These days, social media is all about documentation.

Where you lot go, what you eat and drink, who y'all run into, and what's most memorable: These are the typical fodder of Instagram Stories — seconds-long glimpses of people's lives, shared on Instagram for merely 24 hours.

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Below, we've created a guide for y'all to acquire what Instagram Stories are, how to share them with your followers, and how to make sure those Stories are exactly what your audience wants to see.

We'll cover the following:

  • What are Instagram Stories?
  • How do Instagram Stories piece of work?
  • How long are Instagram Stories?
  • How to View Instagram Stories
  • How to Make an Instagram Story
  • How to Employ Instagram Stories for Business
  • Instagram Stories Tricks and Hacks

Let's get started.

Your Instagram Story is published separately from the photos and videos found in the tiled gallery of your Instagram profile. And although you might know the nuts of sharing them, in that location are subconscious tools within the app that tin can make the photos and videos y'all add together to your Story more creative and engaging.

How do Instagram Stories work?

Instagram Stories allow you to share curt videos and images to a temporary "Story." You can add stickers, fourth dimension stamps, and doodles to each Story and use certain filters and effects. If your account is public, your Story is visible to anyone, but if your account is private, your Story is only visible to those who follow yous.

Viewers have the option of direct responding to your Story via direct bulletin (DM), just you can too disable replies in your app'due south settings.

You tin besides see who's viewed information technology past opening up your Story and swiping up on your screen.

Why should y'all use Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories can drive a ton of date and value — whether you're sharing a Story from a make account or your ain personal profile.

A full of 500 million Instagram users have started sharing disappearing content on Instagram Stories, increasing the amount of time spent in-app every mean solar day to an average of xxx minutes.

What's more, a lot of brands have already seen success publishing content to this platform. Instagram Stories accept fueled the growth of brands like Bombas, Chameleon Cold Mash, and Doritos. Whether publishers are trying to grow brand sensation, abound traffic to videos or newsletters exterior of Instagram, or share sponsored posts, Instagram Stories allows them to publish fun disappearing content that infuses make phonation and personality without taking up likewise much of the average user'due south dwindling attention span.

That'due south why Instagram Stories are so short and why they only last a short while on the platform.

Just equally Instagram Stories only last 24 hours before disappearing, the photos and videos themselves have a time limit when users view and play them.

As a blanket rule, the individual videos you add to your Instagram Story each have a maximum roll time of 15 seconds. If you add a video to your Instagram Story, for example, it'll play for upwards to fifteen seconds, regardless of how long the original video was, and and so end.

Despite Instagram Stories' fifteen-2nd runtime limit, there are ways to play longer videos in your Story. Specifically, you tin split a video that'due south longer than xv seconds into xv-second segments and add each segment to your Instagram Story so they play ane afterwards another. Here are some mobile apps that tin can help you go far happen:

  • Continual (iOS just): Continual is an iOS app that automatically splits your videos into 15-2d segments and then that y'all can upload them to your Story. Y'all besides have the option to trim videos for Facebook Stories (20 seconds). Pricing: $7.99
  • Storeo (iOS only): Like Continual, Storeo splits up your long videos into fifteen-2nd snippets for uploading into your Story. It also allows you lot to create Facebook Stories. The gratis version will automatically put a watermark on your Story; we recommend paying the i-time fee to upgrade. Pricing: $nine.99
  • Story Cutter (iOS): Story Cutter will trim your Story into HD and 4K xv-second snippets. There are no limits to the length of your video, and clips are exported in chronological order and then information technology'due south easy to upload them. Pricing: $0.99
  • Story Cutter (Android): Like the similarly-named iOS version, the Story Cutter Android app volition let you dissever videos into smaller segments to upload to your Instagram Story. Yous can record videos using the app or upload an existing video from your gallery. Pricing: Gratuitous with in-app purchases
  • CutStory (iOS only): CutStory is a trimmer for Instagram Stories, as well equally an editor. Add effects, templates, and text to your Story prior to uploading. In that location's a costless version, merely your Story volition be watermarked. Nosotros recommend upgrading. Pricing: $3.99

How to View Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories announced at the elevation of your screen when yous're on the Instagram mobile app. Considering they're oft the first pieces of content users see when they open up Instagram, these Stories tin get a ton of appointment and help you advertise your regular Instagram photo gallery to more users.

Allow'due south become over how you tin view Instagram Stories.

1. Open Instagram and navigate to the home screen.

To outset viewing Instagram Stories, open your Instagram mobile app and tap the home icon on the bottom-lefthand corner of your screen. Instagram Stories are non available for viewing on the desktop site.

