Instagram stories have become one of the most popular ways to interact with followers and potential customers alike. And great stories always help us in increasing our followers on Instagram.  Followers love Instagram stories because they provide an opportunity to connect with brands on a more personal level. They also love the fact that they can engage directly with those brands by liking, commenting, and replying to story posts. But how do you create Instagram stories that boost. In this article, we will discuss the top 10 latest tips to create Instagram stories. These unique tips will not only help you to create interesting stories but also assist you to increase your followers on your Instagram account.

Instagram Stories

Instagram stories have become one of the most popular features on Instagram in recent months, with many users flocking to the feature over Snapchat and other apps because of its ease of use, as well as the additional engagement it encourages with its audience. The photos and videos you share as your story will disappear after 24 hours. There are plenty of stories to be told on Instagram, but creating the best Instagram Stories isn't as easy as it may seem. There are plenty of mistakes that you can make when shooting and editing your stories so that you lose followers, or even worse, brand loyalty.

 Importance of using engaging Instagram stories

[caption id="attachment_36115" align="alignnone" width="780"] Importance of using engaging Instagram stories[/caption]

Instagram stories have been implemented by many brands, companies and individuals over the past several months. Although it may seem that stories are just like Snapchat, they are much more engaging and allow you to engage with your audience on a more personal level. Here are 5 reasons why you should use engaging Instagram stories to boost your business and social media marketing strategy.

1)      Impress your followers

     For brands, stories offer a chance to make your audience feel like they are right there with you—which makes them more likely to interact. If your audience loves getting glimpses of behind-the-scenes action, show it off! Customers and followers will feel more connected to your brand and more likely to buy from you. It’s easy for customers and followers to engage with Instagram stories; so let them get involved by asking questions or leaving comments on your story. The more engaged they are, the more likely they are to share your content with their friends and family. This can lead to increased sales and visibility for your business.

2)      Stand out from your competition

     Many Instagram users are using stories to communicate with their followers in a more personal way. By posting live stories, you can include behind-the-scenes photos and videos that aren’t available on your other platforms. This creates a unique experience for your audience and allows them to feel more connected to you as an individual brand. Not only will they begin to follow you more closely, but they’ll also interact with your content far more frequently if it seems personalized and exclusive.

3)      Increase social media engagement

Sharing your latest adventures and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your life on Instagram can help you connect with your audience and increase engagement. People love seeing what's happening in your life. So take time out to share with them some of these behind-the-scenes photos and videos daily. And with engaging stories, you can reach more people than ever before. That means even more opportunities for likes, comments, and shares.

4)      Build on your existing brand identity

     Customers of your brand on Instagram are likely to be loyal customers of your brand in real life, and vice versa. That's why it's so important to keep your social media engagement consistent, while also changing up what you post. For example, if you sell clothes online and post pictures of people wearing your products on social media, think about ways to include more lifestyle photos that don't involve products. It might be pictures of customers enjoying drinks at a café or travelling somewhere cool that they bought clothes from you to wear on their trip. If a customer is looking through photos of someone wearing your products in a fun place she wishes she was, it may inspire her to purchase something from you when she gets home.

5)      Reach the target audience on IGTV

      If you have an IGTV account, it’s important to let your followers know you now post on a new platform. Share why it is better and how people can find you there. Let your followers know that by liking and following, they will be updated when you post videos. Make sure your profile is set to public so that people can easily follow, like and comment on all of your content.

Also Read This: Blending Images in Canva: Easy Tips

Top 10 latest tips to creating Instagram stories

[caption id="attachment_36132" align="alignnone" width="740"] Top 10 latest tips to creating Instagram stories[/caption]

Instagram stories are growing in popularity and it’s no surprise why – they’re fun, add variety to your feed, and give you the chance to show off your personality and connect with your followers in a completely new way. Whether you want to share behind-the-scenes footage from an event or simply want to try something fun and different with your profile, these top 10 latest tips will help you create the best Instagram stories possible.

1)      Use hashtags in your titles

      Using relevant hashtags can help people discover your content and it can be a good way to get extra eyes on your story. While you want to be careful not to overdo it, throwing in 1-2 hashtags related to your topic will attract viewers and prompt them to like, comment, or even repost. If you're still new at using hashtags, I recommend making a list of 3-5 of your favourite tags before posting anything.

2)      Use emojis in your captions

      Emojis are more than just a fun way to spice up your captions—they make your photo more relatable. Just think about it: Seeing a photo of a bowl of cereal is one thing, but seeing a photo of your favourite cereal with a big ol’ smiley face drawn on it brings you closer to reality. And once you relate better with an image, you’re more likely to like and/or share it. Plus, emojis help break up all those long words in your caption so they don’t seem so daunting. Take a look at these examples from @lululemon for inspiration. (You can also use GIPHY to search for any emoji you want.)

