Instagram Stories have massive appeal across the world. Nearly 500 million people use the platform daily to share “casual” content that followers find engaging. It is the perfect platform for influencers to give fans a peep into their daily routines and share updates. However, the influencers’ most significant fear of competition follows them here, too. These 24-hour-lasting Stories are a competitive space for influencers as well as brands. Without specific Instagram Story hacks, it is easy to get lost among thousands of other Stories popping on your followers’ screens.
We’re bringing six effective Instagram Story hacks for 2022 to help you stand out from your rivals. These tips will significantly boost the visual appeal of your Stories,and compel your followers to click on your Story every time you post one.
Ready To Take Your Instagram Stories Game To The Next Level? Try These Hacks!
Here are the 2022 Instagram Story hacks for Android and iOS users to transform your Instagram Stories from “meh” to “wow!”
Hack 1: Professionally designed templates are a great starting point
We don’t all have excellent design skills. But that doesn’t mean our Instagram Stories can’t look aesthetically appealing. Instagram Story templates are a lifesaver for all content creators who often worry about their poor graphic design skills!
These templates are premade layouts with editable animations, graphics, and text. You can have a cohesive format and design style using the same template for all Instagram Stories — that too, for free. Graphic design platforms like Canva and Spark Post offer abundant template choices.
Canva is the most-used design software for this purpose. Search for “Instagram Stories template” on Canva’s homepage, and the results will trickle in within seconds. Select the one that connects with you best and personalize it accordingly. From font to content to color palette to images, every element is editable. If you have collaborated with a brand and want to share the big news, you can upload the brand’s logo and suitable images.
The key to success, though, lies in your choice. Select and edit the template to match your social media profile’s aesthetics and voice.
Hack 2: Get creative with interactive stickers, link stickers, and GIFs
Using the attractive stickers Instagram provides, such as polls, quizzes, and animated GIFs, is a great way to make your Stories engaging. These features make Stories dynamic and help engage the audience. More importantly, they allow you to understand your followers and their interests and preferences deeply.
This is specifically true for Instagram polls and Q&A stickers. These stickers help gather audience data, enabling you to create intriguing content. Apart from generating attention and engagement, Q&A highlights your availability for your loyal fans and showcases that you are interested in knowing their opinion. These stickers can give you valuable content for succeeding Stories or posts — you can share the users’ answers as follow-up posts. This technique is excellent for influencers who endlessly wonder, “What to post now?”
The Location sticker is another interactive feature that can increase the visibility of your Instagram Stories. Location tagging on Instagram Stories and posts increases your Story’s chances of appearing on the public feed when users search for that location. Using location stickers is an intelligent way to boost your Story’s reach to people who do not follow you.
Another interesting Instagram sticker is the countdown sticker. It is a handy tool for influencers planning a special event or product launch as it generates curiosity and interest. This is what Starbucks did when it announced the return of the famous S’mores Coffee.
Interested followers can also subscribe to the countdown to get a reminder once the time’s up.
Hack 3: Customize your fonts and colors based on your aesthetic and brand values
Wondering how to boost your noticeability? The answer is straightforward: create a solid personal brand identity. Remember how you know a McDonald’s outlet is nearby by simply looking at the signboard — the yellow-colored “M” logo? That is what a robust brand identity is. You can also create a unique identity visible in the noisy social media landscape.
Choosing the right font and color for your Stories and posts is key to creating a unique identity. And sticking to those choices is even more critical to have a visually attractive Instagram feed.
Fonts play a vital role in conveying your message. They carry an underlying meaning and purpose. However, do not overwhelm your followers by using 100 different fonts in your Stories. Limiting yourself to three will prevent your Stories from appearing “haphazard.”
Colors play a crucial role, too. The dominating color of your Stories and posts determines the emotion they evoke. The right color palette will invoke the feeling you want from your audience to impact the followers’ response and engagement further. Again, refrain from dabbling in too many colors and stick to a few matching hues.
You can create branded colors and fonts using third-party apps, like Canva, since Instagram provides limited choices. This will help you create attention-grabbing Stories.
