How to create effective instagram stories
8 Tips on How to Create Effective Instagram Stories and Stories Ads
At Facebook's F8 2019 conference back in May, the company reported that there are now more than a billion people using Stories every day across its family of apps - Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp Status. Along with this rising usage, research has also shown that 56% of people now use Stories on three or more platforms at least once a week, and 57% agree that stories make them feel part of a larger community.
It’s no wonder then that Mary Meeker’s 2019 Internet Trends Report highlighted the significant rise of Stories, where attention is increasingly shifting.
More people are using Stories, more often - which means that brands also need to be aligning with that shift.
Are you looking to add Stories into your social media marketing approach?
To help, in this post, I'll outline eight key Stories tips - including examples - which may help to guide your process, and put together more effective Stories and Stories Ads.
Just because Stories generally have an "in-the-moment", DIY-feel, that doesn't necessarily mean that your brand Stories should follow suit. In fact, keeping in mind that 56% of a brand’s sales lift can be attributed to the quality of the creative, the higher the quality of the execution, the better.
This means using high-resolution assets, and producing pixel-perfect montages, which Adidas does extremely well in this #Futurecraft Story:
Not all brands will have the resources or budget to go so "high-end" in their creation, but it is worth noting the importance of presentation, and creating stand-out content where possible.
2. Go FastStories are raising the bar in terms of immersion and interactivity. And for brands, one of the keys to meeting users’ expectations is speed.
Offering quick, dynamic content is one of the most effective ways to sustain viewers’ attention. A nice example of a “fast” Story is this campaign from Levi’s:
3.
Break Down Your Narrative ArcAnother good practice to keep users interested is to split your Stories into a sequence of smaller, contrasting scenes, rather than presenting them with one continuous shot.
This Story from Marshall Headphones accomplishes that really well, by juxtaposing several creative elements to tell an engaging story (pun intended) as part of their Guided by Music series:
4. Think Vertical FirstDid you know that 82.5% of visitors to video-centric web sites hold their smartphone in portrait orientation?
In other words, mobile-first now means vertical first too. The secret to making the most of the screen real estate available to you in Stories, is to craft content specifically in portrait orientation from the start, rather than adapting and porting content from another format (square or landscape).
Warby Parker has nailed vertical presentation in its Stories content:
5. Keep Stickers to a MinimumThis may sound counter-intuitive, but stickers - and particularly the abuse of stickers - can actually hurt your Stories engagement.
Instead of filling up the screen with extras, it’s smarter to only use contextual stickers, which enhance the experience of the user.
For example, in order to announce their Fall Winter 2019 Collection, Gucci brilliantly included a countdown sticker in their Story to build up anticipation until the big reveal:
6. Open and Close With Your BrandIn order to help users identify from whom your Story is coming from and fix their attention to your brand, you want to integrate brand elements in the first and last few seconds of your message.
This works wonderfully in this Sephora Story, a part of their Belong campaign:
7. Call To ActionCTA is the name of the game - with 60% of businesses on Instagram Stories using an interactive element every month, you don’t want to hold back when it comes to encouraging users to take the action you expect from them.
Don't be shy here - draw attention to your CTA, and literally invite people to "Swipe up", for example, in order to maximize the outcomes of your campaign.
One brand that excels at this game is Red Bull:
8. Test, Learn, Rinse and RepeatAccording to Facebook, 1 in 2 people surveyed say they have visited a website, and 31% have gone to a store to buy a product/service as a result of seeing it first in Stories.
In other words, Stories rock when it comes to traffic generation. If you're not yet seeing the results you expect from your campaigns, you may want to keep testing different hypotheses until you understand which stimuli your audience best responds to, and find your sweet spot. And even if you're already happy with the performance of your campaign, it's still worth exploring new avenues to unlock the full potential of this booming medium.
In addition to the eight best practices outlined above, I want to also share two more campaigns which have used Stories cleverly to offer unique experiences to users.
Bonus #1: Netflix WallpapersIn its Instagram Stories Highlights, Netflix enables users to view and download wallpapers for their smartphone, featuring its most popular original series and movies.
This is an interesting way to hack a platform that was meant to view ephemeral content into a channel to distribute branded assets to the devices of users.
