Instagram is one of the most popular Social Media platforms with 500 million daily users globally. Where you were only able to post pictures in your feed at first, Instagram Stories have made such an entrance that it exceeded the number of daily users of Snapchat. Instagram Stories allows you to share short moments of your life which are only visible for 24 hours, just like Snapchat.
Furthermore, posting and viewing an Instagram story is so easy that every brand or company should include Instagram Stories within their marketing strategies as well. This article will explain to you how to make the perfect Instagram Story by using the correct Instagram Story dimensions and why your brand should consider using Instagram Stories.What dimensions are Instagram stories?
The Instagram Story dimensions are 1080px by 1920px, or an aspect ratio of 9:16. This ratio can be seen in the image below the paragraph. For a Social Media platform that is made for sharing photos and videos, uploading the best quality content is very important. Therefore, this ratio ensures the best quality for your content. This aspect ratio is known as the screen resolution of Full HD and should be displayed vertically. A photo should have a size of 30MB maximum and image file formats are PNG. and JPG. It is also possible to share videos on IG stories. The video dimensions also have an aspect ratio of 9:16 and a video will be shown for 15 seconds. Videos that take longer will be split up into multiple fragments of 15 seconds for a maximum of 60 seconds. A video should have a size of 4GB maximum and image file formats are MP4. and MOV.
For photos and videos, it is possible to make the content smaller so that a black background will fill the screen, as can be seen above. This can be seen in the third image. However, keeping the correct Instagram Story dimensions in mind is crucial when you want to post high-quality content. It is important because otherwise, Instagram will crop your content or zoom in on your content, and of course, you would like everything you have photographed in your picture. If you take a picture with your phone, and directly upload it, the size will automatically be adapted to the right Instagram story size. However, if you are planning to edit or photoshop a picture, the visual will not always be of the best IG size.
Editing apps to manage the right Instagram Story dimensions
To help you upload the best photos/videos, we have made an overview of all the different Editing Apps you should try. It varies from video editing apps to photo templates.
#1 InShot
This App can be used for both videos and photos. You can edit a video entirely. The App comes with special effects, backgrounds, filters, and other design effects. The App has everything to make perfect Instagram Stories. It is even possible to add music to a video or to change the speed of a video. InShot is available for Android and iOS, and scores high on both App stores.
Features:
- Cut, split, and add transitions
- Texts in different fonts, colors, and styles
- Add pictures from the camera roll and add gifs
#2 Artory
This Editing App is much different from InShot. This App provides templates where you can directly create Instagram Stories. Every week, the App adds more templates, and there are 200 templates that you can use for free. Besides templates, you can also add filters or fonts to your pictures. Furthermore, it is also possible to edit your videos with multiple tools, filters, and music.
Features:
- Pick a holiday-themed template
- Add animated stickers to your story
- Add video effects to your image, such as Light leaks
#3 Canva
If you are an influencer or a company you often make use of fixed templates to have consistent Instagram posts. Therefore, Canva is the perfect Editing App for you. This platform has the most templates (60 000+) and many stock images that you can use. Canva makes it very easy to create your perfect template. With over 1 million background images, filters, and fonts, there are many ways to design your Instagram Story.
Features:
- Entirely customizable templates
- Other Social Media templates with the correct dimensions
- Work together with multiple persons on one project
#4 Typorama
Typoroma is an Editing App focused on typographic designs. This App provides attractive texts to put over your Instagram Story pictures. It is easy to use because you only have to pick a background and a typographic layout, and voila, your image is finished. Besides, typographic designs, you can also edit pictures and add filters and fonts.
Features:
- Add your company logo as a watermark to your image
- Easily save your template for frequent use
- Transparent background available
#5 Unfold
Just like Canva, Unfold helps you create templates for your Instagram Stories. With their modest templates, like small borders, polaroids, and filmstrips every brand can choose the template that fits them the best. Another advantage of this Editing App is the option to preview your story before uploading, so you can be sure that only the best content will be posted.
Features:
- Add music to your image
- Choose animated filters, such as glitters or lightning
- Make a slideshow of multiple pictures
Instagram Story safe dimensions
Such as the regular feed photos of Instagram, the platform helps you stick to the right size. Where Instagram crops your photo to the perfect size in the app, in Instagram Stories a blue grid ensures that your photo or video will be in the middle of the screen. This is also very useful when you want to add a sticker, a place tag, or a doodle to your picture. When you move such an object, the text will show up to notify you that your object should not move more to the end of the screen. These safe Instagram Story dimensions have been introduced to make sure that nothing will block an object on the screen, such as the IG nickname displayed in the left corner of the screen. The IG story safe dimensions are displayed below.
Why your brand should consider Instagram Stories
#1 No algorithm to tackle
Firstly, for most people who share content on Social Media, no message will ever reach 100% of their follower base. This is because algorithms make sure that users only get to see content that is relevant to them. This could be convenient because otherwise, your whole timeline is full of people or companies you do not want to see. However, if you want to optimize your organic reach, you have to tackle the algorithm, and that is not so easy. Luckily, for Instagram Stories it is less difficult because your target audience will come across your Instagram Stories automatically. They only have to click on one IG story, and the following Stories will appear by themselves without an overload of messages. Also, people who do not follow you can come across your stories.
#2 Higher engagement rate than regular IG posts
Secondly, IG stories have a higher engagement rate than regular posts. This is because involving your followers has not been easier before. When sharing an image or video in your story, you have the option to add the following features:
- A Q&A button, where followers can respond to your question, or where followers can ask you a question. You have the option to answer these questions in private or in public.
- A poll button, where you can ask your followers a question, and they can choose between two given answers. For example, ´´yes´´ or ´´no´´, or ´´dress 1´´ or ´´dress 2´´.
- With a quiz button, here, your followers can choose between several answers.
- At the bottom of the screen of a story, followers have the option to immediately respond to a story.
#3 Increase transparency
Thirdly, besides engaging and attracting followers, a brand can increase transparency by posting behind the scenes, or other ways of taking your customers with you on your journey. Another way of improving transparency is to share more real content. Usually, users are showing off a perfect life on their IG feed, IG stories allow you to be more real.
#4 Promoting news
For instance, announcements, sales, new posts, and giveaways, can all be displayed on an IG story. By grabbing the attention of your followers, you can easily encourage clients to come into action. You can add a direct link to your post, so followers can respond to your call-to-action text. Previously, it was not possible to add a direct link to your Instagram Story if you had less than 10,000 followers. Fortunately, it is now possible for everyone.
When you provide your followers with high qualitative content by sticking to the right Instagram Story dimensions, there are great opportunities for you to increase awareness for your brand. Take your customers with you in your business processes and expect an increase in brand visibility.
