How to Measure Results on Instagram Stories

Key points of Instagram Stories

• Instagram Stories is a format in which users post content that is only available for 24 hours.
• Instagram stories are a great way to share more spontaneous and less produced content, allowing brands to connect with their audiences in a more genuine way.
• The key to being successful with Instagram stories is to be authentic and keep your audience at the center of what you do.

Types of post formats on Instagram

Since its launch in 2010, the Instagram team has constantly adapted to offer users new ways to generate content within the app and to provide its audience a more complete and varied experience. Currently, these are the formats available within the application:

1. Images or photos: photos are the most common post format on Instagram. The application allows sharing still images in the Instagram feed, which can be square, horizontal or vertical;filters, text, and location can be added to the post.
2. Reels: videos are another popular format on Instagram. Since July 2022, the platform announced that all video posts would be converted into Reels. Instagram Reels is a feature that allows people to create and share short videos of up to 90 seconds with multiple shots, background music, effects, and more. This option works very similar to TikTok. Reels are located in a separate section at the top of the Instagram profile. Read also: Instagram Reels or TikTok: which is better for your brand?
3. Carousel: carousels offer the ability to upload up to 10 photos or videos in a single feed post. This format, which happens to be well favored by Instagram’s algorithm, allows for more comprehensive and interactive content to be shared in the news feed  with followers, as they can swipe through the carousel to see the details of the content.
4. Instagram Live: this is a live video feature that allows people or brands to broadcast in real time to their followers. Users can interact with the poster  during the broadcast through comments and reactions. They are widely used by brands and influencers, for example, to make product launches and show in detail the benefits of a product . Also in the fashion industry, when there are fashion shows or new collection launches, they are often a very useful tool to show the public firsthand what is happening and motivate sales.
5. Instagram Stories: the Instagram Stories format refers to temporary publications that disappear after 24 hours. Instagram Stories can be images, videos, polls, surveys, quizzes, and more. They are  ideal for influencers who want to share some moments of the day, their daily activities, or feel closer to their audience.
6. Guides: Guides is a feature that allows users to share recommendations and tips in a longer and more detailed way. It is useful for sharing travel guides, wellness tips, tutorials, and more.
7. Shopping posts: if you have a company or creator profile and have your catalog linked to Instagram, you can tag products directly in your posts, making it easier for users to purchase products directly from the app.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can be measured in each Instagram post format

In each publication format it is possible to measure different KPIs; however, the metrics you establish for your marketing campaign will depend on your company’s objectives. Here we share with you some key performance indicators:

Images posts

• Likes
• Comments
• Interaction rate and conversion rate
• Shares  (number of times the post has been shared)
• Saves (how many people saved your post)
• Reach and impressions (how many people saw your post)
• Interactions
• Clicks on the link button in the bio.

Reels:

• Plays (how many times your video was played)
• Completion rate
• Likes
• Comments
• Shares

Carousel:

• Likes
• Comments
• Shares
• Saves
• Outreach and impressions

Instagram Live:

• Live assistants
• Comments during the broadcast
• Likes during the broadcast
• Average viewing duration

Instagram Stories:

• Responses to the story shared
• Clicks on links
• Story exits (how many people stopped watching in the middle of your story)
• Reach and impressions
• Completion rate

Guides:

• Views
• Sharing

Publicaciones de compras:

• Product clicks
• Purchases (if trackable through an e-commerce system)
• Likes
• Comments
• Shares
• Saves

You might be interested in: Instagram’s stats for 2023.

What are Instagram Stories ?

As we mentioned before, Instagram stories  is a format in which the user publishes content that will only be available for 24 hours. These posts are displayed at the top of the Instagram home page in a horizontal bar format and are not saved in the user’s main feed, although they can be saved in the profile’s “Featured” section if desired.

