Indeed, some would say that Instagram Stories is a “copy” of Snapchat. The content consists of videos or images shown with a maximum viewing time of 10 seconds, only available for 24 hours. All these can be edited by adding text, emoticons, stickers, etc.
Although they may seem similar, Instagram Stories and Snapchat do not function in the same way. The main features are the same, but the tools are quite different.
When it seemed that 2016 was going to be The Year of Snapchat, Instagram arrived and on August 2, launched its Stories just in time to catch up with the social media platform of the moment. To what extent will Instagram Stories continue to evolve in order to retain users, snatch its competitor’s members and increase its popularity? Only time will tell.
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And what do brands use? Some brands are very active on Snapchat, and have not yet published anything on Instagram Stories. There are some that have begun to replicate in Instagram Stories what they have previously done in Snapchat. And lastly, there are some who have never used Snapchat, but have started to be active in Instagram Stories.
In any case, Instagram Stories is here to stay. While you’re exploring all of its possibilities, you are also welcome to sign up for a free trial of Simplygram. If you are serious about growing your account organically and gaining 30,000 Instagram followers in under a year, this Instagram growth service is perfect for you. And to help you maximize your use of IG Stories, here are some tips and features I thought you should know:
Not only can you publish the images and videos that you capture real time, you can also post media that has already been saved in your gallery. To do this, you just need to swipe down on your Instagram Stories home screen, and you will see the photos and videos you have made in the last 24 hours. This includes creations from your Boomerang or Hyperlapse apps. How about a photo that you’ve taken a very long time ago? Take a screenshot using your mobile so that it appears as a recent item, then you can use it for your stories. You posted on Snapchat and want to use that as an Instagram story? Save your Snapchat story on your mobile and select it from your gallery once you go into IG Stories. It’s that simple.
When you view content on Instagram Stories, you can stop the video or see the photo by simply pressing your finger onto the screen. If the profile has published several photos or videos, and you want to go back to see the previous content again, just tap on the left side of the screen. If you want to move faster, press anywhere on the screen (except on the left) to move to the next image. And if you want to stop watching the story, click on the “X” icon on the upper right hand corner. It will close Instagram Stories. Or, you can always move your finger from left to right on the screen. This will open the stories published by the next user. The stripes at the top of the screen will show you the length of each story.
You have two options in this regard: 1) To be selective in each story. When you have published the content, click on the three points on the lower right hand corner and in the “History Settings” menu, you can select who you want to hide the story from. You can also decide who can respond to your story with a message. It could be everyone, only the people you follow or nobody. 2) To configure all your Instagram Stories in general. Go to the “Settings” tab of your profile and in the “History settings” option, proceed to mark your preferences.
When you press the pencil icon, the circles with the available colors are displayed at the bottom of the screen. If you hold your finger on the color, it will give you the option to change the hue to your liking.
On the lower left hand corner of the same place where you have your color options, there is a circle with three points. When you click on it, a vertical line will be displayed. If you go up or down over it, you can choose the thickness of the lines for drawing. Remember that you have three types of strokes, and one of them comes with a phosphorite effect.
You can open your story and move your finger up on the screen. The names and avatars will appear. And beware! Remember that when you view a story, the person who posted it will be able to know that you viewed their story.
Move you finger from left to right, or from right to left on the screen. You will see color filters, black and white options, and so on. There are seven in total.
You can also share your story as a conventional post. Just click on the three buttons on the lower right hand corner, and choose “Share as a Publication”. Of course, you will have to crop the image. You can also save the story on your mobile.
With that said, you can decide on using both apps, but it looks like Instagram Stories has taken the lead. If your main goal is to grow your business and become Instagram famous, you can also check out Simplygram.com where you can sign up for a free trial of our Instagram growth service to help you find your way.