What are instagram stories?
Instagram launched their stories feature 2 years ago and since then its has been giving Snapchat a run for its money. It is a feature that lets users post photos and videos that vanish after 24 hours (Story Highlights changes this but more on that later!). Stories appear in a bar at the top of your feed — and all Instagram accounts will be able to share stories, from your best friends to your favourite popular accounts.
Now, if you’re a brand, Instagram stories are one of the most effective ways to communicate with your fans. Instagram has reached one billion users to date. According to Instagram, 80% of users follow at least one brand and 60% hear about a new product through the app. Over 120 million Instagram users have visited a website, direct messaged or emailed a business through the app. And 30% of users have bought a product that they discovered on Instagram.
One example of how you can use Instagram Stories as part of your strategy are “swipe-up” links! A link in an Instagram Story is a great way to send people to your website, your YouTube channel, and other social media accounts. All you need are 10,000 followers and an Instagram business profile. Viewers can either swipe up or tap “See More” to be directed to your link without leaving the Instagram app. This allows you to turn that attention into conversions.
Now if you're already familiar with Instagram Stories, you know that your content is only viewable for 24 hours. Instagram’s Highlights feature lets you combine multiple Instagram Stories into long-term content your audience can discover at their convenience. Just follow the steps below so you can start using Instagram Stories to their full potential!
Before you can begin setting up your Instagram Story Highlights, you’ll need to make sure Instagram Stories Archive is turned on!
To do this:
STEP 1: Add a highlight to your profile
To create a highlight album from your profile, tap on the + sign in the Story Highlights section.
When you add a new highlight, the archive list of your Instagram Stories appears. Simply select the posts you want to add to that highlight album and tap Next.
STEP 2: Name Your Highlight Album
Next, you need to give your highlight album a name. It can be up to 16 characters long, but not all 16 characters will appear in the album name on your profile before getting cut off. Hence, the name should be short and sweet!
STEP 3 (Optional): Upload a custom album cover
Click the “Edit Cover” dropdown. Then, click “Image” icon and select an image from your phone images.
STEP 4: Add your new highlight to your profile
Click "Add" on the top right corner and you'll be all set!