Thanks to their ease of use, Instagram stories are an excellent strategy for sharing more spontaneous and less produced content and thus offer  an effective way to interact with followers in a more informal and frequent way. Stories can include text with different fonts, stickers, GIFs, music, etc. One  can also conduct polls, ask for opinions through questions, make questionnaires, and more.

How can I view Instagram stories?

To view Instagram stories, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Instagram app on your cell phone with internet access and log in to your Instagram account.
2. Once you are in your home feed, you will see a row of circles at the top of the screen with the users’ profile pictures. Each circle represents the stories of the people you follow.
3. Click on the story you want to view. The story will automatically play, and if the person has posted several, one  will appear  after another.
4. If you want to reply to an Instagram Story, you can do so through the “Send message” option at the bottom of the screen while viewing the story.
5. To exit Stories, simply swipe down or press the back button on your phone.
6. If you want to view the archived stories of any Instagram account, log into the user’s profile and click on the clock icon to view the stored stories.

What is the function of Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories have several functions that can be leveraged by brands and influencers in the creation of more interactive content. Among the most common objectives are:

• Create more authentic and casual content
• Promote user engagement
• Share real-time updates with followers
• Direct  traffic to other digital platforms or websites
• Promote products or services
• Showcase exclusive content
• Increase visibility of brands or users

Features of Instagram Stories

Here is a summary of  the main features of Instagram Stories:

1. Temporary: IG Stories  are temporary since they only last 24 hours after their publication on the Instagram account profile or on Facebook, if you have both accounts linked.
2. Vertical format: they are displayed in vertical format and fill the entire screen of the mobile device. Read on Kolsquare’s blog: Instagram launches a full-screen feed design: the new TikTok?
3. Interactive and creative: Instagram stories are an easy-to-produce format that can be recorded and shared from cell phones. Better yet, the platform has gone further and has integrated certain interactive tools, such as polls, personalized questions, emojis, hashtags and links to improve content engagement.
4. Hide and highlight stories: users can choose to hide their Instagram stories from certain followers and can also highlight them on their profile, making them permanently available on their account.
5. Ads in Stories: Instagram allows businesses to place ads in Instagram Stories, which are displayed when you are viewing the stories of people you follow.

Measurements, size, dimensions and resolution.

The recommended sizes and dimensions for Instagram Stories are:

• Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels, which is a 9:16 aspect ratio. This means that your Instagram Stories photo or video will need to be 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall.
• Supported image file formats: PNG and JPG.
• Image size: Your Instagram Stories image must be less than 30MB.

How long does an online IG story last?

24 hours is the length of an Instagram Story in a user’s profile. However, brands and users who want to take advantage of stories and maximize their reach can add them as featured stories. This way, every time a user enters your profile, he will be able to see the content that you have previously shared.

If your account is linked to your Facebook profile, the story on this platform will also be exposed for 24 hours to the friends that make up your community on this social network. After this period, the stories automatically disappear and are no longer visible to your friends or followers. However, you can still access your story archive to see the ones you have previously shared.

How to use Instagram stories in your influencer marketing campaigns?

Instagram Stories are a great tool for influencer marketing campaigns as they allow for a higher level of interaction between the content creators and their followers. Through them, influencers stay active and closer to their target audiences, strengthening the bonds of trust between both parties.

When brands make collaboration agreements with influencers, some of the ways to foster the constant growth of their profiles and get the most out of Instagram stories are:

Promocionar productos o servicios de las marcas

Influencers can share images or videos of themselves using the promoted product or service. This can be more effective than normal publications as IG Stories allow a more natural and real look, leaving aside the typical ad format.

We recommend you read: How to do it: product placement on Instagram.

Show the "behind the scenes".

Showing how a product is manufactured,  covering some event, or sharing with followers what happens behind the scenes always proves to be attractive content to audiences on social networks. This can help create a deeper connection with followers and spark interest in learning more about the product or service.

Offer discount codes or limited-time promotions.