I'll say it right away - this campaign by Hobbynote for French sporting good manufacturer and retailer Decathlon is probably the smartest use of Stories I've seen to date.
To promote the launch of their latest punching bag, Decathlon invited users to a Street Fighter-inspired, in-Story game. Every tap on the screen takes you to the next Story frame, and “damages” the punching bag a little more, in stop-motion fashion. Do it fast enough and you'll feel like you're playing an actual arcade game, all within Instagram.
Your TurnStories and Stories Ads are where attention is increasingly shifting, and now is the time to take advantage of this immersive format, which provides brands with a rare opportunity to talk to their audience in a distraction-free environment, while also triggering direct-response outcomes.
Coupled with the power of Facebook’s targeting, audience reach and measurement solutions, this is a whole new territory, with endless possibilities. And armed with the best practices listed above, you have all the keys to create effective Stories and stand out from the crowd.
8 Tips for Creating Highly Effective Instagram Stories Ads
Instagram Stories have captured the hearts (and eyeballs) of Instagram users across the world. So is it any surprise, then, that Instagram Story Ads are one of the very best ways to advertise on the platform?
With more than 500 million people using Instagram Stories daily, brands have a massive opportunity to make an impression. In fact, 58% of Instagram users report being more interested in a brand or product after watching their Stories.
So if Instagram is part of your brand’s social media strategy: it’s Story time, baby! Here’s everything you need to know about making effective, engaging Instagram Story ads.
What are Instagram Story ads?
How to publish an Instagram Story ad
Instagram Story ads design requirements
Meta ad guidelines for Stories
How much do Instagram Story ads cost?
8 tips for creating highly effective Instagram stories ads
Get your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now.
Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.
An Instagram Story ad is paid content that appears as users are watching Stories on Instagram.
Source: Instagram Business
Instagram Stories are vertical, full-screen photos and videos that appear at the top of the Instagram app, rather than in the news feed.
Organic Stories disappear after 24 hours; Instagram Story ads will continue to be served up as long as your campaign is running.
Stories incorporate fun, interactive components like stickers, filters and effects. They’ve become incredibly popular since launching in 2017, and brands have reaped the benefits. In a survey of Instagram users, half reported visiting a business’ website to make a purchase after seeing it in Stories.
TLDR: For brands on Instagram, Story Ads are a powerfully effective avenue for sharing your message.
Get that ROI! Get it!
Source: Instagram Business
You’ll be creating your Instagram Story through the Meta Ads Manager on your computer or through the Meta Ads Manager app. (At this point in time, you can’t publish an Instagram Story ad directly through Instagram.)
1. Go to Meta Ads Manager and select the + icon (aka, the Create button).
2. Choose a marketing objective, like Website Traffic, Reach, or Page Likes. (One key note: “Post Engagement” does not offer an Instagram Story ad option.)
3. Select your creative from your camera roll or from an existing Instagram post.
4. Fill in the details (which vary depending on the marketing objective).
5. Then, tap on Placements. Toggle Manual to see all of your platform distribution options. Tap Instagram and select Stories.
6. Continue on to the next page to set your ad audience. You can select people who are already interacting with you (for instance, “People who engaged with your page”) or create a new target audience.
7. Set your campaign budget and schedule.
8. The final step will allow you to review and preview your campaign. Tap Place Order to seal the deal.
Instagram Story ads design requirementsFor best results, use Meta’s recommended dimensions and formats as you’re designing your Story ad. Otherwise, you may risk an unflattering crop or sketchy-looking stretch.
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
|---|---|
| Recommended Dimensions | 1080px x 1920px |
| Minimum Dimensions | 600px x 1067px |
| Video File Type | .mp4 or .mov |
| Photo File Type | . jpg or .png |
| Max Video File Size | 250MB |
| Max Photo File Size | 30MB |
| Video Length | 60 minutes |
| Supported Video Codecs | H.264, VP8 |
| Supported Audio Codecs | AAC, Vorbis |
In case this chart isn’t enough of an inspiration (ok, weird??), check out our list of 20 creative Instagram Story ideas!
Meta ad guidelines for StoriesBuying an Instagram Story ad doesn’t give you carte blanche to do what you want — this isn’t Westworld, people.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has policies in place to try to create a user-friendly experience. If your ad doesn’t meet these guidelines, it may not make the cut.