Hack 4: Go artistic with translucent overlays
At Atisfyre, our aim behind posting on Instagram is to grab attention and drive engagement. One human tendency you can capitalize on to accomplish these goals is curiosity. Humans are inquisitive souls, wanting to know the goings-on in people’s lives, especially in the lives of famous personalities.
Curiosity increases people’s desire to learn more. Therefore, renowned brands drip-feed exciting information through their content and release timely teasers to maintain the audience’s interest. They take advantage of the audience’s fear of missing out (“FOMO”), luring them down into the sales funnel.
If you want to drive interest for your upcoming launch, fill in the curiosity gap with engaging content — the curiosity gap is the difference between users’ existing knowledge and what they want to know. Give them enough information that leaves them wanting more, just like the popular video streaming platform, Netflix, does by using cliffhangers.
One of the best Instagram Story hacks to pique curiosity is to add transparent overlays to your images. These overlays help you conceal critical information or products while letting people know something’s cooking. This urges followers to wait for the BIG reveal.
Follow the given steps to add a translucent overlay over your Instagram Stories and make them beautiful:
- Upload the photo or video to your Story.
- Click the three dots in the top right corner and select “draw.”
- Choose the highlighter pen and select the preferred color.
- Tap and hold your finger on the screen until an overlay covers your photo or video.
Besides, adding a question sticker is one of the Instagram Story hacks you can leverage. Place a question sticker on the overlay, asking followers to guess what the announcement could be.
Hack 5: Custom backgrounds
Like Instagram and Pinterest, most social platforms thrive on visually appealing content. Every avid Instagram user only uploads Instagram-worthy pictures to maintain the beauty of their profile. The sole reason behind the thousands of filters on Instagram is to enhance an image and make it more likable and commentable. Likewise, there are many ways you can improve and maintain the charm of your Instagram Story. One of the Instagram Story hacks is to use custom backgrounds.
Instagrammers, content creators, and brands use the default backgrounds of Instagram Stories. If you want to capture your audience’s attention, you need to go the extra mile and do something extraordinary that puts your followers in awe — hence, custom backgrounds! Leverage a fascinating patterned backdrop when sharing your newest feed post on Instagram Story. This will compel visitors to check out the Story, anticipating it to be as enjoyable as your Story.
Here is the best way to add custom backdrops to your Instagram Stories:
- Take a screenshot of the latest post you want to add to your Story and crop it only to show the post image
- Click the “add post to your Story” icon on your original feed post
- Increase the post size on your Story till it fits the entire screen
- Press the sticker icon on top
- Select the photo sticker feature and choose the custom background that matches your post
- Add the screenshot you took in step 1
- Upload the Story
Now, enjoy the compliments you receive!
Hack 6: Shadow tagging is your secret weapon
Mention stickers are a great way to tag others while posting shoutouts or proudly announcing the brand you’ve partnered with. The additional benefits of the Mention sticker include:
- Adding user-generated content to your Stories
- Encouraging followers to post Stories that may benefit you and get a Mention in return.
- Tagging guests appearing on your upcoming events to promote your event.
Overall, the Mention sticker can help boost the visibility of your Stories. However, they can also create visual clutter, dampening the beauty of your Instagram Story. And an unattractive Instagram Story is a big NO and can even cost you your followers. But there is one Instagram Story hack you can use to retain the beauty of your Stories even after tagging multiple accounts: shadow tagging.
Here are two ways to use this technique in your Stories:
Method 1
- Add desired accounts to your Story using the Mention feature.
- Drag them to the sides of the “delete” icon at your Story’s bottom, so they’re almost out of sight.
Method 2
- Add the desired accounts to your Story using the Mention feature.
- Reduce them to the smallest size till they almost “disappear.”
There you have it! These 6 Instagram Story hacks will ensure your content sticks out in 2022 and catches the eye of more Instagram users.
(Pro tip: Share these secret Instagram Story hacks on TikTok to see your follower count rise!)
While you do your part and create great content, we will do our part and get you high-quality brand partnerships to skyrocket your career as an influencer. Our AI-based influencer platform, Atisfyre, will connect you with renowned brands with similar target audiences and styles.
Sign-up to Atisfyre for FREE and work with incredible brands worldwide!
