{"id":5230,"date":"2019-10-29T06:38:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T06:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=5230"},"modified":"2022-10-17T13:12:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T11:12:54","slug":"what-are-instagram-stories-and-why-are-they-so-powerful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/what-are-instagram-stories-and-why-are-they-so-powerful\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Instagram stories and why are they so powerful?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_3-1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-image align_center\"><div class=\"w-image-h\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"493\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia20-e1572273488589.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing - Instagram stories\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia20-e1572273488589.jpg 700w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia20-e1572273488589-600x423.jpg 600w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia20-e1572273488589-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/DSM_Infographics_SocialMedia20-e1572273488589-284x200.jpg 284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>The concept behind <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/how-to-build-your-personal-brand-on-instagram-and-facebook\/\">Instagram<\/a> Stories is simple. The objective was to allow people to share \u201cmoments\u201d of their day swiftly as well as with ease. These updates could be in the structure of a series of photos or, alternatively, videos. After you\u2019ve shared everything that you put together for your Story, it will become a slideshow on Instagram which stays on your account for 24 hours and then vanishes.<\/p>\n<p>The best part is that Instagram Stories are featured at the top of your followers\u2019 home feed. When you add another element to your Story, you\u2019re put to the front of the line. In addition, Instagram posts a little reminder in the feed about Stories which are about to expire or that have been the most popular. This means that your followers have another nudge to watch your Story before it disappears.<\/p>\n<p>Stories were launched in August 2016. At the current moment, more than 500 million Instagrammers utilise stories on a daily basis. Every day, more than 200 million people view Instagram Stories. This has surpassed SnapChat, which makes Instagram one of the fastest-growing platforms in the history of social media. (Just as an aside, Snapchat\u2019s user experience was clunky and difficult to master. This is a downfall that led to many users completely abandoning the app in favour of a platform they were comfortable using.)<\/p>\n<p>What does this mean for you as well as your <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/becoming-skilled-in-social-media-marketing-is-absolutely-necessary-today\/\">social media marketing<\/a>? There are huge numbers of eyeballs already on the platform which means that these people will be viewing your digital marketing as well if you choose to be on the platform. If you\u2019ve ever thought about experimenting with stories to boost the reach or engagement of your social media marketing, now is the perfect time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Vimeo video player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/286317331?autoplay=0&loop=0&autopause=0&color=00adef&portrait=0&byline=1&title=1&controls=1&muted=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\" allowfullscreen loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h2><strong>Instagram stories will get you noticed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It is now possible for you to add hashtags to your IG stories. If you\u2019re new to the world of social media marketing \u2013 and even newer to the concept of a hashtag \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/what-is-hashtag-how-to-use-it\/\">read this article<\/a> to find out what a hashtag is and how you can benefit from it. The cool thing about this new addition is that when someone is searching through a hashtag, your Instagram stories that have this same hashtag appear at the top of their feed which makes you and your brand even more discoverable.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Instagram Stories are a valuable part of SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you have over 10 000+ followers, there\u2019s a \u2018swipe up\u2019 option inside your Instagram Stories which enables you to include an outbound link. With this feature you can, for example, send someone directly to your website, shop item or blog article. However, if your Instagram following hasn\u2019t reached these heights yet, don\u2019t feel disheartened because when Instagram first released this feature it was only for those with over 1 million followers and has been quickly dropping.<\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t add links to your Instagram stories, you can add multiple links into your Instagram bio. To determine if you have this feature available to you, there\u2019ll be a little \u2018link\/paperclip\u2019 icon at the top screen which allows you to add a URL off to another source, for example, the recipe for those delicious cupcakes you just baked!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Tag people to grow your Instagram community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Tagging other people in your Instagram Stories makes them feel that they are valued. In addition, this\u00a0 strengthens your relationships with them \u2013 and even starts new ones! By showing people \u2018what you\u2019re working on\u2019 and giving them \u2018sneak peaks\u2019 of what\u2019s happening behind the scenes of your company gives a sense of exclusivity. Everyone loves to feel like they\u2019re special. By doing this, you\u2019re also creating a bit of hype behind what you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/contact-us\/\">Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Want to become a whizz kid with social media? <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\">Check out<\/a> our Social Media Marketing Course for more information.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-761 size-shop_single\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DSM_Footer06-600x96.jpg\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing Social media marketing course registration\" width=\"600\" height=\"96\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_justify\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_2\" href=\"#enquiry\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Enquire Today<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Blog Categories<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/cyber-security-blog\/\">Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/graphic-design-blog\/\">Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/blog\/public-relations\/\">Public Relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/blog\/seo\/\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/social-media-marketing\/\">Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/web-design-blog\/\">Web Design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">You might also like<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"w-html\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/zero-moment-of-truth-benefit-social-media-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Use the Zero Moment of Truth to Benefit your Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/your-complete-guide-to-ppc-marketing-basic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Your Complete Guide to PPC Marketing Basics. Find out more.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/you-can-convey-a-lot-of-meaning-with-just-one-graphic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">You Can Convey a Lot Of Meaning With Just One Graphic<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/would-you-make-a-great-marketing-manager\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Would you make a great marketing manager?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-with-bona-magazine-and-the-digital-school-of-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win with Bona Magazine and the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-a-digital-marketing-course-valued-at-r12-000\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win a Digital Marketing Course Valued at  R12 000<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Top Selling COurses<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-digital-marketing-course\/\">Advanced Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Social media marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-brand-management-course\/\">Brand Management<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/courses\/graphic-design-course\/\">Basic Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-6\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-graphic-design-course\/\">Advanced Graphic design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-7\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising\/\">National Certificate of Advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-8\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-diploma-of-copywriting-course\/\">National Diploma of Copyrighting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Youtube video player\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aJ3DRHoWYyY?autoplay=0&controls=1&origin=https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za&loop=0&mute=0\" allowfullscreen=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[263],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media-marketing-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}