Once y'all've navigated to Instagram's home screen, you'll meet a serial of circular icons forth the meridian, each of which represents the active Stories posted by the users you follow. These icons are highlighted inside a crimson square in the screenshot below. Equally you can see, your own Story is available for viewing (and adding to) on the far left of the Stories you follow.

Instagram Stories carousel in the Instagram app's home page

ii. Tap on a circular icon to view that user's Story.

Each round icon you come across at the top of your domicile screen volition have a gradient circle around it, cogent that the user has recently posted a Story. Tap on it to expand the user's Story — it'll either be a photo or a video, and the latter will play automatically one time you tap on the Story.

3. Tap to navigate betwixt a Story's photos and videos.

A single Instagram Story tin contain numerous individual photos and videos strung together in lodge of when the user posted them. The first slice of content you lot'll encounter will be the most recent 1. Tap your mobile device's screen to cutting to the next photograph or video that the user has posted to their Story.

iv. Swipe to navigate from one Instagram Story to another.

Swiping left and right while viewing an Instagram Story will allow you to shuffle betwixt Stories from different users. When you open up an Instagram Story after condign an Instagram user for the showtime time, yous'll run into the following carte du jour:

Black menu of finger motions for watching Instagram Stories on a mobile device

Use the above screenshot every bit a reference for viewing the Instagram Stories of the accounts you lot follow.

5. Use an Instagram Story viewer to view Stories privately.

Did you know that you can use a third-party tool to view Stories without the user knowing? An Instagram Story viewer allows you to sentry Stories anonymously. You lot might desire to do this if you're scouting freelancers and don't want them to see yous first. Some Story viewers let y'all to autosave copies of the Stories, while others will offer a paid selection then y'all can automatically save copies of new Stories.

Instagram Story viewers are available on the web; you don't need to download an app. You lot tin can search for any username, and copies of the Stories posted from that username volition pop up. Hither's what that looks like in Ingramer's Instagram Story viewer:

Instagram Story viewer example

Boosted tools you lot tin can use include:

  • Instafollowers.co
  • Stories IG
  • Insta-Stories.online
  • StoriesDown
  • Dumpor

Ready to commencement posting? Allow's go over how yous can create Instagram Stories footstep-by-step.

You tin make successful Instagram Stories too — but it requires a few more hacks and tips to brand them look like the Stories big brands and influencers share. (Some of my favorite Instagram Stories are shared by chef Chloe Coscarelli, actress Busy Phillips, mattress brand Casper, and interior pattern app Hutch — and don't forget to check out HubSpot'southward Stories as well.)

But starting time, let's review the basics of how to share an Instagram Story.

1. Open up up the Instagram app and tap your contour picture near the upper left-manus corner.

To start posting a Story, open up the Instagram app and click on your profile paradigm in the top left corner. You can likewise swipe correct or click the plus sign most the pinnacle right.

Options to open up the Instagram Story creator on the Instagram feed page

If y'all click the plus sign, you'll automatically be prompted to create a mail instead of a Story. To get to the Story creator, choose Story at the bottom right.

story-creator-instagram-1

2. Cull a filter and image capture mode.

In one case you start creating your Story, you can choose a filter by swiping right and left on the filter carousel at the bottom of the screen.

Filter options within Instagram StoriesBated from a filter, you tin choose a capture mode when taking a photo or filming straight from the app. The options announced on the left-mitt side of the screen.

Image and video capture options in Instagram StoriesYous accept a few options to choose from:

Normal

Normal means choosing no pick. It means what information technology says: Tapping once on the camera button will capture a photo, and holding down will record a video. Instagram Stories tin can be 15 seconds in length, so if you want to share a video that's longer, movie in 15-second stints, or use a tool to carve up your longer clip into 15-second installments.

Create

Create mode will take you lot to a screen where you can create a Story from scratch. In this screen, yous tin choose stickers, place gifs, and write text.

Boomerang

Boomerang way films looping GIFs up to three seconds in length.

Layout

Layout way will take y'all to a screen with four quadrants, in which you can capture four different photos. You can change the style of the grid.

Multi-Capture

Multi-capture style allows you to capture photos and videos consecutively without needing to upload them separately to your Story.

Photobooth

Photobooth mode allows you to take four photos that then announced in consecutive order in your Story. In that location'south a flash in between, giving the effect of photos taken in an bodily photobooth.

Hands-Free

Use hands-free mode if you desire to ready up your camera to film a video for you. Make sure you prop information technology somewhere stable earlier y'all start recording. Nosotros'll talk more about this feature in a minute.