Stories on Instagram are only available for 24 hours, making them ideal for brands looking to offer discount codes or exclusive promotions for a limited period of time. When influencers share such a code with their communities, they can create a sense of urgency or sense of need, motivating followers to act quickly generating actual sales.

Promote interaction with target audiences.

Polls, questionnaires, and the option to “swipe up” to visit a link can increase follower engagement and provide additional value. Influencers can take polls about the promoted products, share a link that takes users to the brand’s website, or request more information about an offer.

Measure the performance of your influencer campaigns

Instagram provides metrics for Stories, such as impressions, reach, and direct responses. With this information brands can analyze how their  influencer marketing campaigns are performing and adjust their  strategy accordingly.

Recommended reading: KOL marketers take note: Reels are growing strongly on Instagram and Facebook.

Objectives to measure in a story-based influencer marketing strategy

Existen varios objetivos que pueden ser medidos en una estrategia de influencer marketing basada en historias de Instagram, entre ellos:

• Brand awareness: if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you can measure impressions (the number of times the story has been viewed) and reach (number of unique accounts that have viewed the story created by the influencer).
• Engagement: to determine the number of people who interacted with the stories.
• Click-through rate: which refers to the number of people who clicked on the link inserted in the story to access the web page or promoted product.
• Conversions or sales: based on the number of people who made a specific purchase or action after viewing the story.
• Return on investment (ROI): ratio between influencer marketing campaign expenditures and revenue generated.
• Lead generation: if your goal is to collect contact information for future marketing initiatives, you can have influencers direct followers to a registration page or form.
• Follower growth: If your goal is to increase your number of followers on Instagram, you can track the increase in followers before and after the campaign.

We recommend you read: Level up your Instagram Stories engagement with these easy steps

How to measure the results of your Instagram Stories campaigns?

To measure the results of your influencer marketing campaigns with  Instagram Stories, it is important to follow a series of steps and consider both quantitative and qualitative metrics.

First, you need to define your key performance indicators (KPIs) before launching your campaign. KPIs are metrics that help evaluate the success of a campaign and should be aligned with your objectives. These indicators should be clear to the influencer with whom you are collaborating, as this will determine the best format or type of content to develop.

The second step to measure the success of your campaigns is to make use of the analysis tools offered by Instagram. This social network provides a series of metrics that you can use to track the performance of your stories. These include reach, responses, and clicks on links.

Consider that in addition to the metrics provided by Instagram there are other third-party analytics tools that can give you access to more detailed metrics and in-depth analysis. These tools can track mentions of your brand, analyze conversation sentiment, identify the most effective influencers, and much more.

At Kolsquare, we have developed a platform that allows you to manage your influencer campaigns more efficiently. With our tool you can consult the complete report of your implemented actions, from the tracking of your influencers, to the detailed analysis of the content produced; and the best thing is that you can share this daily updated data with your collaborators with just a couple of clicks. If this option sounds interesting to you, request a free demo and our experts will contact you.

In case your goal is to track sales or lead generation, you can give each influencer a unique tracking or promo code to share in their stories. You can then track how many people use this code on your website or sales platform.

On the other hand, if the success of your campaign is based on the growth of your Instagram followers, you can monitor the number of followers before, during, and after the campaign with the influencer.

Finally, remember that it’s not all about numbers. Qualitative metrics, such as quality of engagement and brand perception, are also important. Be sure to monitor the conversation and engagement around your stories, including responses to stories and direct messages you receive, and any mentions or conversations elsewhere on Instagram or other social networks.

Ideas and tricks to increase views and interactions on your Instagram Stories

We can’t end this blog without offering some tricks that allow you to boost your influencer marketing campaigns through Instagram stories. Here are  some useful ideas that you can apply in the future:

• Create exclusive content
• Use hashtags and locations
• Share posts from your feed in your stories
• Create visually appealing stories
• Collaborate with influencers in your market niche
• Promote your stories
• Instead of making a single post, create a series of stories that detail a step-by-step, or tell stories
• Respond to story interactions