Ads should not violate Instagram’s Community Guidelines. You can read the full rundown here, but basically: don’t be a jerk! Here’s the bullet-point version of prohibited content:
- Illegal products or services
- Discriminatory practices
- Tobacco and related products
- Unsafe substances
- Adult products or services
- Adult content
- Third-party infringement
- “Sensational” content
- Personal attributes
- Misinformation
- Controversial content
- Non-functional landing pages
- Cheating and deceitful practices
- Grammar and profanity
- … plus a laundry list of predatory businesses like payday loans or multi-level marketing.
Wow, I guess Meta just hates fun??? (JK, JK, JK! Online safety: we love to see it!)
In addition to this list of outright no-nos, there is also content that Meta restricts, such as:
- ads for online gambling
- promotion of online pharmacies
- Alcohol related advertisments
- promotions for dating services
To advertise a business focused on these products or services, you’ll need to request special permission or comply with applicable local laws.
If you put together an ad in violation of Meta’s advertising policies (uh ohhh!), you’ll receive a notification that your ad has been denied, and it won’t run.
However, if you think your denial was unfair, you can always request a review of the decision. Typically, that review happens within 24 hours.
Dive deeper into Meta’s ad policies here, or Instagram’s Community Guidelines here.
How much do Instagram Story ads cost?Instagram Story ads cost as much as you want to spend.
As Instagram itself puts it, “the cost to advertise is up to you.”
A draft campaign is the best way to see what bang you’re going to get for your buck.
Set the budget, the duration, and the audience that works for you as you’re planning your campaign. This will give you a clear estimate of just how much reach you’ll get. Adjust as necessary.
We know you probably want a clear prescription here, but there’s honestly no best practice for how much to spend on Instagram Story ads. Sorry!
Start with a few bucks, see how it goes, and add on from there. We’re all social media scientists, just trying to make our way in this crazy, mixed-up life.
For more Instagram advertising wisdom, check out our 5 Step Guide to Instagram Ads.
Get your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.
Get the templates now!
8 tips for creating highly effective Instagram stories adsNow that you know how to buy an Instagram Story ad, let’s dig into how to make the most of your moment in the spotlight.
When you’re creating your content for your Instagram Story ad, shoot it in a vertical format. That’s how your audience is most likely to be viewing it, after all.
Take advantage of the fullscreen vertical canvas and design creative specifically proportioned for the mobile experience.
Along those same lines: consider planning out which Stories add-ons and tools you’ll be using in the final product. That way, you can compose your video or photo scenes strategically to make visual space for stickers, polls, or effects.
Hotels.com, for instance, created this vertically oriented ad with space around their spokesperson to pepper in fun stickers.
Source: Instagram Business
Emphasize your CTAA CTA — or “call to action”— is what you’re asking the viewer to do. For instance: “Swipe up,” “Shop now,” “Get your tickets,” or “Place your vote.” (Explore our list of compelling CTA ideas here.
)
ClassPass asked the audience to Swipe Up for more info on a free trial. Even though the video itself is fast-paced, we don’t miss the point since that CTA is front and center: ClassPass would love if we just give a lil swipey.
Don’t let that important detail get lost in the thick of your graphic design or fun stickers: make sure your mission or ask is crystal clear for the person tapping by your ad.
Instagram reports that campaigns perform far better when they emphasize their CTAs and make the product or service the vocal point. Say it loud and proud!
Add text overlaysVisuals can say a lot but sometimes words can say it better. Instagram recommends pairing text with a visual focal point for best results in your Story Ad.
According to internal research, there’s actually a 75% chance of better performance with central-placed text for add-to-cart objectives.
Clinique layered in text onto dynamic, colorful product shots to hammer home the benefits of each of its new hydrating gels. Now I know it’s green and refreshing and treats irritation! I’ll take 12!
Here are 19 helpful tools for designing cool Instagram Story graphics and creating thumb-stopping text treatments.
Enhance your ad with audioSound can be a powerful tool to set a mood or hammer home the value of your ad.
