The success of Instagram is impressive: over a billion people use the social media platform worldwide and over 21 million in Germany alone. And Instagram Stories are also viewed by around half a billion people every day. That is why more and more companies are expanding their media presence here more and more professionally. Many of them use the opportunity to network with fans with the help of Instagram Stories. But you should know how stories work and how they appeal to users. We have listed ten ideas you can use to create successful Instagram Stories.
How Do Instagram Stories Work?
You can post as many pictures, videos and posts as you want in Instagram Stories. These then appear at the top of the news feed. A colourful frame around the circular profile pictures indicates new stories – both from you and the other followers and users. By clicking on the profile picture, the stories are then played in full-screen mode. If you post several stories, they can be displayed in a slideshow and tell a “story” by running one after the other – hence the name. The unique thing about this story format is that the stories are deleted after 24 hours. Therefore, the dynamics of this format works differently than the regular contributions in the feed, which means that differentiated concepts can be tried out.
Why Use Instagram Stories?
Using Instagram Stories offers you many decisive advantages – regardless of whether you use this social network privately or professionally. Among other things, you can benefit from the following advantages:
- Generate a lot of interest and added value
- More visibility
- More than 300 million users use the function.
- With entertaining content, brands can increase their traffic and make their brand better known without delaying users for too long.
- Messenger is used more through Instagram Stories, which leads to a more personal exchange.
- 24 hours of storytelling
- More ways to place ads
- Integration of influencers
Successful Instagram Stories 2021: Tips For The Perfect Design
You can generally edit the Instagram stories as you like: insert texts, choose the color scheme, insert stickers, music and hashtags and mark people. If you’re unsure which design works best, take inspiration from other successful Instagrammers. A good rule of thumb is not to overload your images with too much detail. These steer the focus away from the core message and are not very appealing. It is better to choose a graphic background image and to underline its statement with the selected title.
Companies need to make the stories look more or less the same so that followers can recognize your company account directly. This is how you build up a corporate identity and differentiate yourself from other funds. However, you should make sure that the design, the font and the choice of colors match the topic and the industry. At first, it is worth making several versions of a picture and looking at them side by side to get a feel for the effect of colors and shapes. However, soon, you will no longer need this, and you can get started in a targeted manner. If you want to keep everything the same and professional, you can create your design templates with a particular program and insert them into the app.
10 Ideas For Successful Instagram Stories 2021
Now we want to reveal ten ideas for successful Instagram stories to make your story posts exciting and varied. In addition, these ideas can also enable you to increase your reach if implemented well.
Surveys
Instagram gives you the chance to use surveys in your stories. You can ask a question, and the followers can vote using two possible answers. Not only is this an amusing idea, but it can have some advantages for you. On the one hand, you increase the engagement of your followers, and, on the other hand, you find out what interests your fans have. For example, you can have them vote on products, new offers or designs and thus improve customer satisfaction at the same time. On the other hand, the followers have the feeling that they are involved in important decisions.
Behind The Scenes
Instagram Stories are perfect for taking a look behind the scenes. Every company can present exciting things that customers usually do not get to see:
- Restaurants show the kitchen and how the dishes are prepared and presented
- Sports teams give insights into their training
- Musicians and producers offer recording studios or video shoots
- Service providers and agencies provide what is going on in their offices
In short: take the chance to present yourself and your company authentically.
Live Videos
Successful Instagram stories also include live videos that you can start directly in the stories. A significant advantage is a direct notification to the followers that you have created a live video. This function increases the likelihood that the users will also “tune in” directly and participate in the video. Since they can use the comment function to send questions or simply comments and emojis, which are immediately displayed to you and everyone else, you have the opportunity to start a direct dialogue. This is particularly useful if you have news to announce and can then respond directly to questions.
Takeover
With an Instagram takeover, you give your account to another Instagramer for a short time. Influencers are suitable for this, who fit your company with their content and who can also increase your reach thanks to their high number of followers. In general, increased cooperation with influencers is worthwhile, as they give you access to essential multipliers, your target group can expand, which may result in further exciting collaborations. After you have agreed on the conditions with the influencer in advance, you can start. In the stories, he then publishes appropriate content that gives your followers different insights. In any case, announce the takeover in advance so that the users know. In addition, the announcement for the takeover again offers possible content, for example, by starting a countdown.
