Best Guide You Should Need to Know Before Using Instagram Story
What Is Meant by Instagram Stories
Instagram story is the updated and hottest feature on Instagram. First time story feature was launched in SnapChat and it was very popular, people upload their photos and videos on story. Story keeps online for 24 hours. Before understanding they why story will remove automatically after 24 hours, we need to realize that it is the strategy to take Instagram high, if people come to Instagram again and again for story then definitely the rank of Instagram will increase.
How Can You Use Instagram Story
When you open your Instagram app on the left top of home page button you will the button with sign of plus (+). By clicking this button you can upload your photo or video as a story on Instagram. Story is the best way for uploading your live and short interval moments. Millions of people use Instagram story just to aware the users by their routine. Your following can see your live moments and they can just see for 24 hours.
Initially in this feature people just can't upload their photos and videos but time by time Instagram did many upgrades in this feature and put some other functionalities such as now people can upload boomerang video, can make reverse video, photos and videos with stunning filters and can add links etc. You can use all these functions in your story and get to enjoy more from Instagram story.
If you create your Instagram story then upload then upload it. If you have a personal account then only your followers can see your story otherwise if you have a business account then anybody can see.
How Can You Customize Instagram Story
There are many methods for customization of Instagram story some of them are mentioned below.
Additional Functions in Instagram Story
There are some other features that are really useful and helpful in Instagram story such as you save your own story or you can directly share your story to your followers in direct message, besides there are some other functions those are mentioned in detail below.
Adding Current Location:
People love to share their current place with others, if you are visiting any outstanding place which has some worth then you can share that place with the help of Instagram story. Under sticker option you can see the Adding Location option, press that option then sometimes Instagram traces the location automatically but it will not trace then enter the proper name of the location. For automatic location you need to on your GPS location and if you are uploading the post related to past then you have to add manually.
Create Highlight Stories:
It is the best function and feature in the Instagram story. In highlights you can categorize your story. The highlights stories are stay online for more than 24 hours. For making highlight story you need to add icon image and name of the highlight. For example you have a business account and you are selling men and women garments on Instagram, for differentiate you can categorize both with the help of the highlights, you can create one highlight for men garments and one for women garments.
Adding Poll in Story:
If you have any questions and you identify more than one answer but you are confused in selecting one of best then in this way you can add poll in the Instagram story. You can add your question in the story with the results it same likes multiple choice questions. Your answer will be that has more votes, so in this way you can identify any answer. Mostly people use this for fun such as many people ask now a days which team will win the World Cup, these questions are related to trend.
Add Question in Story:
There is an option with the name Ask me Question, with the help of this option you can ask any question from your followers. This option exists in Stickers go there and click on this option, write your question and publish your story. People come to your story and answer your question, you can share the answer with your other followers it's up to you. It is the best way for making communication between you and followers.
Add GIFS and Stickers in Story:
Gifs are the animated images and stickers are the graphics. There are many stickers and gifts available in the story. Click on the sticker option here you will see hundreds of stickers and gifs, choose the stickers according to your story. You can add more than one sticker or gifs as well as you can add your own stickers and gifs. After choosing the sticker or gifs you can adjust or resize the sticker according to your need and wish.
Adding Hashtags in the Story:
Reaction Slider is the loveable feature in the Instagram story. It is used for the live reaction on the story, by sliding finger on the reaction slider people can react on the story. Many people use this feature just for taking reaction on the story. You can set any emoji on the reaction slider and you can see the average of reaction.
Add Reaction Slider:
Hashtags are really helpful in the mean of getting more traffic. You can add hashtags by two methods, the first one is very simple just type hash sign and then write your tag otherwise the second one is go to the sticker and choose hashtag sticker there write your tag, in hashtag sticker you can get many suggestions while typing the tag.
Standard Dimension of Instagram Story
Standard dimension of Instagram story is 16:10, but you can adjust the dimension according to your needs. Instagram story provides you the option for cropping the story, zoom in, zoom out and change the angle of the story. The minimum dimension you can set is 1:1, below this Instagram story cannot allow you.
