6 Best Practices For IG Stories
In this blog post we explore the often-overlooked realm of Instagram Stories.
Nine months ago I committed to posting daily on Instagram, I had never done that before but I figured it was time to step up my game as I have some big goals to work towards and I wanted to see the impact it has. I’m proud to say that I haven’t missed a day. Even on days that I really didn’t feel like it, or didn’t feel inspired- I kept the promise to myself. Posting daily has helped me become a content creation machine; idea’s comes easy, the execution is faster and I have more reach & engagement and it has become more lucrative too. The hard work is paying off 🙌🏻.
During eight out of these nine months I was very much focused on my main feed. I mainly create reels and mix in some carousels and photos. But now I create content faster and more efficiently I feel like I can tackle another challenge- and that is: Instagram Stories.
I have not been very invested in IG stories because I did not see the benefit of putting in time and energy into creating content and then it’s gone 24 hours later. Where as the content on the main feed stays there and can be consumed at any time- it feels more effective. Despite my reservations about Instagram Stories, I realized the potential to connect on a more personal level, especially considering the staggering 900 million daily users 📱in 2023
Stories are popular because they are easy to click through and engage with. Some say it may even be easier to get engagement and find success in Stories than it is in the regular feed.
If you are already having a hard time posting consistently and coming up with new ideas, you may really not like the idea of doing Instagram stories as well. Another thing to do on IG.. ugh.. I hear you. And just to be clear; I don’t suggest to do more stories and less in feed content because Instagram stories reach rate is lower than posts. Instagram Stories reach rate is between 1.5% and 6.2% and this is compared to 12% to 25% for Instagram posts.
Don’t see it as a replacement but a powerful complement to your main feed strategy
PERSONAL CONNECTION 🫶🏻
I definitely think that IG stories is a great way to connect with your existing followers on a more personal level. People tend to look for their closest friends in Stories. And appearing in someone’s life daily, makes you part of their inner IG circle. And that’s a valuable place to be in.
And did you know that Instagram stories has it’s own algorithm? The head of IG, Adam Mosseri shared earlier this year that IG doesn’t have a single algorithm but that each part of the Instagram app uses its own algorithm. (Feed, Stories, Explore, Reels, Search)
Don’t waste your time just posting to post, create a plan and use IG Stories to your advantage. Turn IG stories into a rewarding and productive space within your followers inner circles. Here is how:
6 Best Practices 🛠️ For IG Stories
1. Direct-To-Camera practice. If you want to grow your audience, expand your reach and boost your online presence speaking directly into camera is a must. For many speaking directly into camera can feel so intimidating! 😫 Even though you speak confidently with your friends, co-workers and clients- when you hit the record button and start to speak, you may get self-conscious stutter, lose your train of thought. It happens….
And that’s why IG stories is a great place to practice. Start talking and no need for it to be perfect, it will disappear after 24 hours 😉 .
2. Get to know your audience better. Not only will your audience get to know you on a more personal level but this is where you can get to know them better too. Instagram provides a lot of fun tools you can play with, such as polls, questions, and quizzes. Ask your audience a question and the responses are automatically collected and stored for you. This is super valuable for your offers and marketing efforts. Get feedback from the people that want to hear from you and may eventually become customers.
3. Post your best Story frame first. Similar to creating a hook for IG reels to get people to watch your reel, it is really important to grab the attention of your audience with the first story frame, so that they are tempted to carry on to the next frame. Post your best stuff first.
4. Call-to-Action Strategies. Explores effective ways to include CTA’s in Stories, guiding followers to take specific actions. Examples are: signing up for newsletters, joining challenges, a workshop or booking training sessions.
5. The ideal Story length. Well that’s debatable.. The last thing you want to do on stories is to overshare; you risk losing people’s interest and they will exit. You do want to share raw, unfiltered and unique content. You may talk more in depth about a specific subject, share some of your favorite healthy food habits, talk about products/brands that you use, love and recommend. Show a behind the scenes.
You can start with 3 story frames; share 3 different moments of your day- but post them around the same time so that a viewer that likes the first story can enjoy another frame or two.
6. Look at the data 📊. When you go to Instagram “insights” it will give you an overview of all your posts, stories and reels. When you click on “Stories” you can see frame by frame how many people watched and how many exited and where that was. This is where you learn again about your audience’s interests- more data for you to analyze but please do not overanalyze. IG stories is definitely a place where you want to feel free to experiment, to be playful and relatable
What are your thought about Instagram Stories? I hope this blog post has opened your mind to using Instagram stories and that you will take advantage of this powerful tool that’s available to you. Inspired by a fellow podcaster's approach, I embraced the idea of sharing just three minutes of my daily life, making it a manageable and meaningful commitment.
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