Experiment with voice-overs and music to enhance your Instagram Story ad. Chances are, it’ll pay off; Instagram has found that 80% of Stories with audio (voiceover or music) enjoy better results than ads without sound.
This VW ad features fun (and dare we say, funky?) music to enhance the cool-factor of its mini car commercial.
Get interactiveElements like polls or “tap to hold” games give your audience a moment of fun.They also encourage users to actually stop and take the time to interact with your brand instead of flipping by.
For instance, this Doritos poll — sure to inspire a fiery debate.
Another cool idea: this interactive Ritz ad gave the viewers a surprise result when they hit pause. (Suddenly, I’m craving strawberries on crackers?)
Design with your brand in mindEvery second counts in the fast-paced world of Stories, so make sure you’re integrating your brand right off the bat. Elements like products or logos at the very beginning of your Story will help capture attention and build positive brand recall.
Sephora makes sure to start off its Instagram Story ads with its logo and beautiful, on-brand imagery.
Try one of our 72 free Instagram Stories templates to get you started.
Make those Stories moveMotion catches the eye and captures attention, so if you have the opportunity to enhance a static image with a little bit of movement… do it! Studies show that ads that use motion regularly receive more views and purchases than still images.
So get moving, why dontcha?
Arlo Skye’s Story ad flips between images of its carry-on suitcases, which creates a dynamic movement despite the fact that the product shots themselves are static.
Can’t wait to see your captivating Story ads as we’re flipping through our Stories soon. Want more marketing ideas for Instagram? Dig into our Instagram marketing cheat sheet here.
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Bonus: Get the Instagram advertising cheat sheet for 2022. The free resource includes key audience insights, recommended ad types, and tips for success.
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8 Tips for Creating Effective Instagram Stories
At Facebook's F8 conference last May, the company revealed that over a billion people now use Stories every day. Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp Status. Research has also shown that 56% of people now use Stories on three or more platforms at least once a week. And 57% agree that it makes them feel like part of a larger community.
Mary Meeker's 2019 Online Trends Report highlights the significant growth in Instagram Stories.
More and more people are using stories more often, which means that brands must also follow this movement.
Do you want to use Stories for social media promotion?
In this article, I will describe eight key tips for promoting stories and show effective examples. This will help you move more efficiently.
1. Creative approach in stories
Stories are usually what is happening in the present moment.
But that doesn't necessarily mean your branded stories should follow suit. Just remember that 56% of a brand's sales boost can be attributed to the quality of the creative, the higher the quality of execution, the better.
This means that the source files (photos, videos) must be high resolution and the final material must be of a professional level. For example, Adidas does it very well in this story #Futurecraft:
Not all brands will have the resources or budget to create quality content for their account. But it is worth noting the importance of presentation and creating unique content where possible.
2. Act fast
Stories raise the bar in terms of immersion and interactivity. And for brands, one of the key factors in meeting user expectations is speed.
Fast and dynamic content is one of the most effective ways to keep viewers engaged. A good example of a "quick" story is this campaign from Levi's:
We have promoted over 300 Instagram projects.
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3. Share your stories
There is another good example to get users interested. Divide your stories into several small snippets rather than just one continuous video.
This story from Marshall Headfones does it really well, juxtaposing a few creative elements to tell an entertaining story as part of their Guided by Music series:
4. Think vertical story templates
-sites that watch videos and photos hold their smartphones vertically?
In other words, mobile today means primarily "vertical content". The secret of how to get the most out of posts to sell/promote any item in Stories. From the very beginning, create vertical content, and not adapt and transfer content from another format (square or landscape).
Warby Parker successfully coped with vertical content in his stories:
In order to promote your account in social networks more effectively, you can use additional services - this will give you an edge over your competitors.
5. Minimum number of stickers
It may seem counterintuitive, but stickers, and especially the abuse of stickers, can harm Instagram story engagement.
Instead of filling the screen with additional content, it's smarter to use only contextually appropriate stickers that enhance the experience rather than distract the user.
For example, to announce their Fall/Winter 2019 collection, Gucci brilliantly included a countdown sticker in their story. This creates a pleasant anticipation of the opening of sales:
6.Start and end stories with your brand
Integrate your brand elements into the first and last few seconds of the story! This will help users remember your brand.
