WHY YOU NEED TO OPTIMIZE YOUR INSTAGRAM STORIES

If you’re trying to reach new audiences with your content and maintain a loyal follower base, Stories, while short-lived, are a vital part of your Instagram strategy. Here’s how to optimize them to achieve both.

 

Why optimize Stories when you have Reels?

A common argument for focusing on Reels rather than Stories to grow your audience is that Reels are shown to a larger sample of non-followers via its algorithm recommendation model, and they exist for a longer amount of time. 

They’re also longer in length: 90 seconds (Reels) versus 15 seconds per segment (Stories), although you can, of course, compile multi-segment Stories to increase their length.

Stories, by comparison, exist for only 24 hours and reach a smaller sample of non-followers. However, Stories have several characteristics in their corner:

Generally speaking, Stories are more natural and authentic-feeling. Reels usually have a level of production because they exist for longer. Creators want to make sure they stand the test of time so they’ll usually go to greater efforts to curate them. But that’s not always a strength. 

The veneer of hyper-produced Reels, built for a mass audience, can result in the viewer being less engaged with the content because it feels less personal.

The unplanned, un-stylized nature of Stories on the other hand means they have the ability to be more charming- and so more impactful - for the viewer. 
So, if a Story reaches and resonates with the right audience, it could result in a more captivated follower.

What’s more, the Story and the Reel algorithm are connected. So, if your Stories receive good engagement, this will give a boost to your Reels.

 

How to reach new audiences on Instagram with Stories

Within the app, there are two ways your content can reach people who don’t already follow you.

1. People who do follow you can share it directly with their contacts (who don’t)
2. Instagram presents your content to people who don’t follow you on the Explore tab

So, when you optimize your content, you’re hoping to send your content down one of these two routes.

There is another tactic you can use to reach new audiences with Stories, but this requires the cooperation of a third party. You could collaborate on content with another user or users and if you both/all post it to your Stories and tag each other, you have the potential to reach the audience of everyone who is tagged.

This works best if the creators you collaborate with produce complementary content so that the partnership and the content itself feel logical and natural for the viewer.

A great example of this is the Brooklyn comedy quartet Yard Sale Girls who collaborate on hilarious skits based on group’s oddball dynamic, singledom and dating - tagging each other from their individual accounts @is_becca_marcus, @samsaspeedy, @micaela_fagan and @serahbennett.

Collabs aside, in terms of what you can directly control and post to your Stories to reach followers, here’s how best to do it.

 

Optimize for your existing followers

The Instagram algorithm determines what content to serve up to someone based on a pool of metrics. It “looks” at the content a person likes, comments on, shares, the accounts that person follows, and accounts connected to these and creates a profile. Then it matches that profile to similar ones, based on the same criteria, to figure out what complementary content to serve up.

As we all know, if we engage with something, we’ll probably see more of the same pop up. It’s as simple as that.

1. Create content your existing audience will want to engage with

Since your Stories are mostly shown to your existing follower base, the most important thing is to create content that your followers, specifically, want to engage with.

Content that resonates with your own followers deeply, is more likely to result in them sharing it with their friends (potential non-followers). Additionally, a high engagement Story is more likely to be served up on the Explore tab. 

 

2. Post at optimal times

To increase the chances of your existing follower base engaging with your content, you should look at what has resonated with them in the past, as well as the optimum time to post, based on their engagement activity or when they’re online.

However, not all Instagram users are active followers. A huge proportion are passive scrollers, so you’ll need to think about how to prompt them to engage with you. 

 

3. Prompt direct engagement

Posting consistently can create a sense of familiarity and could encourage followers to “like” your Story. Catch them with a particularly good bit of content, they may even stretch to sharing it with a friend. 

Coaxing someone out of their shell enough to comment directly on your Story often needs a lot more encouragement.

To increase the chances of this more in-depth engagement, you may need to prompt them through posing questions, creating polls and using links.

Direct engagement such as this sends a big signal to the Instagram algorithm that your content is engaging, which is the first step on the journey to reaching new followers.

 

Optimize for new followers

When you optimize your content for new followers, you’re trying to make it discoverable.

This means creating a series of signals so people can find it. These include using:

• Hashtags: a relevant hashtag will allow your content to be discoverable by topic in the Explore tab e.g. #puppy #swag

• Geotags: similarly, tagging the location of your Story, whether it’s a specific restaurant or club such as @heavenlgbtclub in London, or area itself will allow users who search the geotag in the Explore tab to see your content

• Mention stickers: by tagging an account in your Story such as for example, you’re giving that account the option to repost it. They’ll receive a notification that they’ve been tagged, but it won’t be directly posted.

 

Check how it’s going

Increasing engagement and growing your following through Instagram Stories is hard fought but well worth your time. 

To prove it's working, you’ll want to view your content engagement insights, such as likes, comments, shares and saves. You’ll also want to see where traffic to your content is coming from, such as the Explore tab, and track reach and engagement with followers and non-followers.

For creators, you’ll find this information within your Profile under Professional Dashboard.

 

Make the most of your Instagram Story

Stories might only live for a day, but that’s long enough to make an impact if you optimize them.

Back your Stories, Reels and timeline videos with the best quality audio from Universal Music for Creators. Choose from themed tracks, trending music, sound fx and more.