Sweepstakes
The countdown is also the keyword for competitions. Because these can be announced wonderfully and increase the tension at the same time. If you want your followers to watch the stories, you have to offer them something exclusive. This is particularly suitable for online shops that rely on social media. But also for any other company and industry. If you use a specific discount code in the stories, you will not only motivate your followers to deal with your accounts regularly, but you will also be able to understand how many sales your levels lead to.
Unboxing
For example, when new products arrive, you can film an unboxing in your stories. Unboxing is also very popular among influencers, which means that these ideas can be wonderfully combined. These are stories in which products are unpacked that have been sent to you beforehand. Whether you get products yourself or send boxes with new products to influencers – this idea offers a lot of potential. On the one hand, it grants exclusive insights in the sense of a sneak preview, and, on the other hand, you can increase the range through links. Offer your sponsors the opportunity to make unboxing videos of their products or use these videos to announce your line-up, speakers or partners. This idea can be implemented flexibly and is, therefore, one of the successful Instagram stories.
Introduce Employees
If you employ employees, it is enjoyable for many followers to find out what their tasks are in the company. So please put them in the spotlight and show a personal side of your company. Stories are a suitable format for this because they give you short, dynamic and authentic insights. This brings your employees closer to your customers, and at the same time, your employees feel valued. You can also post random, one-off videos for Instagram Stories. For example, when a favourite song is playing and your employee gives an impromptu karaoke session. Or try a week-long Instagram story series in which a different employee takes over the Instagram account every day.
Teaser
Quick, easy and successful Instagram stories can be created with teasers. For example, here, you announce a new post that you have just published on your profile. You can also share this post from your profile in the story by clicking on the little paper plane under the post. The post then appears in your story, and by clicking on it, the follower can go directly to this post on your profile. If you want to make it particularly exciting, you can cover the contribution in the story with a sticker so that the curiosity of your followers is increased. Another possibility is a screenshot of your feed, which you embed in your story and cover the first post with a sticker. This story idea has the advantage that your posts don’t get lost in the crowded feed of your followers. Because many Instagram users are increasingly turning to go through the stories and no longer looking at the entire meal, therefore, you should use this function.
Call-To-Action
Instagram Stories also give you the perfect framework to “just” draw attention to blog posts, other profiles or new promotions. Send out a “call-to-action” and encourage your followers to like postings, to follow different channels or to look at your website. With a swipe-up button, the whole thing is even more accessible and, above all, more convenient for your followers. You can insert this into your stories and store a link so that when viewing your account, users have to swipe up with their fingers to get to the other website. However, you will only get this function if you have 10,000 followers.
Reposts
If customers, partners, sponsors or simply fans of your company present your products in their stories, mention them and above all mark your profile, then you should take this opportunity and share these stories. Because as soon as you have been marked, the posts will be displayed, and you can then easily repost them. If you want, you can also edit them,
add text, stickers and emojis, and then publish them. This feature also has some advantages. First, you show followers that you are looking at their posts and interested in them. With this, you build closeness and appreciation. Second, you can also use the markings to determine your range increase, as followers of your followers also come into contact with your company. This is why markings are valuable, which is why you can call your fans, for example, in call-to-action stories, to mark or link your profile.
Use The Instagram Highlights
A nice feature of Instagram is the highlights. Because with these, you can save your stories that should not disappear after 24 hours. You can create different highlights for different topics, to which you then assign the levels. This is particularly suitable for various formats, such as introducing employees or takeovers. The highlights are located on your profile directly under the bio, i.e. central and visible for everyone. These can then be named according to their content and also assigned to a profile picture. But keep in mind that you do not randomly place all stories in it, as they can only store a limited number of levels.
Conclusion: Successful Instagram Stories 2021
There are many different ideas on how you can make your stories more exciting and varied. Above all, the ten ideas presented will help you create successful Instagram stories and increase your reach. Even if you have difficulties initially and do not dare to try something, you can feel relatively safe in the Stories format. Because they are so fast-paced and disappear after 24 hours, you have a lot of freedom here. It is often the case that your stories change in style and design over time because, after a certain amount of time, you will find out what works and what doesn’t. If you have a business account, use the insights for new insights because they show how many followers have seen your stories.
Also Read: How To Promote Your Content On Social Media