It works well in this Sephora story, part of their campaign belongs to Belong:
7.Use call to action in stories
CTA is the name of the game: 60% of Instagram story campaigns use interactive elements every month. You don't have to be afraid when it comes to a call to action, whether to buy something or take an action you need, like going to a website.
You can use gamification and interactive elements in stories to increase retention and engagement for your followers.
Don't be shy - draw attention to your CTA and literally invite people to take action! For example, "swipe up", "swipe left/right" to increase the results of your ads or posts.
Red Bull uses this method very well in the game:
8. Test different story formats, study and repeat
According to Facebook, every second instagram user surveyed says they visited the site, and 31% went to the store to buy goods or a service. And this is only after he saw this product for the first time in Stories.
In other words, stories work when it comes to generating traffic. If you are not yet seeing the expected results from your campaigns, you can continue to test your hypotheses. And only over time you will understand which calls to action your audience responds to best. It is worth noting that even if you are already satisfied with the effectiveness of your campaign, explore new opportunities! That alone will give you an edge.
Bonus
In addition to the eight best practices, I would like to share two more campaigns for inspiration. Their stories work great - it can be useful for you too.
Bonus #1: NETFLIX Phone Wallpapers from Stories
In its Instagram Stories Highlights, Netflix allows users to view and download wallpapers for their smartphone, featuring its most popular original series and movies. This is a fun way to increase engagement on a site dedicated to watching series and video content.
Bonus #2: Decathlon "Frappe Le Sac"
First off, Hobbynote's ad campaign for French sporting goods manufacturer and retailer Decathlon is great! Their ability to make stories is one of the most interesting ways I've seen.
To boost sales of their latest punching bag, Decathlon invited them to join the Street Fighter style game. Each tap on the screen takes the user to the next frame, where the fighter hits the bag. If you do this fast enough, then stories turns into a real arcade game on Instagram.
Conclusions on creating stories on Instagram
Today, Instagram stories are the place where attention is increasingly shifting to commerce. It's time to take advantage of the stories format, which provides brands with a rare opportunity to connect with their audience. Not annoying with endless advertising, but engaging and arousing user interest in interaction and further desire to buy goods or services.
Combined with Facebook's powerful targeting, reach and measurement solutions, this is a good tool. And by using the examples above, you have the ability to create effective stories and stand out from the crowd.
I recommend to study our catalog with training courses.
Creating creative Instagram stories: tips from Instagram
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Updated
Instagram Stories have over 250 million views every day. For brands, the format creates new opportunities for communication with the audience, which means opportunities for creating creative advertising campaigns.
Instagram published a blog post with case studies of brands that successfully use the Stories functionality.
Let's figure out how to make Instagram Stories more creative.
Progress Bar
In the example, a loading scale was used to show contrast. And it turned out to be a creative story.
15 second videos
You can upload videos up to 15 seconds in Instagram Stories. Companies publish several videos in a row, combining them in one message.
Thus, the video length limit becomes not a difficulty, but the basis for the campaign idea.
Draw attention to profile
Bloggers post profile screenshots with the announcement of a new photo, but this will not surprise the audience. Stories can be used much more effectively to draw attention to the profile. This is how creative Stories turned out in Instagram Joystick studios.
Emoji
Text, stickers and emoticons are an easy way to make your account stand out from the rest and make it more creative on Instagram.
If you create a creative, vibrant story, it will bring you closer to greater popularity.
Random pause
This trick worked with GIFs on other social networks, and can now be adapted for Instagram Stories. The user is prompted to make a random choice: to do this, pause the story during a frequent frame change. A simple yet effective mechanic for creating interesting creatives on Instagram.
Swipe up
To go to a link added to Stories, the user needs to swipe up. In addition to direct requests, there are unusual ways to do this.
Cases prove that with a creative approach, Insta stories can help you achieve any business goals, whether it's increasing loyalty, sales, launching a new product or educational materials.
To be aware of what works best in your case, do not forget about Instagram account analytics.
Useful articles on a related topic:
- The most popular hashtags on Instagram: quick search and analysis;
- Working ways to come up with ideas and develop creativity;
- How to run Instagram beautifully - useful recommendations;
- How to advertise effectively on Instagram Stories.
