Instagram Stories
Instagram now has a layer system in Stories so now it is super easy to organize the position and colour of stickers and images. Instagram has come a long way! Shocked to look back and see that it has been several years since the launch of Instagram Stories in August 2016. I loved it but my intern at the time did not. Laura is a Snapchat expert and not impressed as she saw it as a Snapchat copy. However Stories rapidly surpassed 500 million daily active users.
Now Stories is a very big part of Instagram, where we share temporary content that disappears after 24 hours. I love making stories daily on 3x of my personal brand accounts. Here is my list of tips to get you inspired to make great content.
It is very important to make use of the interactive and visually engaging features like stickers, polls, questions, and filters. The engagement with these elements within Stories effects the algorithm which selects the most relevant content to display within the platform.
LinkedIn created a rival LinkedIn Stories which I loved using on behalf of my company and we discovered success factors to make future content even more engaging. Sadly “sun-setted” to use a LinkedIn phrase, leaving Instagram Stories to reign supreme battling Facebook Stories and now also TikTok Stories.
Listen to a podcast version of this post
Layers in Instagram Stories
Instagram now has a layer system in Stories making it easy when several elements are being added. We have all been there when a false move by a finger suddenly hides stickers behind a big image. Frustrating efforts needed to get them back to the front to be re-positioned. This new layers feature is long overdue in my opinion. Finally we can now easily modify and organize the position and colour of the various elements carefully selected for our Stories.
The Instagram story layer system enables elements like text or stickers to be positioned by holding them down, allowing for easy forward or backward movement within the layout. In addition we can make use of an eyedropper feature to adjust colours, making a consistent aesthetic look to the Story (well, that is the goal 😉
Here is a short video to get you going with managing layers in Instagram Stories.
Step-by-step guide.
1 – Insert the desired elements (text, stickers, etc.) into your Story.
2 – Hold down the element you wish to modify to access the layer system.
3 – While holding the selected element, drag it up or down to adjust its position in the foreground or background.
4 – To secure its position, hold down and slide your finger toward the padlock icon.
5 – Alter the colour of the element by maintaining your finger pressure and dragging toward the eyedropper button.
Instagram Posts vs Instagram Stories: Is One Better Than the Other?
I want to end on this often asked question. Posts vs. Stories. Which is best for engagement or click traffic? Influencers often use Stories to drive click traffic. I love tracking the performance of the various Instagram stories run by regional colleagues via a social media command centre. Great to learn the success factors across countries and languages in real time dynamic graphs on 6 large HD screens. Sometimes Stories can provide huge click traffic and little engagement, sometimes the other way around.
Here is a quick look at the different aspects of using Instagram Posts vs. Stories from Keyhole:
Stories is great for:
- Timely – Stories only last 24 hours, so they can be more “in the moment”
- Casual – Selfie videos or behind-the-scenes content are more common
- Design for engagement – Stories for your current followers
And Instagram posts:
- Evergreen – Content that you want people to be able to see forever
- Curated – Aim for high-value content on your Instagram feed
- Designed for reach – Posts are more likely to reach new audiences than Stories
Read the full post by Keyhole here.
Actionable Key Takeaways for Using Instagram Layers in Stories
- Try Out Instagram’s New Layer System for Better Story Design:
- Start experimenting with Instagram’s layer system in your Stories by adding stickers, text, and images.
- Practice organizing elements by holding down and dragging them to adjust their position in the foreground or background. This will help you create more professional and visually cohesive Stories.
- Here are my tips to get you inspired to make content for Stories
- Leverage the Algorithm by Maximizing Interactivity:
- Focus on creating interactive and eye-catching Stories that influence the Instagram algorithm by increasing engagement through reactions and clicks.
- Use layers to emphasize key information in your Stories, making them more dynamic and engaging for viewers.
- Plan for Future Layer Enhancements:
- Stay informed about future updates to Instagram’s layer system, as the feature may evolve to include more advanced customization options like grouping layers, animations, or further aesthetic controls.
- Look out for new tools and effects that may allow even more creative freedom and enable you to differentiate your content from others.
- Experiment with Content for Posts vs. Stories:
- Use Instagram Stories for time-sensitive, behind-the-scenes content where layers can make your interactive elements pop.
- For longer-lasting content, such as Instagram Posts, consider how you might translate Story concepts into a more evergreen format using carefully designed visuals.
By testing these strategies and staying adaptable as Instagram continues to develop its Story features, you can create more engaging, dynamic, and aesthetically pleasing content that captures your audience’s attention.
Have you tried to use the layers in Stories yet? Leave a comment about your experience.
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Hi Clive, I love your comparisons of the difference between posts and stories on IG. I have tried the layers a few times and recently hired someone to help me create more on that network as it’s very timely. Do you think reels still play a big drive of engagement on IG?
YES. There is a recent study by Emplifi (they posted about it on Instagram) comparing Reels vs. Stories. For reach and impressions Reels won by a country mile. Date range May to Oct 2023.