Do you know more than 400 million people view stories? It indicates that if you use it efficiently and provide high-quality content to your followers, your branding efforts will compound exponentially.
Instagram launched the feature in 2016, where anything you upload vanishes after 24 hours. They further launched Instagram Story highlights in 2017, allowing you to save your favorite permanently on the profile feed.
Instagram stories overtook Snapchat, the original head-turner for introducing this feature.
How do Instagram Stories help?
Many of you might have a question- What makes Instagram stories a perfect addition to your branding strategy? How can stories help me if it stays for only 24 hours?
We are here to help.
- There is no limit on the number you share. Unlike posts that your target audience might or might not view, stories grab the attention of Instagrammers quicker.
- But of the 400 million who actively view stories, 70% belong to Gen Z. If you target a younger age group as your follower base, Instagram stories are a fabulous way to lure them.
- This point might interest you if you are a business owner looking to expand their consumer base. More than 30% of businesses use stories for product promotion and witnessed success.
- The story highlights are present on your profile’s top, unlike your posts which go down as you keep uploading. It increases the probability of a profile viewer clicking on your stories rather than scrolling down to see your posts.
What are Instagram Engagement Metrics for Stories?
Like Instagram posts, the platform offers a detailed analytics report for Instagram and for creators to reflect on the kind of content that will work in their favor.
- Forward Taps: These allow the creator to see how quickly a viewer moves on to the next story. It can help you understand the story retention capabilities.
- Backward Taps: This allows you to check how many times a viewer visited a previous story.
- Exits: This is a harsh but essential metric. It allows you to analyze how many viewers exited your story and returned to their feed.
- Replies: These indicate how many viewers engage with your content either by responding to your story or visiting the website you added to it.
- Reach: It analyzes the spread of your stories and how many people have watched them. If you are a creator, your goal is to maximize the story’s reach to get noticed.
- Impressions: While many people use the metrics Reach and Impressions interchangeably, there is a slight difference between the two. While Reach shows you the unique views, impressions show you the total views(i.e., it includes rewatches too).
Tips for Creating the Best Instagram Stories
We’ve covered the importance of stories and their analytics for a content creator. Let’s jump straight to the best tips for an Instagram story that can propel your feed and get you noticed.
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Use Highlights
While some people witness slow and steady success, for others, one viral post is all it takes to gather a massive following. How would you communicate to those new followers about your offerings and achievements?
A story highlighted in these situations rescues you. Those visiting your profile for the first time will check your highlights and instantly understand your personality and brand better.
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Mention People in Stories
Tag people in your stories and participate in quirky challenges which are trending. You should know that Instagram allows tagging only 20 people in stories, so choose them wisely based on their followers and industry, which will benefit you.
It will help you leverage their fan base, and by following the trend, you increase your chance to feature in the Explore section.
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Boomerangs and other Instagram Story Features
Take your stories a notch higher by using amazing Instagram stories features: boomerangs, hyper-lapse, etc. They add a cherry on mundane story postings and indicate to the viewers you have an avid social media presence. It is a sure-shot way to get the attention of Millenials and Gen Z.
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Use Polls
Getting followers is easy, but getting a loyal fan base is difficult. Any creator/brand who listens to its audience and implements the required changes will sustain its success in the long run.
Polls are a proven way to improve audience engagement. You can use polls whenever you feel in doubt about a particular product/want to know what they would love on your profile, and so on.
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Revive Old Stories or Posts using Memories
It helps you as the story highlight does. You can share your favorite stories or old posts as memories for your new followers. It will help you reminisce about your journey as a creator but also help your audience understand your path as a creator and the kind of content you have previously created. It is a great way to get traction on old posts. You can find more interesting advices on IGInstant.
So if you want to elevate your content creation game, Instagram stories are your knights in shining armor.
