How to Use Instagram Stories to Grow Your Blog

Recently, Instagram unveiled a new featured called Stories, which basically mirrors Snapchat entirely. Two main differences between Snapchat and Instagram Stories are 1. on Stories, you can post any photo you took in the last 24 hours (as opposed to Snapchat, where you can only take new photos) and 2. anyone can look at your Story if your Instagram profile is set to public.

So while the world is figuring out how to use this new feature, I realized that it can be a great way to grow your blog or brand. Over the past several weeks, I've really enjoyed getting to know my favorite bloggers better and see how they're using Stories to grow their brands.

First, an overview of Instagram Stories:

Instagram Stories live up at the top of your home feed. You can see your own Story, and Stories from the people you follow. Tap to view Stories, swipe right or left to see the next Story or skip someone’s Story.

To add something to your Story, tap the new + icon to the left of the Instagram logo on your home screen, or just swipe left. You can either take a photo by tapping the round shutter button, or take a video by pressing and holding the same button. To add a photo taken in the last 24 hours, just swipe down on the camera screen. Add drawings or text by tapping the pen or letter icon, respectively. Tap the check mark button to add to your Story.

You can see who has viewed your Story, block people from seeing Stories if necessary, and add a Story post as a real Instagram post by viewing your own Story up at the top of the screen. 

But now for the important part - how to use Instagram Stories to build your blog:

• Instagram Stories is a great way to humanize your brand, especially on a platform that has become so curated as Instagram. Stories gives your followers a better idea of who you are and how you do things – better than just your super curated feed can, at least. It lets people see the person behind the brand, which is a huge part of personal branding – you have to be accessible to people, while still maintaining your brand guidelines.
• Do you ever take a picture of something that you really like, and you want to post it to your Instagram, but it just doesn’t fit with your feed’s aesthetic? My Instagram is very bright and white, and that works for me, but sometimes I’m in a really cool place that doesn’t happen to have white walls or I want to take a photo of something at night. I don’t want to screw up my carefully curated feed, but it’s a cool picture. Now with Stories, that problem is solved. I can still share it without ruining my vibe.
• Use multimedia like videos and gifs to really add a unique element to your brand and your blog. Use it to show behind the scenes footage of blog posts, DIY projects, recipes, daily outfits, or whatever else you want to write about.

Are you using Instagram Stories?