When you open up your Instagram app, you may have noticed there’s a little plus sign in the top left corner that allows you to create your InstaStories. You will also see everyone’s picture along the very top of those you follow who are using InstaStories.
InstaStories is very similar to Snapchat, in the sense that it does not live online forever. What you post on InstaStories will stay alive on Instagram up to 24 hours. After that 24-hour time period is up, it disappears. There is, however, a way you can save a specific picture or video that you have shared on InstaStories to your profile.
With the InstaStories, when you want to create an InstaStory you are going to click on the top left corner on that little plus sign. It’s going to bring up your camera. From there, you can then take a photo or you can take a video. You will see a big round button at the bottom middle of your screen. Press it once for a photo, or press it and hold it down to take a video.
Once that is done, you also have a few options to add in text. You can choose different colours, choose if you want to do a fine or thick line and you can choose to write it with your finger or your stylus pen. It also gives you the option for text, so there are many different ways to make it fun to communicate and reach out to your network that way.
I see a lot of people on InstaStory treating it exactly like Snapchat. Here’s the problem with that, the people who followed you on Instagram, followed you for a specific reason. If you begin to start treating InstaStories like you’ve been treating Snapchat when you don’t have the same followers, your followers are going to be confused. You want to make sure that you are still staying on brand, that your message is still clear and concise, and that the InstaStories you are creating are going to be of interest to your followers. You risk the chance that they are going to unfollow you if they are not of interest to them.
If you are already using InstaStories, or if you are thinking of getting your feet wet in InstaStories, I want you to take a moment and think about your plan for Instagram. Who is following you? Think about your brand, your messaging and what it is you want to do. Keep that clear and concise. InstaStories is not Snapchat, even though they are very similar. Think about that first before you begin using your InstaStories.
You can’t comment on InstaStories like you can on Instagram, but you do have a way with InstaStories to send people a private message. If you love what they are doing, if you have a question, or want to connect, you can send and receive messages. They just can’t comment on that specific video or picture in the InstaStory, itself.
I’m curious, are you on and using Instagram? Do you use InstaStories? If so, what do you love about it? Are you confused on how to use InstaStories or how to best use it within your business? Leave a comment below, let me know, I would love to help you out.
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