Instagram Stories

Why use Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories create a new channel and atmosphere to connect with and inspire your audience. In fact, according to Instagram, of the over 500 million accounts that use Stories, one-third of the most viewed stories are from a business account, and one in five will get a DM from its viewers. If you’re just starting out in this area, this beginner’s guide will be your lifeline. And if you’re looking on more information and stats as to why you should be using Instagram Stories, head straight for the source.

Stories track metrics like views, app installs, reach, and impressions for every story that you upload so you can see exactly where your Instagram efforts are most effective! Stories is also a place where brands can remix and refurbish other branded assets and capitalize on the unique tools that Instagram offers to tell your brand’s story in the most creative way possible.

Looking to take your Insta stories to the next level? Let us help you get there!

Instagram Story Specs

Of course, in order to make the best looking visuals on Instagram stories, it’s highly recommended that you follow Instagram’s specs which we’ve helpfully decoded for you!

The Instagram story dimensions are 1080px by 1920px, which is an aspect ratio of 9:16. Any deviance will cause a crop or zoom into your photo or video, resulting in a potential loss of quality or cut off visuals. Images and videos should stay around 25 mb (though the limit is 30) to ensure they retain their quality. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled all the specs you’ll need for an Instagram Story Video or Image Ad below:

Instagram Stories Image Ad:

full screen vertical ad (9:16)
recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1920
min resolution: 600 x 1067
file types: .jpg or .png
max. image size: 30MB
photo content: visible for 5 seconds

Instagram Stories Video Ad:

full screen vertical ad (9:16)
recommended resolution: 1080 x 1920
min resolution: 600 x 1067
file types: mp4 or .mov
max. video size: 4GB
max. video length: 15 seconds

Text can be added in the caption overlay but try and include all the text you need—which should be minimal—on the image itself before uploading. Doing this will allow you to utilize IG’s engagement features and new additions like polls, music, question boxes, tags, and is also the perfect place to leverage a branded hashtag.

Don’t forget! Keep a clean space at the top of the story for your profile info and the interaction buttons at the bottom of the screen

The Benefits of Instagram Stories

Where do we even start?! There’s really no downside to sharing a story on Instagram with your followers but there are a few definite perks we can share with you.

Having a Story that will show up at the top of your followers’ screens helps your brand stay at the forefront of their mind, reminding them that they follow you. It’s also an easy way to share a snapshot of your day quickly and easily without necessarily having to put the effort and planning into a curated feed post.

Stories also diversify how you’re connecting with your audience. They allow you to interact with your audience on a more spontaneous and intimate level than is often possible through the filter of an uber-curated feed.

Stories often also have the highest contextual value in the lives of your followers as the content is of-the-moment and therefore, relevant to your audience! Stories also allow you to create how-tos, instruction manuals, and any other branded collateral that you can curate into an Instagram Story highlight. This is one of the foremost best and popular way for brand’s to save and repurpose valuable digital content!