Instagram Stories are an AMAZING way to show up as an influencer and connect with your audience. They’re so easy to create and make it easy to stay engaged with your followers. That might leave you wondering how to increase Story views on Instagram.
Lucky for you, there are plenty of ways to increase views that don’t require a ton of work on your part!
That’s exactly what we’ll be diving into throughout this post.
As a full-time influencer, I know how frustrating it can be to keep followers engaged, especially when Instagram is constantly changing.
When you’re done with this blog, you should read:
- How to Gain Instagram Followers Organically
- How to Write Engaging Instagram Captions
- How the Instagram Algorithm Works and How to Beat It
Written by influencer coach Dani The Explorer
The Must-Knows to Get More Views on Instagram Stories
So let’s start things off by answering some super important questions about this feature. Then, we’ll get straight into how to increase views.
How Stories Can Increase Overall Engagement
How would Stories impact your overall profile engagement?
Instagram Stories are less about perfection and more about just showing up. Your audience most likely isn’t expecting your Stories to be a giant production.
They just want to see what you’re up to! With the nature of Instagram Stories—easy to create, low stress—they can be a way for your audience to get to know the real you and see the behind-the-scenes of your profile.
These help you build a strong relationship with your followers! When you focus on building a solid relationship with your Instagram community, you will naturally start to increase your overall engagement! Think of it as a trickle-down effect.
That’s why I always tell my Instagram influencer course students that when in doubt, create Stories.
Build a relationship with your audience >> they care more about you >> they want to see more of what you’re up to >> you make more posts >> because they care, they engage!
While this seems like a simple concept to grasp, it is sourly missed by tons of beginner influencers. And guess what? Engaging Stories can earn you money too!
Let’s discuss how.
How Stories Can Earn You Money
With the trickle-down effect we just described, it should also be noted that when you’re looking to work with brands on Instagram, you’ll find that brands typically want to work with influencers who have a strong connection with their audience.
An easy way for brands to gauge your relationship with your audience is with engagement rate. When you have a higher engagement rate, you can charge more for your Instagram services. In other words:
Higher Engagement & Views = More Desirable Ad Space for Brands = More Money for Influencers
And a higher engagement rate should be ALL OVER your influencer media kit template!
Media kits are an easy way for influencers like you to communicate their value to dream sponsors.
When you have a rock solid media kit that shows off your worth, brands are more likely to hire you for paid campaigns.
But Are Instagram Story Views Down?
This is something I see creators talk about a LOT. “Ahhhhhhh—does anyone know how to get more views on your Instagram Story? HELPPPPPP!”
Okay, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, but I have seen a lot of influencers think that their Stories must be “shadowbanned” because views are down.
This simply isn’t true! Social media metrics fluctuate ALL the time, and that’s mostly out of your control.
To reiterate, Instagram features such as Instagram Stories are subject to variables like:
- The Instagram algorithm
- User activity
- The option to Boost or create ads
- Changes to the feature itself
- The addition of entirely new Instagram features
Every single Instagram feature (Posts, Reels, Stories, Explore Page, etc.) operates on its own algorithm. Furthermore, these algorithms are constantly changing to provide users with more content they enjoy!
All of the tips we will discuss can help you get more Story views on Instagram without adding a ton of work on your plate!
Read Next: How to Beat the Instagram Algorithm & How it Works
9 Tips to Get More Story Views on Instagram
#1 Use Structure
“Structure” refers to creating a sort of routine around your Stories.
For example, if you’re not great at creating Stories on the cusp, it might be beneficial to make a plan around when you share specific content.
Let’s talk about this further.
If you are a fashion influencer, for example, your Story structure might look like this:
- Monday—Photoshoot BTS from the weekend
- Tuesday—Outfit of the day + links
- Wednesday—”Wear This Wednesday,” Sharing multiple slides of outfit inspiration
- Thursday—A day in your life + Q&A
- Friday—”Friday Faves,” Sharing a bunch of things you love
Structure helps you better plan your content to remain consistent, a significant key for increasing Story views on Instagram.
It will also get your audience into a routine on your profile. This can create anticipation for specific kinds of content, making your followers eager to hear more from you.
You can do this by creating a Storyboard.
Below you can see a quick Storyboard example I’ve done for a paid Instagram sponsorship.
A Storyboard would mean creating your Instagram Story slides ahead of time (like the day before you’re going to post them) and “lining them up” to make sure you’re happy with the order of them.
I don’t use any crazy apps to pull this off, just Google Docs or Apple Notes.
#2 Use Text
If you read my tips for beating the Instagram algorithm, then you’ll recall that the amount of time a user spends on your content can help you majorly boost your engagement.
This concept applies to how to get Story views on Instagram too!
A great way to make your followers spend more time on your Instagram Stories is by using text. If you use text appropriately, it may prompt a user to stop and hold down on your Story slide so they can read what you typed out.
This stop and hold action = more time spent on your Story = a signal to the algorithm that your content is essential = your Stories being pushed to more followers = more views for you!
With the release of Instagram Search, there may also be opportunities in the future for your Stories to become search discoverable based on keywords you type out in them. We’ll see what happens there!
Read Next: How to Write Engaging Instagram Captions
#3 Skip Hashtags
In the past, I’ve noticed that I get quite a few Instagram Story views from folks searching hashtags.
This worked because Instagram hashtag pages would have a Story section that included alllllll the Story slides mentioning said hashtag.
