Instagram is one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world. When it was first released, Instagram had very limited features. But as time progresses, you can see new and improved features popping up to help users make the most out of this social media platform.
One of those features, Instagram Stories, appeared on Instagram in 2016. And boy, has it been a success!
With over 500 million active daily users, Instagram Stories is a favourite of businesses and private accounts alike.
But do you think you have this feature in the bag? If yes, think again because this post will deal with the not-so-obvious Instagram Stories hack that you might not have seen before!
Instagram Stories Hack #1 – Get the Background of Your Choice!
Our posts on Instagram only take a part of our screen’s center, while the rest show an automatic solid color. While Instagram tries to choose a color that goes along with our post, it is not always the case.
Fortunately, you don’t have to post ugly color combinations just because Instagram chose it for you. You can change the background to a color you think would go with the post or add an image from your camera roll to make the story more attractive.
To add a solid color, follow the steps below:
- To share a post, tap the arrow icon at its bottom or pick an image from your camera roll by swiping up from the Instagram stories camera.
- Tap on the draw button, the squiggly icon on the top.
- Tap and hold on any color bubble at the bottom to open up a gradient of colors
- Select any color that you would want as the background of your IG story.
- Tap and hold anywhere on the screen except the post.
- Your Instagram story’s background will be changed to the solid color that you selected.
If you want to add an image as the background, here’s how you will do it:
- Follow the first step from the ones mentioned above to select the post/image you want to share.
- Tap on the stickers button, the one with the smiley on the top.
- Select the icon with the “plus” sign to add an image from your camera roll.
- Resize the image according to your requirements.
- Tap and hold the original post to bring it to the front.
Instagram Stories Hack #2 – Make them Curious with the Eraser Tool!
Curiosity always gets the best of man, and Instagram Stories is where you can actually use it to your benefit. With the help of this hack, you can make your followers go to your posts, which can lead to more engagements.
After selecting what to share on your IG story, select the pen and color of your choice from the draw feature. Now tap anywhere, and hold till the solid color fills the entire screen. Now for the actual hack, select the eraser from the top and erase some portion to give the viewers a glimpse of your post.
Use this method to tease new products or a new post that you want your audience to visit.
Remember: Only erase the solid color from the portion which best describes your post. In this way, you’ll be able to lure more visitors towards it.
Instagram Stories Hack #3 – Lure them to Your Website Using Stickers (Instagram Shopping)
With the increase in the number of businesses on Instagram, it has developed several features to help with the sales as well. Whether you know it or not, Instagram lets you tag your products to help your viewers see details about them, for example, multiple images and prices. Instagram calls this feature Instagram Shopping.
An excellent thing about this feature is that if someone likes your product, Instagram directly sends them to your website where they can make an instant purchase!
Your account must be qualified for Instagram Shopping to add this feature, which is not hard at all!
Once your account is eligible, you can share your products on IG stories with a click-through leading them to your website.
To do this, simply create an IG story, select the add stickers option. Now go to the products option from there, and finally, select the required product from your products catalogue. This simple method will lead many of your potential clients directly to a product that they like, and who knows, they may end up becoming regular customers!
Instagram Stories Hack #4 – Make Cooler Posts with the Drop Shadow Effect
Everyone knows how to change the colors of your text but did you know how to add a shadow to your texts? Hopefully not!
This is how you can do it: Begin by writing the text you want to appear in your story, and tap done. Now type the exact text again, opting for a different color this time. Ensure that the text sizes match, or one is just slightly larger than the other.
Now here’s how the magic happens. Simple move the text over the one you want to appear as the shadow but don’t align them precisely. With the right positioning, you can easily create a drop shadow effect to make your stories pop!
Instagram Stories Hack #5 – Type Fancier with Gradient Colors
With the help of this little IG hack, you can have colorful and friendlier stories for your viewers. You can choose the gradient to match the background or even a rainbow gradient to make your text pop!
Simply type down any text that you want for your Instagram story. Select the colors icon on the top to change your text’s color. Now, tap and hold on to your text to select, and from the colors, press and hold the one you want to start the gradient from. As you swipe through the colors, move the selected portion of your text.
The ones selected will turn into the color of your choice. You can add other add-ons as well, for example, stickers to make your text gradient match with them. But don’t forget to leave the last letter of the text selected and press done to finish.
Instagram Stories Hack #6 –Make Collage of Multiple Images
For this IG stories hack, you will need to have all the images you want to share on the story saved in your camera roll. Then, add the first image on your story by swiping up directly after opening the Instagram stories camera or taking a random IG story, tap on the stickers icon, and select the icon with the ‘plus’ sign to add images from the camera roll. You can add as many images as you want, resize them according to your requirement, add texts, stickers and any other thing you would want to and voila! Your Instagram story collage is ready!
Instagram Stories Hack #7 –Lead Your Followers to Your IGTV Video with a Link
Accounts that are verified or have more than 10,000 followers can place a link (to any site they want) directly on their Instagram story, but for people with less than 10,000 followers, here’s how you can get your audience to your IGTV video:
Create an IGTV video of your desired length. However, make sure that the first few seconds are extremely attractive and attention-grabbing, as this part appears on the story preview.
Now, simply add the link in your IGTV video’s caption and share it on your story. Make sure to write a title that will attract people to click on your IGTV video. You can’t do this with your regular video posts as they aren’t shown as a preview on the Instagram stories.
Instagram Stories Hack #8 – Take Up the Entire Screen with Your Pictures
Although you can add pictures and videos of any size on your Instagram story, you will have to resize and adjust most of them as they won’t cover the whole screen. This is because your content needs to have the dimensions of 1080 px by 1920 px (or the aspect ratio of 9:16) to fill the screen completely. So, try creating content that follows this aspect ratio to give your audience a more immersive experience and win your followers’ hearts!
Those were our 8 Instagram stories hacks that can make your Instagram stories better and more impactful. Do remember that the content you show to your audience also has immense importance. So, produce good quality content, follow our Instagram stories hacks, and get your Instagram account to grow more than ever!