Introduction
Instagram Stories are a fun, free and effective way to engage with your audience. They don’t have to be seeing your posts in their feed to see them. With over 500 million people watching Instagram Stories every day, you want to make sure you’re engaging with them so they stay interested in your business!
Ready to learn more? We’ll be taking a deep dive into some of the best strategies and top tips for getting more views and boosting your Instagram Stories engagement.
What Are Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories is a feature on the Instagram app that allows users to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours.
IG Stories help you content with followers more casually than traditional posts, which remain on a user’s profile permanently.
Users can add their favorite stickers, polls and other interactive elements to their Stories. These stories get viewed by anyone who follows the user’s account.
The feature has many benefits for brands and businesses: it encourages engagement from followers; it provides a direct path to private messaging; and it offers a personal touch.
It can be difficult for brands to stand out in this crowded space since Stories are popular right now. However, there are ways around this challenge.
8 Best Practices for Instagram Stories in 2023
- Focus on the First Three Stories: Did you know that the first three stories on Instagram get extra love from the algorithm? They get top priority when it comes to reach and engagement. Instagram wants to make sure its users get the best of the best. That’s why they prioritize the most relevant and interesting content to show first. The catch? Studies show that after the third story, users tend to lose interest.
- Add an Engagement-driving Sticker to your First Story: Whether it’s a fun poll, a quirky emoji slider, or a captivating quiz, include one of these elements in your first story to encourage your followers to engage. Plus, it’s a great way to catch Instagram’s attention. And also make sure your stories are front and center in your followers’ feeds. So go ahead, add some pizzazz to your stories and watch your views soar.
- Share Exclusive Content on Stories: Sharing exclusive content can be an effective way to increase views and engagement. For example, brands can offer discounts or ask questions about products; creators or influencers can share personal stories, tutorials, or unique perspectives. The temporary nature of Instagram stories encourages followers to check out your stories for more information — when paired with a feed post caption that directs viewers there.
- Add an Extra Story at the End of the Day: Add a new story to your Instagram at hour 22 or 23; this will give your current stories a significant boost in views. That’s right, Instagram rewards you by pushing your new story to the forefront of your followers’ feeds. This gives your previous stories a second chance to shine.
- Add Hashtags to Your Stories: Hashtags improve your organic search results on Instagram and get you discovered by a whole new audience. Plus, with the ability to add 10 hashtags per story or use a clickable hashtag sticker, it’s now easier to reach a wider audience.
- Use Geolocations and Location Hashtags: One way to get more engagement with your Instagram Stories is to use geotags. Geotags allow you to reach people outside of your following so that you can attract more people who are interested in your product or services. As a result, you can get higher engagement rates as you reach the right audience.
- Run Polls on Your IG Stories: Poll stickers let you ask your followers a quick question and see their thoughts in real-time. Whether they want to share their opinions on a current trend, give feedback on your latest post or simply have some fun, poll stickers are a great way to get the conversation started. With two options to choose from, your audience can easily share their thoughts and see which choice is leading. And the best part? You can keep track of the results for 24 hours and see how the poll evolves over time.
- Conduct Q&As: The discovery phase is where people get to know more about a brand and its offerings, and decide if they’re a fit. Leverage the power of questions in this phase with a question sticker in your Instagram Stories. Do this to collect and answer frequently asked questions right there.
