In short, yes.

When Instagram first released ‘Stories’, 15 second, somewhat interactive photo or video clips that disappear after 24 hours, there was outrage. People thought they’d just copied Snapchat (which they did) and swore never to use them. Fast forward 4 years (omg has it really been that long?!) and Instagram stories have cannibalised Snapchat. Snapchat couldn’t compete with the convenience of being integrated with an app people already loved using, and the filters and interactivity of Instagram stories soon outstripped that of Snapchat.

So why do they matter?

Well you’re typically going to find most of your page growth comes from the posts you publish to the feed. This is where people are likely to tag their friends. People discover you through your posts, either in the ‘Explore’ section of Instagram or via hashtags. But they don’t come back and check in on your profile grid daily, they do however watch your stories.

Think about your own use of Instagram, what do you do first? Do you tap through the stories at the top or scroll the feed? I’m going to guess most of you check in to see what your favourite story posters have been up to, especially seeing as there is a small sense of urgency because the content refreshes every 24 hours, after all you don’t want to miss something. And you’re not alone, 80% of all active users on Instagram are watching stories daily.

So whilst your growth might come from feed posts, your reach and retention will come from stories.

What about engagement?

We all know Instagram is about engagement. More engagement on your content = more reach for you. These days Instagram is about far more than the pretty picture, it’s about building genuine connections with people.

On your feed posts you get likes, comments, shares and saves but stories often prompt direct messages, and this is the holy grail of Instagram engagement because you’re genuinely starting to build relationships with people. If you’re lucky enough to get bombarded with messages, this can seem like a bit of a pain, but it’s worth investing the time, as the people you chat to will start to become advocates for your band.

If you don’t get bombarded with messages, and it’s crickets every time you post a story, don’t worry! You’re just getting started. Keep plugging away, posting your stories and asking people questions that they can respond to.

It's also important to make sure you’re engaging with other people. If you see someone’s story that you like, or have a *respectful* opinion on, share that with them! Think of the kick you’d get out of it when someone replies to your story, you’re giving them the same feeling. Who knows, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship!

What is the right balance and what should you post?

We recommend posting 3-4 high quality feed posts per week with daily stories. Getting started can seem daunting, but the more you do it the easier it becomes.

You may find yourself wondering what to post on your stories, the beauty of it is there are no rules. When you consider the stories you watch, what do you like and what do you skip? Use this as a starting point and keep learning and adapting based on what you see working and what you see accounts you love doing.

We are also big advocates for showing your face on camera if it’s appropriate for your brand. It gives your followers a chance to get to know you and the person behind the brand and people connect with people, not brands.

What’s your biggest hurdle with Instagram stories, join us over @promotesocial.media and DM us to let us know.