Level

The level choice will overlay a grid over your photographic camera and then that you lot can accurately marshal objects so that they're straight. You can combine this option with other image capture modes such as multi-capture and photobooth.

3. Capture a photo or video using the camera.

Now that you've chosen your filter and image capture fashion, it's time to actually outset filming and creating content. Concur downwardly on the button to motion-picture show a video, and tap once to capture an epitome.

If you lot don't similar the filter, you can change it. Yous tin also add together stickers, text, and drawings.

four. Once you've edited your photo or video, tap "Your Story."

You can as well salve your edited photo or video to your gallery by tapping the "Download" icon up top.

Finished Instagram Story

Knowing how to post to your Instagram Story is i thing, but knowing what to post is a different ... well, story. For businesses looking to tell their story on Instagram, it's important to know who your ideal followers are and what they'd be interested in seeing on Instagram. Remember, Instagram is a visual platform, but that doesn't mean you can't teach or promote something in the process.

Below, nosotros cover a few ideas for using Instagram Stories to concenter followers and build a client base.

ane. Post footage of an office result.

Sometimes, the best matter a business can exercise on Instagram is be every bit homo as possible. One way to do this is to post a brief video of a company function. Whether it's an function holiday party or an honour banquet, posting footage of it to your Story is easy and in-the-moment entertainment for your followers. This content besides shows people you're a relevant and friendly phonation in your market.

ii. Mail service breaking news most your manufacture.

But as you might on your visitor blog, you lot tin can apply your Instagram Story to study on the latest happenings in your industry. With the correct design work, you tin turn pocket-sized news breaks — that don't merit an entire article — into a Story on your Instagram account.

This keeps users coming back to y'all to stay abreast with market trends. You can even inquire users what they think, every bit shown in the Instagram Story by HubSpot below. Nosotros'll explain how Instagram "stickers" can help you do this in just a minute.

Instagram Story example sharing news

3. Demonstrate your product.

Your production might not be the simplest or sexiest production in the optics of the layperson. Well, your Instagram Story is the perfect format for showing potential customers how that product is used. Mail service a long video, segmented into 15-second clips that show users what your product or service does and how information technology helps your customers.

If you lot sell software, for example, you lot might record a video of your computer screen, using a recording tool like Loom, that shows people how to log in, use the software's dashboard, and navigate to the various functions included in the product.

Just remember to change your video's dimensions before uploading it to your Instagram Story. Remember, Instagram Stories' image dimensions are 1920px high and 1080px wide, with an aspect ratio of 9:16.

four. Promote a company event.

Does your organization host a trade briefing or attend a big i every twelvemonth? Utilize your Instagram Story to promote the consequence and tell your followers to look for you there. Work with a graphic designer, or do some artwork yourself, to illustrate an event flyer with all the information one would need to find you.

Most of this you lot tin can practice straight in Instagram. For example, use the native text options in your Story to add:

  • The event'south name.
  • Where the effect is located.
  • Dates you'll be attention.
  • Your berth number.
  • The event'due south official hashtag.

5. Preview 1 of your visitor'due south blog posts or videos.

Your blog posts and YouTube videos demand all the exposure they can get. Fifty-fifty if social media isn't your blog's primary source of traffic, your Instagram Story can help readers discover that postal service or video for the first time and find it later.

In the screenshot below, Google Pixel used its Instagram Story to preview a video it published about a customer who used the device. When you tap all the way to the end of the Story, Google prompts you to swipe up with your finger, where it and so links you to the full video on YouTube.

Instagram Story example sharing a new YouTube video

vi. Mention other companies who follow or piece of work with you.

As your Instagram following grows, yous'll somewhen pick upwardly other business accounts who want to follow you as well. Whether those accounts are your business organisation partners or simply fans of yours, consider giving them shout-outs on your Instagram Story. This is a passive but effective way to nurture your relationships with the users that affair most to your business concern'south growth. We'll explain how to link to other accounts in an Instagram Story in the tips below.

Now that you know the basics, allow's run through tips and hacks for producing high-quality, clickable Instagram Stories.

Instagram Story Tricks and Hacks

ane. Use stickers.

In one case you've captured a corking photo or video, it's fourth dimension to jazz it up with some fun stickers. You can access these past clicking "Create," then tapping the smiling sticker icon in the upper correct-hand corner of your screen one time you've captured a photograph or video.

Here are some best practices after you lot choose a sticker.

Change the size of your stickers.

You can pinch the sticker once y'all've added it to your Story to increase or decrease its size. You tin besides tap and drag it around the frame to alter its position.

