With Instagram Stories, you can now post photos and videos from your Instagram account that will vanish after 24 hours. To some, this will sound pretty impressive, while others might think this is too much effort and a waste of time.
Why should I develop an Instagram Stories strategy?
The fact of the matter is that it has become a must-have tool for businesses and brands, especially when you consider the following statistics. About half of Instagram’s monthly users are using stories. That’s 500 million people posting 1 billion stories on Instagram every day! What’s more, about 62% of those people say they’ve become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in their Instagram Stories feed.
Brands have responded to the channel’s popularity by posting 2.5 Instagram Stories per week on average. Also, 4 million brands are advertisers on stories, as of January 2020.
If you’ve ever thought about experimenting with stories to boost your reach or engagement, there’s no time like the present.
Want to learn how to use Instagram Stories? Here are the simple steps to help get you started and publishing stories like a pro!
1. How do I share a photo or video to my Instagram Story?
To share a photo or video to your story, open the Instagram app, and follow these easy steps:
Tap on the camera icon in the top left of your screen or swipe right from anywhere in your feed.
Tap the icon at the bottom of the screen to take a photo, or tap and hold to record a video. To choose a photo or video from your phone's library or gallery, swipe up anywhere on the screen.
When you're ready to share, tap the Your Story button in the bottom left.
Note: Stories will disappear from your profile, feed, and direct inbox after 24 hours unless you add them to your profile as Story Highlights.
2. How do I share my Instagram Story to Facebook?
To share your story to Facebook too, you'll first need to link your Instagram account to Facebook. At this time, you can only share a story to Facebook via the Instagram app for Android or iPhone.
To share your story to Facebook, complete the following simple steps:
Start by creating a story. Then, tap the Send to option.
Below your story, tap the Sharing Options.
Select Share to Facebook Every Time or Share Once.
Tap the Share option.
You can also adjust your settings to allow all future stories to be shared to Facebook automatically:
Go to your profile and tap the menu icon.
Tap the Settings.
Then, tap Privacy > Story.
Next, to Share Your Story to Facebook, and allow sharing.
Note: When you share your Instagram Story to Facebook, it will appear as a story at the top of the News Feed. Keep in mind that anything you share to Facebook, including your Instagram Story, works with your existing Facebook privacy settings.
3. How do I link my Instagram account to my Facebook profile?
To link your Instagram and Facebook accounts and share posts directly from Instagram to Facebook:
Go to your profile and tap the menu icon.
Tap the Settings option.
Tap Account, and then tap the Linked Accounts option.
Tap Facebook and enter your Facebook login info.
Once you’ve linked your accounts, you'll have the option to share a post to Facebook from the same screen where you add a caption. You can also share from Instagram to a Facebook Page you manage.
4. How do I add a Story to my Story Highlights?
To add story highlights, log into the Instagram app for Android or iPhone, and then follow the instructions below.
You can add stories to appear on your profile as highlights, even after they’ve disappeared. Highlights appear below your profile photo.
Here’s what you need to do to add a story to a highlight:
Go to your profile.
Tap the plus icon. If you don't see the plus icon, tap Story Highlights.
Tap to select the story or stories you want to add to highlights, then tap Next.
Choose a cover photo and enter a story name for your highlight, then tap Add (for iPhone) or Done (for Android). You can add more photos or videos to your highlight at any time by tapping and holding the highlight and then tapping Edit Highlight.
Note: Stories that you add as highlights remain visible as highlights until you remove them, even after the original story has disappeared. Keep in mind that those you've allowed seeing your story can also see your highlights. Learn more about privacy settings for stories.
5. How to check my Instagram Story views?
Next, for up-to-the-second analytics, take a look at who’s watched your story.
On the app’s home page, click the Your Story icon in the top right corner
Your story’s view count will be displayed in the bottom right corner
Swipe up to see the list of users that have viewed your story
If you have a professional (i.e. creator or business) account, you can also tap the graph icon to view your insights.
While stories only last 24 hours, your list of viewers will be available for 48 hours, and your insights will be available for 14 days.
Are you ready to ready to start scheduling Instagram Stories and save time? If you still feel that you hate Instagram or you just don’t want to do this – let the professionals do their work! After all, this is what they love to do! Contact us to find out how we can help you to grow your audience on social media!