram marketing?
APP VS. PC: WHERE CAN YOU WATCH INSTAGRAM STORIES?
Instagram (or Facebook as the owner) makes no secret of the fact that the platform is primarily intended to be used via an app : there are clearly more options in the mobile version.
INSTAGRAM STORIES ON THE PC
Since Instagram is so focused on mobile use, there is currently no way to post stories in the desktop version - but you can view the stories on the desktop.
CAN YOU SEE STORIES WITHOUT AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT?
Stories without an Instagram account are also difficult. Thanks to external tools , it is not impossible, but it is a bit cumbersome for the standard user. We dare to say, however, that this "problem" is not too dramatic for you as an Instagram marketer and is more likely to affect private individuals .
WHO SAW THE INSTAGRAM STORY?
Viewing a story anonymously is not possible . As the account owner, you can always see who has seen your story. However, every click on the story is counted as a single impression . This means that you do not know how often the story has been seen by a person.
Presentation of the insights to the viewers of your story
That's why an Instagram business profile is worthwhile : Here you have access to Audience Insights and find out how often users tapped your story to skip a post or how often they went back to a previous story post. Accordingly, you can optimize your other stories and track them with Instagram Insights .
DOWNLOAD, SCREENSHOT, REPOST: THIS IS HOW INSTAGRAM STORIES WORK
Have you created a story that generated a particularly large number of positive reactions? Then you should consider downloading the story ! Now let's take a look at how this works and what other features you should know about.
DOWNLOAD STORIES
It is always possible to download your own story before posting . Simply tap on the "Save" button before you put the story online. The media will then be saved in your gallery.
Downloading stories from other users is not that easy. For example, you need apps like Ins Story (iOS) or Story Saver (Android). This function is also less interesting for marketing purposes and would only be useful if you want to analyze story posts from the competition in more detail.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH STORY SCREENSHOTS?
In Instagram Stories, you can use screenshots, for example, to provide branded templates that users can then photograph, fill in and post in their own story - ideally with a link to your account . "This or that" templates are always popular and motivate people to participate.
By the way, if someone takes a screenshot of your story, you will not receive a notification (unlike on Snapchat ) . A feature that sends messages will probably come sooner or later, but it's just a rumor at the moment.
Do you want to share the contribution of another account yourself ? Then it is best not to do this with a screenshot - a legal gray area - but by using the share function . The user concerned will be informed so that you are on the safe side. Oh yes: It will also look nicer.
REPOST AND SHARE STORIES
In order for a story to be shared, the account must be public . However, you can specify in the settings at any time that external accounts are not allowed to share your story. And how do you get as many people as possible to share a story? For example with relevant hashtags in the story post! Because they can be used to find you in the Discover area . You can also explicitly call the repost.
FEATURES ON INSTAGRAM STORIES
Surprise, surprise: There are even more extras that every Instagram marketer should have heard of. Surveys, story highlights and music are probably the most exciting updates right now. Oh yes, and what about links in Instagram Stories?
SURVEY VIA INSTAGRAM STORY
The poll function is ideal for encouraging followers to interact . For Instagram surveys, you give two answer options. As soon as the user has chosen one of them, he sees the previous survey values. Participate quickly, see results quickly - the inhibition threshold cannot be lower.
Example of an Instagram story survey
Evaluation of an Instagram story survey
This is worth gold for marketing purposes. Because in this way you can collect authentic customer feedback and conduct market research . The new question function is even more meaningful: You can post an open question in your story and then evaluate the answers.
INSTAGRAM STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Some social media marketers should also be happy about the highlights feature. In this way, stories can be saved in the profile instead of disappearing and never being seen again after 24 hours. It is best to design your stories from the start in such a way that they would potentially make a nice, representative highlight .
MUSIC IN INSTAGRAM STORIES
It has recently become possible to add music to the story posts - but only for iOS and in certain countries. If the function is available to you, simply swipe up on the image and tap on "Music". Now you can select a song and then the relevant section . If you want to record a video, select the song before you start recording.
ADS AND LINKS IN INSTAGRAM STORIES
You should also take a closer look at Instagram Story Ads for marketing purposes. This type of advertising is played between organic stories, in exactly the same format: vertically and as a full screen . The ads fit naturally into the organic content and thus get more attention.
It is also possible to set a link using the swipe-up function in Instagram Ads . Otherwise, links can only be found in the profile description. If you are just starting out with Instagram, you don't have this option yet. Because in order to be able to set links in an Instagram story, you either need a verified account or at least 10,000 followers on your business account.
Stories, filters, highlights etc .: Like every other social media platform, Instagram also has its own peculiarities and features . With a little practice, however, it is not difficult to find your way around the app. Therefore, there is only one thing left to say at this point: have fun trying it out!