If you and your business are on Instagram, you must surely know about Instagram Stories.

Featured at the top of your feed as little circles, Instagram stories are a loop of images or a video that you share with your followers for a limited time-period of 24 hours.

Read More- What are Ideal Instagram Story Dimensions?

Instagram users can add new content to an uploaded story and Instagram would continuously loop in all active content uploaded within past 24 hours.

However, once you reach the 24-hour mark, the story disappears forever.

Many brands and influencers are totally leveraging the Instagram stories feature to engage with their audiences.

However…

If you are late to the party, come on in and learn how to do that!

So without any further ado, let’s get started and first learn how to create an Instagram story-

• Tap on the camera icon at the top left of your Instagram home page. Alternatively, you can go to your profile and tap on the little + sign on your profile pic.

• Snap a picture, record a video or tap on the little square near the camera to choose from the pictures and videos you have taken right from your gallery.

• Once you have chosen/clicked the picture or video you want to share, Instagram walks you through multiple options to edit, add texts, props and emojis.

• Just swipe left to see all the available options till you are satisfied with the story you have created.

• Users can add multiple pictures and videos. All the content uploaded within 24 hours runs consecutively in a loop until their 24-hour mark is up. Although user can upload as many stories as they want, I usually suggest starting with 4-5 stories first and then increasing the number gradually.

• After you are all done, now click on ‘share’ to send your story.

• And you are done!!! Your story is now live on Instagram until next 24 hours.

Instagram even lets you select if you want to restrict visibility or comments from particular accounts (Link below!). Additionally, users can also download the video or picture that they created for their story and post it normally to their regular feed.

Read More- Instagram Story Controls 101!

Now since you know how to do it, let’s see learn some of the common tips that brands/influencers usually follow to lead their competitions-

1-Follow A Routine

Share a consistent content type regularly, so that your followers know what to expect and look forward to it. For brands, it could be behind the scene, work processes, office humor, client testimonials, etc. whereas for influencers it could be a part of their routine, or a small piece of advice or inspiration. Anything that is consistent receives more credibility and brand value from the users.

Keep Your Feed Clean

Want to try out something that is different from style of your regular feed? Use Instagram stories to deliver a variety of content without breaking the visual consistency of your feed. Keep them more clean so your message delivers easily to all your fans and followers; hence ultimately increasing your brand value.

Build Pretext

Do you have something new and exciting to share with your followers? A promotion, a collaboration, an announcement, a competition perhaps. Give your followers a sneak-peek or a little preview of what’s to come, to build up excitement. Doing this will get them more excited to wait for your post or story, and you will earn some loyal fans.

Demand Action

You can use your Instagram stories to guide your followers to take specific action. If you have a business Instagram account, you can add links to your story. Direct your watchers to a new blog post, newsletter subscription box, a landing page, a sale (entice them with an exclusive discount code), etc. There is never a lack of ideas. Moreover, use polls and chat stickers for your advantage to interact directly with your audience.

Drive Real-Time Engagement.

Since Instagram stories can’t be pre-scheduled (except you use third-party apps or services), use them to give true real-time insights into your life or your brand. Engage spontaneously with visitors who view your story and leave you a story message.

If used wisely, Instagram stories can supplement your brand identity.

Stories are just as discoverable as regular posts through hashtags, locations and a user’s recommended search feed curated by Instagram, making them a way to introduce your brand to new users.

Do you have any different idea to use them more with more productivity?

Let me know in the comments down below about it.

And please do share if you liked it!

Till then?

See you next time!

Bye-bye.