Much like Snapchat’s Story feature, Instagram recently rolled out InstaStory, a feature that lets users upload images and videos that appear in a slideshow format for 24 hours. Others can view your story at the top of their feed but once they disappear, they won’t appear on your profile or in their feed.   You can send the person a private comment but there are no likes or public comments.

While InstaStory is almost identical to Snapchat, it offers businesses another opportunity to market their brand, without having to garner followers on a new platform. With 500 million monthly active users, Instagram is among the top social platforms. It’s also considered the single most important social network by American teens. Instagram’s networks’ per-follower engagement rate for top brands is 58 times higher than on Facebook and 120 higher than on Twitter, statistics show.

With Instagram’s massive following, businesses can get great value from InstaStory. Usually, the general rule of thumb for Instagram is to post one photo a day, but InstaStory makes it acceptable to share images and videos more frequently. This allows you to get more touch points with your followers. Typically, an Instagram user may spend just a few seconds viewing your photo on their feed, but as InstaStory can feature more than one photo, it captures their attention for longer, keeping them engaged and interested. And, because the stories appear at the top of the feed, your message won’t get lost or overlooked.

How to Create an InstaStory

To create a story, simply click on the “+” in the upper left corner of your feed.  You will be brought to a camera. Like with Snapchat, click the circle to take a photo or hold it down for video. Click the left button to adjust the light setting or the right button to switch to a front-facing camera. You can also upload a photo or video from your camera roll if it was taken within the last 24 hours.

After taking your photo or video, you can draw on your Story but clicking the pen icon in the top right. There are different colors and pen options to choose from. You can also add moveable text or emojis by tapping the “Aa” button, or swipe right for filters. When you’re finished, tap the check mark and your story will be visible for 24 hours.

To learn more about using InstaStory and social media to market your business, contact our advertising agency in Philadelphia.