5 Features for Instagram Stories that Increase Engagement

Nobody could have foreseen the exploding popularity of ephemeral content on the platform in 2016 when Instagram introduced Instagram Stories, a feature that copied Snapchat's concept of transient content.

Instagram Stories now has 500 million daily active users just in the last three years.

Instagram Stories' 24-hour lifespan gives users a sense of urgency to watch transient content in order to avoid missing out on something significant. The average daily time spent on Instagram has gone up from 15 to 54 minutes thanks to Instagram Stories.

Simply put, Instagram Stories increase engagement, and many brands are starting to see the value of the platform's transient content.

Any evidence required? According to Business Instagram, 50% of Instagram businesses publish at least one Instagram story each month, businesses account for 13 of the most popular Instagram Stories, and 96% of marketers polled said they intended to keep using Instagram Stories ads to further their objectives. In other words, you don't need the assistance of a digital expert to understand how Instagram Stories contribute to business outcomes.

It's fantastic if you use Instagram Stories for business. However, if you want to get the most out of this content type, look at these 8 Instagram Stories features that increase engagement and examples of how to use them from well-known brands. Let's start now.

5 Instagram Stories features that boost interaction

1. Location-based hashtags and geolocation

Interacting with your target audience and expanding your organic reach are two of the simplest ways to increase engagement. The higher engagement you can achieve, the more people will see your content. Making sure that your Stories are seen by the appropriate audience is crucial because engagement—the degree of user involvement with your content—is measured by engagement.

Thus, 79 percent more engagement results from using geotags and location Instagram hashtags, which increase local discovery. Let's look at how Shake Shack advertises its new location using a geolocation sticker:

What's the best part, you ask? You can reach people outside of your following by using geotags in Instagram Stories, which will help you draw in more customers who are looking for your goods or services. As a result, as long as you reach the right audience, you can expect higher engagement rates.

Thus, 79 percent more engagement results from using geotags and location Instagram hashtags, which increase local discovery. Let's look at how Shake Shack advertises its new location using a geolocation sticker:

What's the best part, you ask? You can reach people outside of your following by using geotags in Instagram Stories, which will help you draw in more customers who are looking for your goods or services. As a result, as long as you reach the right audience, you can expect higher engagement rates.

2. Polls

It makes sense that users would devote 80% of their social media posts to their own thoughts and beliefs since it is in our nature to keep our attention on ourselves.

Modern people are happy to share their opinions with others and are not afraid to express them on social media. As a result, the poll sticker, a single-question poll for Stories, is a fantastic way to engage your audience and spark conversation.

Users who tap the poll have the option to select from two options to express their opinions, and after they've voted, they can see which option is leading, or they can view updated results by watching the Story again later (the poll is available for 24 hours).

Poll stickers increase participation because they give users the opportunity to find out more about the preferences of other customers.

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3. Quiz Sticker

People enjoy taking quizzes because they can test and learn more about themselves, so if you use the quiz sticker, they will be more likely to interact with your brand.

With the help of this sticker, you can ask a question and offer multiple-choice answers (2-4 answer choices). Once users have cast their votes, the "correct" response will be highlighted in green so they can see if they were correct.

There are many uses for the quiz sticker, whether you want to discover more about your followers or determine how well they are familiar with your business. Take Booking.com as an illustration. To put its customers to the test, the business posts hints and includes the quiz sticker. This is how it appears:

By including its logo, Booking.com not only keeps its audience interested but also grows brand recognition.

Use an online graphic design tool like Crello to find stunning Instagram Story templates that fit your brand identity if you want to create similarly eye-catching Stories.

4. Questions

Engaging with your prospective customers is not necessary to build a strong following. Once your target market has your attention, it's critical to put customers at ease and respond to all inquiries.

People learn more about your business and product during this crucial stage of the customer lifecycle to determine whether you can meet their needs.

The answer? Instagram Stories questions

In order to compile frequently asked questions about their business and products for Instagram Stories responses, more and more brands are using the question sticker. Here is how Dunkin' used this tactic:

Modern consumers who are interested in a company's goods or services follow them on social media. When you encourage your followers to ask questions about your business or product, you demonstrate that you value your customers' opinions and invite engagement from your audience. Simply put, it's an additional practical strategy to increase Instagram Stories engagement.

5. Emoji Slider

Instagram first introduced its new Instagram Stories feature, the emoji slider, back in 2018. With this feature, you can make more informed statements and determine the opinions of your followers by dragging an emoji to the left or right. Emoji voting adds an emotional context that motivates users to participate because it involves using them.

This presents a fresh opportunity for brands to engage with their followers and increase engagement. To determine whether its target audience was enthusiastic about the launch, Tommy Hilfiger, for example, used the emoji slider when the company announced its new campaign #TOMMYNOW in Milan, Italy:

Notably, you get to choose the emoji for your question, making it simple to personalize it and make it easier for your followers to understand your tone and respond appropriately. For instance, you could post several images or videos of a brand-new product and ask followers to comment on it using the emoji slider.

Conclusion

Please share this article with your family and friends if you enjoyed it and feel free to ask any questions in the comments section. If you're interested in learning how to unvote in an Instagram poll, check out our article on the topic.