Instagram remains a top social media platform for sharing photo and video content, with Stories being one of its most popular features.
With Instagram Stories, you can update and engage your followers by sharing a photo or video that will disappear from your profile in 24 hours. You can keep track of who views your Instagram Stories and you can even add a story as an IG story highlight to keep it on your Instagram profile longer.
Many brands post Instagram Stories to connect directly with their audience, and we’re here to show you the best Instagram story size so that your videos and images display properly on the app.
Here are some of the best practices, along with the perfect Instagram story dimensions to help you create professional and compelling Instagram Stories.
What Are the Instagram Story Dimensions?
The Instagram story dimensions are 1080px by 1920px, which is an aspect ratio of 9:16. This means that your IG story video or photo will have to be 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels in height.
The supported Instagram story file formats are PNG, JPG, MP4, and MOV. Your Instagram story images need to be under 30MB in size, and your Instagram story videos need to be under 4GB in size.
Although there are two compatible Instagram video file formats for Stories, MP4 is highly recommended because it is a standard format that is supported by almost all devices.
It’s important to use the correct Instagram story size when posting. If you upload a photo or video to your Instagram story that doesn’t fit the required dimensions, you can risk a loss in quality or have part of your story cropped out.
How Can I Create an Instagram Story?
If you’re looking to add a simple photo or video to your story, all you have to do is film a vertical video or take a vertical photo and tap “Your story” in the top left corner of your Instagram page.
Instagram will give you the option to share your story with all of your followers or share a story with only your Close Friends list. You can also share a post from your Instagram profile or reshare a post from a different Instagram page to feature in your story.
If you want to post compelling Instagram Stories, you can use an application like Snappa to create Instagram Stories for yourself or your business. Choose from a variety of well-designed Instagram story templates, which you can fully customize to fit your branding and Instagram profile aesthetic.
Here is a video that demonstrates how you can create an Instagram story design in less than 5 minutes.
If you already have existing videos that were shot in landscape format (widescreen), you can crop them using a video editing software like CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro. Many video editing programs will let you crop your video to 1080 x 1920 which would fit the proper Instagram story video dimensions.
Instagram Story Tips & Ideas
Instagram Stories are extremely versatile. You can use IG Stories to feature products, promote your brand (personal or corporate), and keep your followers engaged with the latest news and updates.
Here are a few cool things you can add to your Instagram Stories to increase engagement and interact with your followers.
Call-to-Actions by Adding a Link
Many users ask “how do you add a link to your Instagram story?” You can simply tap the sticker tool icon from the menu at the top, select the “Link” sticker and paste in a URL, then position the link button on your story. Instagram will let you customize the text, size, and look of your link sticker.
Sneak Peeks and Behind-the-Scenes
How about a behind-the-scenes look? You can use Instagram Stories to give your followers a glimpse of what’s happening in your everyday life or within your business. Teasers are a great way to build excitement for future content and product releases.
Instagram Story Polls
If you know how to make a poll on Instagram to feature in your story, it will help you boost engagement and get valuable feedback from your followers. To make an Instagram story poll, just tap on the “Poll” sticker from the sticker menu.
Displaying User Generated Content and Brand Features
If you’re trying to keep a certain aesthetic on your main Instagram feed, it probably isn’t the best idea to repost photos or videos from your customers or followers. This is because you won’t have much control over how your customers produce these photos or Instagram videos, but reposting Instagram Stories and testimonials are always a great source of content.
You can showcase photos and videos that users share about your product without affecting the look of your Instagram feed. You might even make their day by reposting their content!
Instagram Story Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some of the Instagram story mistakes you should avoid before sharing your first IG story.
Long and Redundant Stories
For Instagram Stories, the maximum video length is 60 seconds. However, you can post as many Stories as you’d like. The key is to avoid the swipe away when a follower skips through your entire story. To minimize this, try keeping your Instagram Stories short and concise.
Too Much Promotion
Just like on any other social media platform, avoid over-promoting your business or brand. If you’ve ever watched Gary Vaynerchuk, you would know that he is all about the jab, jab, right hook. This basically means that your content should provide some form of value before hitting your followers with a promotion or call-to-action.
Excessive Text
Many active Instagram users are visual learners, so if you plan on adding text to your Instagram story, keep it straightforward and intentional. The last thing anyone wants to see is a wall of text on their social timelines, so once again, be concise in your wording and make sure your content is engaging and valuable to viewers.
Irrelevant Instagram Story Hashtags
A neat feature with Instagram Stories is the ability to use hashtags that will help users across the platform discover your content. Just make sure to avoid using too many hashtags or hashtags that are irrelevant to your content or Instagram profile.
For maximum effectiveness, add a few story hashtags where it makes sense and create some type of value for discovery. We’ve written a full guide on using Instagram hashtags and many of these principles apply to Instagram Stories as well.
Best Instagram Story Examples from Brands
Now it’s time for some visual inspiration! Here are a few brands that do an excellent job of using Instagram Stories to their advantage.
1. Nike
Nike uses Instagram Stories to promote new releases, give followers a detailed look at products, and create more engagement with a call-to-action. They also use a clean and simple Instagram profile picture to avoid any distraction from their story content.
If you’re looking for a way to build your Instagram engagement, check out this detailed guide on how you can gain more followers organically.
2. Wix
Wix uses Instagram Stories to feature user-generated content (UGC) of creators using their platform. This is a smart way for them to showcase useful features, teach followers new tricks, and encourage users to give their website builder a try.
3. Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz team does a great job at using Instagram story polls and other interactive stickers to engage their followers. Their strategic use of Instagram Stories and polls keeps their followers in the loop and encourages them to interact with their story content more often.
Final Thoughts
Should you stop posting regularly on Instagram and just post Instagram stories? No.
Instagram Stories are an additional feature that can help you connect with followers and increase engagement. It’s a great tool for creating brand awareness, providing an easy way to include call-to-actions. By adding links to your Instagram Stories, you can direct your audience to a specific place or to take a specific action.
Remember to use the proper Instagram story dimensions of 1080 x 1920 so that you can achieve the best quality IG Stories. This will ensure that Instagram doesn’t crop or distort your visuals. These dimensions work the same for Instagram story ads too!
Use Snappa’s free Instagram story maker to get started in less than 5 minutes!
Be creative, be unique, be personable, and you will see positive results using Instagram Stories!