For example, if you put #makeup on your Story, then searched #makeup on Instagram, you would see your Story on the #makeup search results.
However, more recently, this feature was removed entirely from IG. They’re just a time suck now.
Therefore, I find it pointless to include hashtags on your Stories unless they’re for a specific purpose like an ad campaign.
Read Next: How to Make Money as a Content Creator—Even with Under 5,000 Followers
#4 Post in Increments
This is where Instagram Analytics comes in handy. People can’t view and engage with your Instagram Stories if they aren’t seeing them!
Therefore, when considering how to increase views on Instagram Story, make sure that you keep an eye on those analytics and post when your ideal audience is online.
To take this further, I suggest posting IG Stories in increments.
For example, let’s say you head to your insights and see that your audience is usually online between 9am and 12pm. So, rather than post all of your IG Story slides at 9am, aim to post them in one-hour increments.
In this case, that could mean posting 2 slides at 9am, 3 slides at 10am, 1 slide at 11am, and 2 more slides at 12pm.
The reason for this is simply the nature of Stories. Instagram Stories sit at the top of our newsfeeds, and once a viewer looks at them, they go away.
So to consistently pop up at the front of the Instagram Storyline, your best bet is to spread out when you post them!
Influencer Must-Read: How Much to Charge for Sponsored Instagram Posts
#5 Use Stickers (Easy Way to Get More Story Views on Instagram)
One of my favorite things on long driving days is a Q&A with my audience or a quiz!
You can do either of these using the Instagram Story stickers, making it easy to allow your audience to engage with you. As a matter of fact, Instagram stickers have helped me DOUBLE my Instagram Story views.
Here are the Instagram Story stickers I find most helpful:
- Questions—I love using the Questions sticker to do fun things like Q&As, Show Me a Photo Of, Juicy Confessions, and more! The opportunities for how to get Instagram Story views are literally endless with this Story sticker.
- Quizzes—Quizzes have also become a fun way to get people engaged with you. You can find out how much your audience knows about you, about the location you are in, or just about something random and fun.
- Links—This one is pretty obvious, but links allow you to share resources you love with your audience!
- Polls—Polls are SO fun. I mean, you can create a poll on just about anything with the Poll sticker! Some of my favorite Stories are This or That polls.
- Add Yours—Add Yours is a great way to start a Story view chain. We’ll get more into that in the next section.
Stickers are a great way to make sponsored Stories fun and engaging too!
And when you have engaging Stories, that’s something brand sponsors LOVE to see.
Hint: if you’re a new influencer hoping to land paid deals, you might want to consider pitching brands on sponsored Stories.
#6 Make Them Shareable
Shareable content is a great way to get exposure to new audiences on Instagram and signal to the Instagram algorithm that your content is important, therefore, “worthy” of more eyeballs.
Therefore, shareable content is something to consider when thinking about how to get more views on Instagram Story.
An easy way to create shareable Stories is to take advantage of features like the Add Yours sticker.
With the Add Yours sticker, you have the option of jumping on a content share train that will potentially be viewed by thousands of new eyeballs.
So I suggest that you put your content in the mix the next time you see an Add Yours sticker!
Elite Daily wrote up a great little post on using the Add Yours sticker to up your Story game.
Here are some shareable ideas for ya:
- Use structure to create a Story series that followers might share with their friends.
- Use text to type up your favorite quotes or an inspirational message that others share.
- Use stickers to do something fun like a juicy poll. Share any unexpected poll results, which might prompt someone to share the results too!
Read Next: How to Gain Instagram Followers Organically
#7 Mix Up the Content
Keep things interesting! An excellent way to increase Story views on Instagram is to share different content on your Stories.
In other words, recycle what you have! For example, viral Reels you’ve posted, photos, and selfie videos are all great places to start!
Sometimes our Instagram Story views can stagnate from us doing the same things repeatedly. Switch it up!
I also recommend downloading some aesthetic photo editing apps to make your Stories more interesting!
#8 Engage Back in the DMs
When your followers have something to say about your Story, they’ll typically reply with a DM.
Engage back! This is a little tip I tell students in my Instagram influencer course!
Admit it; we all love it when our favorite blogger or Instagrammer gets back to us with a witty or even quick response. If you want more Instagram Story views and people to engage with you, you need to engage back!
Don’t leave people hanging with a million little messages in your DMs. When you don’t respond to people, well, they will stop responding and engaging with your Stories.
With DMs, you get the chance to get a little more personal with people. I know it’s a lot of work, but for the most part, responding to those DMs makes your audience feel seen.
Engaging is a great way to get more Story views on Instagram!
Read Next: How to Turn a Gifted Collab Into a Paid Partnership
#9 Keep Stories Short (New Way to Get More Story Views on Instagram)
Instagram recently released a feature that shows users “previews” of Stories. This feature is still in testing, but who knows if it’ll stick around.
Regardless, my recommendation would be to prepare for it to come out. With the preview feature, users can only see the first 5 slides of your Instagram Story.
If a viewer wants to see the other slides, they’ll have to click a “See More” button. So…try to keep your Stories 5 slides max!
This can change in the future, but for now, post fewer Stories for them to have their best shot at getting views!
Next Steps
I hope this blog gave you some insights on how to get more Story views on Instagram!
Instagram Stories will always be a fantastic way for your audience to get involved and feel connected to you, and a supplemental way to grow your following.
But your work isn’t done yet—read these posts to continue building your influencer career:
