500 million users watch Instagram Stories daily, and over 200 million users visit a business account at least once a day.
Also, 58% of IG users are more interested in brands that post Stories. Do you see where we’re going?
Instagram Stories are a great tool to connect with your followers authentically, but it’s important to make them look professional and branded.
That’s where Instagram Story templates come to play; you can save time by using ready-made templates to share Stories that’ll leave your viewers speechless.
So, if you’d like to see Instagram Story template ideas to use for your brand, keep reading this article.
3 Instagram Story Templates
Instagram has in-app Story templates you can use to create quality content for your brand. Here are the most popular ones.
1. This or That Story Templates
This template is great for connecting with your audience on a personal level.
The template allows you to put two options against each other and let your viewers pick one of them.
Then, you can ask your audience to share their choice on an IG Story and tag your brand.
2. AMA Instagram Story Templates
AMA is short for “ask me anything,” which means that by using this template design, you can ask your followers a question. And then you’ll get their responses.
This will encourage your viewers to increase engagement.
You can also share some of your viewers’ answers to your Story.
3. Quotes Instagram Story Templates
This theme works really well for personal brands, coaches, and consultants.
You can inspire your audience by sharing motivational quotes on your Instagram Stories. This will help form a bond with them, and you might even make great connections.
Instagram Story Template Dimensions
The dimensions for an Instagram Story are 1080px X 1920px, which is equivalent to an aspect ratio of 9:16. And the Story shouldn’t exceed 30 MB in size.
To share a video to your Instagram Story, it must have the same dimensions, but the size limit needs to be below 4 GB.
If your Instagram Story doesn’t have the correct dimensions, Instagram will crop it. This will lower the quality of the graphic and make your brand seem amateurish.
Instagram Story Template Apps
Many apps in the market offer Instagram Stories templates to save you time and money. Here’s a list of the commonly used ones.
Adobe Express – Free
Adobe Express, formerly known as Adobe Spark, has many free Instagram templates that can help you start creating content for your Stories.
What’s more, you can edit your Instagram Story template in its built-in photo editor to make the design adhere to your brand’s style.
Easil – Free & Paid
Easil is an app that has free and paid versions. The free plan is pretty sufficient because it has over 2,500 Story templates to choose from.
But if you want other features like downloading Stories in popular formats, you need to get one of its paid subscription plans.
Adobe Photoshop – Paid
Photoshop can help you create your own Instagram Story template. However, using it is slightly complicated for a non-designer.
But if you have an in-house graphic designer, this app will help them pour their creative juices and create beautiful Instagram Stories.
However, there’s no free plan, so you need to pay for the app.
Mojo – Free & Paid
If you’re looking for a dynamic Instagram Story template, Mojo is the one.
This app gives you the ability to customize your template and make it engaging.
For example, you can add text effects or music.
The app’s free plan gives you several templates to try, and the paid plans give you extra features like adding brand colors.
Unfold – Free & Paid
If you want an app to download on your phone, Unfold is a good option.
It’s a huge library that contains Instagram Story templates and other designs.
The app has a free plan with basic templates and a paid one that has tons of creative ones.
GoDaddy Studio – Free & Paid
GoDaddy is known for selling domains and website hosting. But who would’ve guessed that it creates stunning templates, too?
It offers a free plan for basic Instagram Stories templates, but expect lots of upselling to get you to buy their other services.
Why Do Instagram Stories Matter for Brands?
Not many brands use Instagram Stories even though they can be a great opportunity to authentically connect with their audience.
This is because people want to feel like they’re connecting to other humans, not brands.
So if you showcase your brand’s imperfect behind-the-scenes, you might win a loyal following.
That’s why including Instagram Stories in your social media marketing strategy is important.
There are other benefits to Instagram Stories, which we’ll delve into below.
Increase Reach
Instagram rewards accounts that are consistently active.
So the more you post Stories daily, the more likely your followers will see them.
Plus, you get to target different demographics when you post Stories at various times throughout the day.
Outpace Your Competitors
Instagram Stories aren’t utilized enough for brands.
Luckily, this means that they aren’t fully saturated yet, so don’t miss out on them!
You can save time by creating Instagram templates that can be repurposed. Then, create content that’ll grab your audience’s attention. This way, you’ll stand out from the crowd.
Encourage People to Buy Your Product
If you try to share URLs on Instagram posts, the links won’t form because the platform doesn’t allow them. However, that’s not the case with Instagram Stories.
So if you want to sell a product or drive traffic to your blog post, you can share a link on your Stories.
For instance, if you’re a coach who sells an info-product, you can post a Story that solves a pain point of your target audience. Then, add a CTA with your course link.
Another idea is to share a lead magnet on your Story to generate leads for your business.
Tips to Make Awesome Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are a great way to promote your brand and drive engagement. Here are some tips for creating branded Stories.
Don’t Go Beyond the Outlines
Instagram Stories have parameters and outlines that you mustn’t go beyond to improve your audience’s engagement.
For example, the top section of your Story is where your username lies. So if it’s covered, your viewers will be less likely to recognize your brand.
Instagram automatically tells you if you added texts or graphics beyond the outlines. But if the visual was made by a third-party app, you have to ensure it’s within the lines on your own.
So, as a rule of thumb, keep all texts and design elements 250 pixels away from the top and bottom of the Story.
Use Instagram’s Design Assets
Instagram has numerous design assets that can help you create engaging Stories, so make use of them.
For example, you can add text on top of your visual to communicate with your audience.
Also, here’s a hack for free market research. You can use the poll feature in your Stories to ask a question and get feedback from your audience.
It’s also important to note that when your Instagram Stories are native to the platform, people will be more likely to want to see them. So try fun fonts or design elements like text-shadow.
Post Stories Regularly
This one seems like a no-brainer, but many people seem to miss it.
Posting regularly on your Instagram Story will help boost your brand’s reach and engagement.
Ideally, you want to post Stories at least two times daily. This way, you’re more likely to reach people in different time zones.
Posting consistently is going to be frustrating at first, especially when you feel like no one is watching your Stories.
But over time, you’ll start to reap the benefits and grow your brand.
Stay On Brand
When it comes to growing a brand on Instagram, every post, visual, and element needs to stay on brand, including your brand’s Instagram profile and Stories.
In other words, you want to use your brand’s logo, style, fonts, and color codes and keep a consistent aesthetic.
Because if you change any of these elements to something that doesn’t reflect your brand, your social media presence won’t be memorable.
This means that your audience won’t associate a certain image with you.
Remember that brand consistency is key.
Instagram Story Mistakes to Avoid
Almost every brand that starts to grow its presence on Instagram makes a couple of mistakes. It’s a normal part of the journey.
But you can fast-track growing your brand’s account by learning about the common IG Story mistakes. That’s why we’ve listed them out below.
Don’t Fill Your Story With Text
Since most social media users have a short attention span, they might not be able to read lengthy or numerous texts at once.
Besides, Instagram Stories are limited to 15 seconds. So instead of adding unnecessary text, keep sentences short and concise.
Don’t Make Stories Long
As mentioned, most social media users are starting to develop short attention spans, especially with short-form content being on the rise.
So making your Stories too long might guarantee your audience to swipe away.
Instead of long Stories, try to share Stories that are short, engaging, and straight to the point.
Don’t Over-Promote
It’s okay to promote your product or offer on Instagram Stories. But overdoing it might hurt your brand.
Instead, try to provide your viewers with value or entertainment first. Then, add a call-to-action at the end of your Story to promote your product.
In other words, try to avoid hard selling.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we provided you with templates to make your Instagram Stories stand out as well as some tips to make them stay on brand.
For instance, posting consistently will increase your reach and help your brand grow more quickly.
So try to jump on the Instagram Story bandwagon before the competition gets tougher.