Resized sticker in Instagram Story

Check stickers every day for new and unique ones.

Instagram releases unique Story stickers often — whether it'south for a weekday, a vacation, or a flavour. Bank check this section every 24-hour interval for new and timely stickers to add to your Story.

Seasonal sticker in Instagram Stories

Add location, hashtag, poll, and selfie stickers.

Boost engagement on your Instagram Story by opening it up to other people doing the same things yous are. Open up the stickers section, and tap any of these buttons to customize your Story:

Sticker options in Instagram Stories

Location Stickers

First typing in your location, and you'll be able to pull in a geographically-specific sticker to show where you are. When people view your Story, they'll exist able to tap the location sticker and see other photos and Stories happening around the same place.

Instagram Stories posted with the location Atlanta Botanical Garden

Hashtag Stickers

Same concept here: If yous add this sticker and type in a hashtag, your Story will appear in searches for that hashtag, and viewers volition be able to click it and encounter who else is using it.

Hashtag sticker in Instagram Stories

Poll Stickers

You lot tin can add a two-choice poll to your Instagram Story, and you can fifty-fifty customize the possible answers so they're more unique than "Yep" or "No." Utilize a poll sticker to approximate if people are really engaging with your content.

Poll stickers in Instagram Stories

Selfie Stickers

Open up the Stickers menu, and tap on the camera icon.

Selfie sticker in Instagram StoriesAnd then, take a selfie — or take a picture of anyone else'southward face (that will work too). Then, yous can use that face to decorate your Instagram Story. Somewhat creepy, merely very memorable and funny, too.

2. Record a easily-free Instagram video.

If y'all're a frequent video-recorder on Instagram, you know you demand to agree your thumb confronting the record button for as long as you're recording. This can brand it wearisome when attempting dynamic and interesting videos that require more paw mobility.

But did you know y'all can record these videos "hands-free"?

Hands-free mode in Instagram StoriesThe easily-costless video feature can be institute in the list of epitome capture options, equally shown above. Only tap the record push button once to outset the video, and again to cease information technology later you lot've gotten the footage you want.

3. Allow viewers share your Stories.

Increase engagement and views of your Instagram Story by letting viewers share them with their friends — as direct messages (DMs).

To do and so, navigate to your app's settings, and then to Privacy, so tap Story.

Instagram Story settings inside the Instagram appToggle on "Allow Sharing as Message" so viewers can DM your Story to friends to increase your audience accomplish. Voila!

Instagram Story sharing settings

4. Use the pen.

Apply the pen to add embellishment, symbols, or more text to your Story. If y'all tap the pen icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen once you lot've captured a photo or video, you'll open upwards your options.

From there, you can adjust the thickness of your pen stroke or alter the color you're writing with.

I like using the highlighter pen to add accent to words — or fifty-fifty to highlight my photo or video.

Highlighter tool inside Instagram Stories

5. Add together a background color.

If you want to share a Story with a groundwork color — like the images I've shared above — y'all can actually select it from the color palette.

Take a moving picture (information technology doesn't take to be a picture of anything in detail), and then tap the pen icon to open up the color palette.

Instagram Stories pen tool with a color menu at the bottomYou tin can choose one of the colors from the iii available menus, or if you desire a specific shade of i of those colors, y'all can open the full colour spectrum by pressing and holding one of the colors.

Choosing a color using the Instagram Story color pickerThen, scribble anywhere on the screen, and hold your finger downwardly until yous become the groundwork color you want to appear.

Adding a background color to an Instagram story - scribbling first

Adding a background color to an Instagram story - pressing down until it fillsIf yous want to get actually crazy, you could use the eraser tool (the 4th option) to create new words or shapes from the background, likewise.

Green background added to Instagram Story of a plant

6. Mention another Instagram business relationship in your Story.

Sometimes, it's only non enough to send an Instagram Story to a item person — you lot demand to give them a shoutout in the photo or video itself. In these cases, Instagram allows yous to tag up to 10 specific handles directly in your Story's photo or video.

To mention an Instagram account in your Story, shoot a photograph or video and and so tap the square "A" icon in the upper righthand corner of the screen. Enter the account you'd like to tag, starting with the "@" symbol and the business relationship's first letter. Ringlet through the suggested accounts that announced beneath your cursor until you find the account you have in mind, and tap it. Encounter what these options look like beneath.

Tagging another account in Instagram StoriesOnce you mail this Story, the person or account you lot've tagged in the photo or video will receive a notification of your shoutout, regardless of whether or not you send the Story to them.

vii. Make your text funkier.