Maximum Length of the Instagram story
The maximum length of each story is 15 sec, the story more than 15 sec will split into different frames but the frame will be of maximum 15 sec. For creating video story long press on capture button and press till you want to make the story. Instagram will automatically set the frames for the video story.
Various Modes for Shooting the Instagram Story
There are 5 various modes for shooting the story each of the modes is mentioned below in detail.
Superzoom Mode:
In this mode you can zoom on the particular part of the video just for making that highlight. This mode is used for extreme fun, in this mood you can also add music and funny filters.
Focus Mode:
This is the best mode for those loves to take selfies. In focus mode when you capture the picture the camera will automatically blur the outer part of the picture.
Rewind Mode:
In this mode you can make the video in reverse. Means the video you shoot it will automatically become backward when you upload.
Boomerang Mode:
In this mode the short clip is created in many loops, it is the funny and enjoyable mode.
Hand Free mode:
This mode is used for making the large video, as we mentioned above for video you need to long press the button but in this mode you just need to press for once.
Remote the Views on Instagram Story
You can monitor the views of Instagram story after the publish it. Whenever you open your own story you noticed that small eye on the bottom left corner with some number, that point shows the total number of views on the specific story. If you swipe up on the story then you can identify who has watched your story.
In Business Instagram account you can see more stats other than views in the option of Insights.
How Instagram Story is Beneficial for Business Purposes
In Business Instagram account Instagram provides lots and extraordinary features in it those are not applicable in personal Instagram account. Business account always set as a public and any person from all over the world can access the business account. Many people don’t like business Instagram because of privacy but brands and business organization use this and get lots of benefits from this.
There are some features those are helping in business purposes.
Regularly Updating:
Instagram provides the opportunity to update your status and post regularly on the stories. Updating regularly is the best for engaging your followers with your followers and other brands. It will help you increase your presence in the follower’s minds. Brands should need to post 5 stories in a day after a gap of 5 hours just to keep updating their self with the followers.
Service and Products Launches:
If you are going to launch any new service or product then must use Instagram story for announcing to the followers and other people. Never tell completely about the product or service to the followers and people just create the short content treasure and upload on the story just for creating the anxiety in the people about your new upcoming product by this number of people will start engaging with you and demand to know about the new product.
Use IG TV:
IG Tv is a great way for promoting your business on Instagram story It is the latest feature of Instagram that launched some months ago. You can also use IG TV in you IG story. People like to see videos on IG TV on Instagram, if you share IG Tv on story then short interval clip will show to watch the full video users have to click on authors name so show he or she can see the full video by this attraction will increase between you and the people. Make high quality video and then upload on the IG TV for getting more engagement.
Go Live via Instagram Story:
Go Live on Instagram story is the best way for making interaction with the followers. You can do live chat with the people by answering their comments, you can tell the followers about the future planning of your brands and you can review your product on the Live video. After ending up live video you can share on your Instagram for 24 hours or you can share on your new feed for long online stay.
Add a URL in the Story:
With the help of Instagram story you can increase the traffic on your website. Instagram story provides the option for adding a link in the story or you can set option of swipe up and put the link on the swipe up, this is how whenever people do swipe up on your story they will directly reach to your website. In this way you can increase the traffic of your blog as well as if you ecommerce website then you can increase your sales.
Add Trending Hashtags:
As we mentioned above hashtags always give extra boost to your Instagram story. Always try to put the hashtags according to your content. There are two ways for adding the hashtag one is added directly by putting the hash symbol and second one is add tag through hashtag sticker both ways are easy. For finding trending hashtags you can browse on the Internet or there are many applications are available on the internet with the help of them you can easily find trending hashtags.
Polling and Questioning:
Always ask questions and poll questions to your followers, this trick will help you to increase your engagement with the people. Ask at least one question in a day and try to ask a question related to trending topics this is how you can get more traffic and visitors on your story. For example, asking the question about which team will win the world cup this question is very trending now a days. You can find out more trending question on google trending etc.
Make announcements before Post:
Always upload the preview of your post on the Story. It will help you increase the maximum engagement with the people because if you show the preview of any post, service or product then will definitely come excited to see the full version they will stay tune with your brand for watching that post. So this is the best way for getting maximum visitor on the story.