3)      Keep your story short and visual

     Your story can be up to 15 seconds long, and most people are going to watch it without sound. That means you need to keep your story very visual. Show your followers something they wouldn't see in a photo—like a snippet of an interaction with another person or movement in your space. If you're shooting a video for Snapchat, use all of these same techniques because Instagram Stories is just another way for users to consume their favourite apps, like Snapchat and Facebook Camera. The only difference is that when someone opens your story on Instagram, it will play automatically.

4)      Interact with other accounts

    Follow other accounts and engage with their content so people can follow you back. If they notice you’re posting high-quality content, they’ll probably want to follow your account. You don’t want to seem like a spammer though, so try following accounts of a similar subject matter as your own. When you start following them, make sure you thank them for following back (with a comment or private message).

5)      Use filters wisely

    Every photo has its unique look, and it's important to capture that look with a filter if you want your Instagram feed to flow nicely. With so many filters available, though, it can be hard for users of social media management tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to keep track of their favourites. To help, we've put together a list of our favourite filters on Instagram—the ones we use most often when posting photos from our phones. We hope they help you create even more beautiful posts! And don't forget: You can download these as templates on Hootsuite!

6)      Only add videos if they are informative

    Sure, you can have some fun with videos on your stories by adding filters and other effects, but at its core, it's still a way for your followers to get to know who you are. The more authentic content you share, the more people will engage with you. Keep in mind that only about 16 per cent of those who follow brands on Instagram actually see their stories, so choose wisely. Just make sure not to be spammy or overly promotional—this will turn off your audience. If you want to show off a new product, consider taking an unboxing video where you open up something fresh from Amazon or another online retailer. These sorts of videos tend to do well because they offer something unique that is also relevant to your business and brand.

7)      Do not overload your feed with story content

     It's super tempting, but avoid posting more than two stories within 24 hours. To get ahead of your competitors, try posting Instagram stories only on days and at times when you aren't typically active. This is especially important if you run a business that attracts customers at specific times of the day or on specific days of the week. And keep in mind: You don't have to post daily—your followers will stay engaged just as long as you offer fresh content consistently over time. For example, twice a month would be fine for most brands.

8)      Tell a compelling story

    A post on its own isn’t much to look at, but combine it with a stunning photo and you have something worth sharing. Use tools like Boomerang, which lets you shoot mini video clips that replay over and over, or use a collage function like Layout from Instagram to create a story that flows from one picture into another. If your subject is still be sure your images tell a compelling story about what you want viewers to think of when they see your business name. #EmbraceYourVanity. You can also add text to any image, so be sure to include a call-to-action in each photo if you want people to engage with your brand (like tag someone who needs my product!).

9)      Add live updates to grab readers’ attention

     If you're sharing a live video, you can use live updates to share what you're seeing in real-time. You might point out something interesting in your background that viewers will want to see for themselves—or take a poll and ask viewers for their opinions. These little extras make your followers feel like they're part of your story as it unfolds, and can boost engagement on your posts. Make sure people know when your live video is set to end with a few lines of text at the start of your post. Include information about how long it takes to watch so people know whether or not they have time to tune in before moving on with their day.

10)  Use different shapes and effects

[caption id="attachment_36133" align="alignnone" width="780"] Use different shapes and effects[/caption]

      The point of using multiple filters on a photo is that it can add depth and personality. It's like taking a painting class: Rather than just painting with flat colours, you learn to combine different brushes and watercolours to make your art-pop. The same goes for taking photos—try layering various effects to create visual interest in your feed. If you have an iPhone, open up Instagram and play around with different shapes (squares, circles, etc.) until you find one that works best for what you want to show off. For example, if I wanted to highlight my new necklace by showing off its unique shape (and colour), I might try adding a square frame filter first. If that doesn't do it for me, I could also try applying a tilt-shift effect or even an old-timey film look.

Final thoughts

Instagram is all about capturing and creating moments through pictures, and posting selfies just isn't as interesting as taking a picture of something happening around you. Show off your surroundings, take note of what's going on in your environment, and even search for random stuff or places nearby and post those pictures. Instagram stories are an excellent way to engage your audience and boost your brand’s presence online. In fact, according to Instagram, over 300 million people use the app’s stories feature each day. A lot of users, but not everyone knows how to fully utilize the platform. That’s why we put together this list of top 10 latest tips to help you create the best Instagram stories possible – and get more followers in the process!