The text on Instagram Stories is pretty bones — jazz information technology up with these tricks.

Customize your colors.

If you lot're unsatisfied with the colour palette Instagram offers, create your own from one of the colors in the photo or video yous've captured.

Open up the text icon, and tap the eyedropper icon in the lower left-hand corner of your screen.

Use the dropper to sample a color from somewhere in the epitome you've captured, and use it when typing out text or using the pen tool.

Using the color picker tool inside Instagram Stories

Add a drop shadow to your Story'south text.

If you want to add together some actress drama to your text, add highlighting or shadowing by retyping or rewriting your text in a different color. I recommend choosing black or white to add emphasis to a bright colour you lot've picked. Then, motion the text above or underneath the brighter text to add some drama to your words.

Turn your text into a rainbow.

This one's tricky, but you can actually turn your text into a gradient rainbow.

Tap the text icon, and type out your message to add to your Story. And then, highlight your text.

This is where it gets tricky: Plough your phone to the side and so you lot can hold one finger down on the right side of your text, and with another finger, tap on a color and concur until the color wheel pops up.

Then, slowly drag both fingers across both the text and the color bike from correct to left to create rainbow text. Become slowly, letter past alphabetic character until you've created a rainbow. (This one took me several tries earlier I nailed information technology, and I succeeded using both thumbs to highlight the text and the color wheel.)

Gradually add text to a Story.

Sometimes, you lot might want to add together text or stickers to an image to build on information technology — maybe to promote a content offer or effect, or to encourage viewers to swipe up to read a link you've shared (this is only available to verified accounts).

Start editing the photo you want to share, post information technology, and save it to your camera whorl. Then, swipe upwardly on your screen to add together the screenshot to the next installment of your Story — calculation new text or stickers on top of the first photo. Proceed doing this for as long equally yous want the Story to last. Just make sure to go along taking screenshots of your latest photograph so you can add to it.

eight. Meet who has viewed your Instagram Story.

Snapchat users have always been able to see which of their friends have viewed their snapped Stories over the 24-hr period that the Story is visible. Well, Instagram Stories can do the aforementioned thing — in exactly the same style.

To see who has viewed your Instagram Story, navigate to the homepage of Instagram on your phone and click on the round icon denoting your Story. Encounter what this looks like in the screenshot below.

Click on your Profile icon to view your own Instagram Story

Click on "Your Story" from the Instagram domicile screen and swipe upwards from the bottom of your open up Story. This will pull up a list of all the accounts that have viewed this content.

Seeing who's viewed your Story might be an ego heave to personal Instagrammers, but business users tin can learn a lot about what their followers are interested in this way. By looking at which users view which Stories, you can figure out which types of photos and videos you should go on posting.

9. Centre your text and stickers.

When y'all're moving effectually text and stickers on your Story, you'll come across bluish lines appear vertically or horizontally in the frame. These are guiding lines you tin utilize to make sure you're keeping everything centered.

Aligning elements in Instagram Stories

Don't put your text as well high or too low on the screen.

That said, make sure you don't add anything to your Story besides high or too depression in the frame — or it will be cutting off when viewers whorl through your Story, when Instagram adds things like your proper name and how long agone your Story was posted that could block out your carefully-crafted text.

10. Add music to a Story (or mute information technology).

This ane'southward easy: Turn on music using your phone's native streaming app, and tape a video Story. Once you get ready to edit and share, make sure the sound icon isn't muted so your viewers can jam with you lot.

Alternatively, if you'd rather your video be muted, tap the sound icon and so a slash appears over it.

Muting sound in Instagram Stories

xi. Upload Instagram Stories from your phone's camera roll.

Great Instagram Stories aren't just created through the Instagram app. Yous can also upload photos and videos from your mobile device's native camera roll.

To upload a photo or video for use as an Instagram Story, open your Instagram Story's photographic camera lens and tap the little foursquare icon on the bottom lefthand corner. See what this looks like beneath.

Opening up your phone gallery from Instagram StoriesTapping the icon shown above volition telephone call upwards your phone'due south native media gallery, where yous tin can select whatsoever photo or video to publish as an Instagram Story. It's that like shooting fish in a barrel.

Mail service Instagram Stories to Grow Your Adience

We promise these tips aid you lot mail killer Instagram Stories your audience won't be able to end following. There are lots of hidden ways to have your Stories to the next level — some we may non even have covered here. Our best advice? Keep clicking around and see what you can do with the latest updates from the app. Happy 'gramming!

Editor's note: This mail was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Jul 1, 2021 vii:00:00 AM, updated Oct 07 2021