As the dust settles on what is said to be Instagram’s biggest update so far: Stories, we’re exploring how to use them and the effect they will have on the future of the platform.
Similar to Snapchat, Stories allow you to post photos throughout the day, which disappear after 24 hours.
How to use Stories:
- Tap the plus button located on the top left of your home screen or swipe left in your news feed.
- Tap the circle button at the bottom of the screen to take a photo or hold to record a video
- To edit your photos or video, tap either of the two icons in the top right hand corner of your screen
- Once you’ve finished editing, simply tap done to save
- Then tap the checkmark button to share your story
Tip: save your story by tapping the three dots and the bottom of the page and click ‘save photo’
Once your story is uploaded, a colourful circle will appear around your profile picture and your profile photo will also appear above the feeds of your followers.
Your followers will tap on your profile pic to view your story. If you wish to remove your story, tap on the three dots at the bottom right of the photo that you would like to delete and press ‘delete’ to confirm.
The future of Instagram
Instagram Stories allows businesses to share authentic photos and videos that help build a strong brand and engagement.
There’s no denying that Instagram Stories is a direct reaction to the rise of Snapchat. Instagram recognised more businesses sharing their Snapchat stories across the Instagram platform. So in an effort to keep their audience on Instagram and potentially move them away from Snapchat, Instagram created their own.
Instagram and Snapchat stories are changing the way we engage with our customers. Brands now need to move past staged and airbrushed representations of their businesses and present a more authentic and honest reflection of their business.
Is your social media presence authentic?
Let’s talk.
See you next week,
Darnelle
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