Best Ways to Increase your Sales via Instagram Story
Partnership with Celebrity:
If you have paid partnership with any celebrity then your story will grow speedily. A paid partnership mean you are paying to the celebrity or influencer for the promotion of your stories, this is how you can get maximum visitors on your Instagram story and can increase your sales. A partnership is the best way for increasing your sales in the quick way and it will also help you to increase your followers.
Crack the Instagram’s Algorithm:
If you are uploading the effective and interactive then it will definitely beat the Algorithm. If followers do not like your likes and they are not giving like on that then the visibility of that become decrease, so keep posting on Instagram again and again always upload the preview of the post and write the phrase that develop the anxiety in the followers, by this technique people start engaging with your brand and waiting for your post. By this way your post can get popularity in short time and get maximum visitors.
Tags and Reposting:
You can engage your followers with tag them in your posts. Always tag your selected followers in your story remember just need to tag 2 to 3 followers. On the other hand tag your competitor in your story which, by this you are creating a bond with your competitor, it is just like as creating the backlink. Whenever people searching for your competitor then might be your profile will also shown in the suggestion.
Always repost your previous posts after 1 to 2 weeks and delete the previous one, this is just because for reminding the people about your products and services.
Best Apps and Tools for Creating Instagram Story:
There are many tools and applications that are used for creating Instagram story, some of them those are excellent and outstanding tools are mentioned below.
InstaShot Video Editor:
InstaShot is standing at number 1 in the category of editing application. It is available in Android phone and IOS phones. This application is free but for using some features of this application you need to pay. This application is specially developed for the instagram posts. You can do video editing, video cutting, video merging, video trimming, apply stickers on the post, filter on the post and many other things you can do with the help of this application. This application is very easy to install and operate you can easily save your edited video or picture from here or you can directly upload on you Instagram story.
Cut Story Application:
If you want to upload your video which is more than 15 sec then in this situation Cut Story will help you. In cut story you just need to put the duration of the video, adding music and then upload directly on the instagram story. This application will automatically cut the video in the frames and upload on the story. You can also use it for general Instagram post, you can upload the video which is more than 60 sec with the help of this application. This application is just available in android phone, go to play store and download from there.
Storeo Application:
Storeo is actually a replica of the Cut Story application but this application is just available for the IOs users. As similar to the Cut story if you want to upload your video which is more than 15 sec then in this situation storeo application will help you. In cut story you just need to put the duration of the video, adding music and then upload directly on the instagram story. Storeo app will automatically cut the video in the frames and upload on the Instagram story. You can also use storeo for simple Instagram post, you can upload the video which is more than 60 sec with the help of this application.
Hype Type Application:
Hype Type is the best application for creating the Instagram story with the help of the images and text. With the help of Hype Type application, you can easily make the video for story with some animations, styling fonts and extraordinary background graphics. With the help of this application you can also set the format of your video as well as resolution. This application is very simple and easy to use. Just add your images, text and animation style it will create itself, you can save it directly to your gallery or you can upload to Instagram directly.
Canva and Spark Post:
Canva and spare post are named differently but literally both applications have the same use. If you need an application for making the attractive poster and graphic for any announcement or product then canvas and spare post are the best options. These application will definitely help you to create the high quality and unique poster or graphics for your Instagram story post which will attractive and can interact the followers to your brand.
Unfold Story Creator Application:
In instagram application you cannot add more than 1 image in each story frame but this is possible when you use Unfold Story Creator. Unfold provides you some outstanding and fantastic frames in which you can easily add images more than one. You can also add text, handwritten text, sticker and gifs on your story with the help of this application. This application provides you the opportunity to upload your post directly to instagram story.
Conclusion
Instagram stories are not only used for fun and socializing, it can be used for many other purposes such as for business promotion etc. So if you are an individual user or business account users use this feature for once, we are guaranteed that you will get lots of benefits in Instagram story. You should need to create your Instagram post attractive so that’s how you can interact with many people with your brand. If you use Instagram properly and maintain yourself on the Instagram story then definitely you will receive maximum engagement with the people and visitors. Keep posting and socializing on Instagram story.