Stories have become a fundamental feature of Instagram since its announcement in 2016. While the concept is simply visuals disappearing in 24 hours, the engagement makes the efforts you put into creating one worth it. Instagram reported that there are more than 500 million Instagrammers using Stories. While this amount sounds promising initially, it also means big competition. Here are useful tips to get the most out of Instagram Stories for your business (hint: it's not resharing tagged stories or posts!)

1. Mobile First, Stories First‍

Stories are vertical and full-screen, so make sure your video or image fits the 9:16 aspect ratio to make it look visually pleasing. Video content is king on Instagram, including Stories, so make sure to prioritise video content and add trending audio as often as possible. Still, just adding some motion or text overlay to a still image can help take your Instagram story to the next level.

2. Time is Ticking

With the new Instagram update, you can now share 1-minute video stories without being cut off. However, image stories still play on the screen for 5 seconds only. This fast-paced feature makes every second essential for grabbing attention. Adding branded content, such as logos and products, at the beginning of your creative will encourage brand recall. You can add your brand's product as a sticker or a link button that directs to your website. Just like on other platforms, adding a CTA is crucial on Instagram Stories. You can add plain text or adjust the link button according to your CTA.

3. Sticking with the Stickers

‍There are many features that Instagram offers to make your Stories more interactive, including "Stickers." Adding a sticker stimulates the algorithm to push your story further to the top and increase engagement. Location, question, poll, quiz, and countdown stickers are only some to choose from, and they each serve a unique purpose. Question or poll stickers are great for getting more insight from your audience and giving you the opportunity to ask about their needs, interests, or views on your business. Quizzes are a fun way to keep your audience engaged, with concepts like guessing a new service/product or testing their knowledge of your brand. A recent Instagram case story found that nearly 20% of conversions came from a Story ad that used the poll sticker feature!

4. Influencing with People‍

Working with influencers is a great way to get the word out about your business and strengthen the connection between your audience and your brand. Influencers can work on Story collaborations like hosting "takeovers," showing behind-the-scenes of your campaign, or answering questions (that you gathered from your question tag). Balans Social's expertise in influencer marketing makes it easier for your brand to reach out to creators effectively.

5. Enlight and Highlight‍

Since the end of 2017, Instagram has offered users the option to archive posts and stories. This was also the birth of Instagram Story Highlights, which allows brands to pin their top stories on their profile instead of letting them disappear within 24 hours. Businesses can use this feature to categorize their campaigns, news, or anything they want to keep on top of the page. To ensure that the profile still looks on-brand, you can customise the covers for the Story Highlights to fit your brand identity.

The critical points to conquering Instagram Stories are simple but require some effort. From optimizing the format to adding stickers, as well as sharing CTAs or influencer collaborations, there are many things you can do with Instagram Stories to take your brand's Instagram game to the next level. Sounds complicated? You can always contact Balans Social and learn more about our Instagram Story services.

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