Are you a Feed-commitment-phobe? Do you love stickers and gifs? Or perhaps you\u2019re just a super savvy and charming marketing professional or content creator. Either way, Instagram Stories are most definitely for you.<\/p>\n
Instagram Stories<\/a> have all kinds of built-in tools and functionalities. But they can be tricky to find and even trickier to use.<\/p>\n Read on to learn everything you need to know about how to use Instagram Stories, from basic navigation and features to creative tips for business users.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll answer Instagram Stories questions like:<\/p>\n We\u2019ll also provide a general \u201cInstagram Story how-to\u201d guide. Let\u2019s make the most of the powerful real estate at the top of the app!<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Get your free pack of 72 customizable Instagram Stories templates now<\/strong><\/span>. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Instagram Stories are vertical photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. <\/strong><\/p>\n They appear at the top of the Instagram app interface rather than in the news feed.<\/p>\n What is an IG Story doing for me, you ask? Well, IG Stories <\/a>are pretty popular, with approximately 500 million daily active Instagram Story users<\/a>.<\/strong> That\u2019s roughly 1\/3 of Instagram\u2019s total audience that can potentially have eyes on your content.<\/p>\n Stories can include interactive tools like stickers, polls, and AR filters to make your content really pop. Here\u2019s how to get started with the format.<\/p>\n On the left of the screen, you can select a format to experiment with: Create, Boomerang, Layout, Hands-free, or Dual.<\/p>\n Before you start flexing your new Story skills, find out how many IG stories per day<\/a> are ideal.<\/p>\n If your Insta Story is still live (meaning less than 24 hours have passed since you posted it), just tap the Your Story<\/strong> icon on the app\u2019s main page to see a viewer count for your Story. <\/p>\n Tap the number in the bottom left to get a list of the people who make up those Instagram Story views and see any likes your Story got.<\/p>\n Pro tip<\/strong>: You can also access your story stats in this view. Just hit the graph icon<\/strong> beside the eye icon.<\/p>\n After 24 hours (which is the answer to the question: How long do Instagram Stories stay up?), you can still access insights<\/a>, including reach and impressions.<\/p>\n For the uninitiated:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to access Story insights:<\/p>\n You cannot, however, see how many times or how often someone looks at your Story.<\/p>\n Posting Stories regularly is a good way to keep your audience engaged. But having to interrupt your workflow throughout the day to create and post Stories can become pretty disruptive.<\/p>\n Scheduling Stories<\/a> into your social media posting schedule<\/a> allows you to use your time more effectively. You can also plan your Stories content to complement your other social posts and integrate effectively into any ongoing campaigns.<\/p>\n 1. Head to your Hootsuite dashboard and select Create \u2192 Post<\/strong> from the left-hand menu.<\/p>\n 2. In the Composer window, select the account<\/strong> you want to post your Story to.<\/p>\n 3. In the Content section, switch to the Story editor<\/strong> using the dropdown menu on the right side.<\/p>\n 4. Click on the upload icon<\/strong> to add your image or video. Or click on the library icon to choose assets from your media library.<\/p>\n Videos must be between 1 second and 60 minutes long<\/strong>, and images must be less than 30MB<\/strong>. Both have a recommended aspect ratio of 9:16<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Note<\/strong>: If you want to add text or stickers to your Story, make sure they\u2019re part of your image or video file. Text included in the caption field of Composer will not be included in your Story.<\/p>\n You can easily edit your images using Canva without leaving your Hootsuite dashboard. <\/p>\n To get started, click on the Canva icon<\/strong> in the bottom right of the Composer window. Then, select Instagram Story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re done editing your image or video, simply click the Add to post<\/strong> button in the top right corner of the screen, and your file will be attached to your post draft.<\/p>\n 5. Preview your Story and click Schedule for later<\/strong> to select a time for it to go public. Then, click the yellow Schedule<\/strong> button, and you\u2019re done!<\/p>\n Now, onto the juicy stuff: Here\u2019s how to make an Instagram Story really pop using features.<\/p>\n If you want to sit with the cool kids at Instagram\u2019s lunch table, then you need to be using cool Instagram Story features.<\/p>\n With Create Mode, you can create an Instagram Story without any photos or videos. Just like for other Story types, you can still use stickers to customize your media.<\/p>\n Instagram\u2019s Dual camera mode lets you capture photos or video using both your rear and front cameras, at the same time! <\/em><\/p>\n You can move each of the front- and rear-camera pieces of media around independently, too. This feature is a game-changer for recording reaction videos.<\/p>\n We could write an entire blog on Instagram Story stickers alone. There are so many different things you can do with them!<\/p>\n We\u2019ll highlight a few notable ones below, but we wanted to point out that there are tons<\/em> of options when it comes to stickers.<\/p>\n The Notify<\/strong> sticker is an awesome tool for content creators and marketers. <\/p>\n Viewers can click on it to sign up to be notified of your content. This way, eager followers will be among the first to know when you post something new.<\/p>\n The Get orders<\/strong> sticker lets you add an easy link for people to find product details and to send you an order request. <\/p>\n Content creators and marketers who sell merchandise and other products online will find this sticker particularly useful.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a restaurant, a catering company, a grocery store, a bakery, or any business that sells food, you\u2019ll want to know about this one. <\/p>\n Use the Food orders<\/strong> sticker to make it easy for your customers to order food online.<\/p>\n Instagram Stories are encouraging people to label realistic content that\u2019s made with AI with an AI Label<\/strong>. <\/p>\n This can help combat the spread of misinformation and lets your viewers know if what they\u2019re looking at is real or not.<\/p>\n Making your content more accessible<\/a> to everyone is always a big thumbs up in our books! Captions are available for Reels AND Stories, and they can make a huge difference.<\/p>\n\n When you use the Story caption sticker, you give Deaf and hard-of-hearing folks and people with their volume off the chance to understand your content.<\/p>\n Engagement is always a plus when it comes to Instagram content. <\/p>\n Ask your audience to weigh in with their opinions, answers, and questions using the polls<\/strong>, quizzes<\/strong>, or question<\/strong> stickers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Gifs are a great way to enhance your Story. They can make your content more engaging and entertaining by adding movement and personality.<\/p>\n\n
What are Instagram Stories?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Instagram-Stories-feed-620x430.jpg.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nHow to post an Instagram Story<\/span><\/h2>\n
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![\"Boomerang](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-10-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nHow to check your Instagram Story views<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-9-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-6-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n
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How to schedule Instagram Stories<\/span><\/h2>\n
To schedule an Instagram Story using Hootsuite:<\/h3>\n
![\"schedule](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-620x352.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n![\"upload](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-1--620x354.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n![\"Canva](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-2-310x481.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-3-620x318.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n![\"schedule](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-5-620x352.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n25 cool Instagram Story features you should be using<\/span><\/h2>\n
Create mode<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Instagram-stories-create-mode-310x671.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nDual<\/h3>\n
![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-7-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nStickers<\/h3>\n
![\"Instagram](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-11-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nNotify<\/h3>\n
![\"notify](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-12-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nGet orders<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-13-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nFood orders<\/h3>\n
![\"Food](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-14-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nAI Label<\/h3>\n
![\"Made](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-18-310x689.png?resize=310%2C689&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nStories captions sticker<\/h3>\n
Polls, quizzes, and questions<\/h3>\n
![\"Question](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Instagram-Stories-17-310x689.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\nGifs<\/h3>\n