How To Create Custom Instagram Stories

Know you should be using Instagram Stories, and see other brands doing it beautifully, but you can’t seem to get to grips with how to make your own? Here’s your chance to give your Instagram the creative boost it deserves, and harness the power of one of the most engaged with elements of social media.

Whilst the in-app features allow you some degree of creativity; you can tweak the font style and colour, add gifs, emojis and even music now, so can everyone else. If you want to stand out, use Instagram Stories to support your brand, capture your audience, you’ve got to put some effort and flex your creativity!

Instagram Stories – Why Use Them?

Whilst they only stay live in your main story for 24 hours, you can now add them to highlights, allowing followers to revisit them time and time again. This means you can plan for more than timely content in your stories, you can create evergreen content.

They are great for various things including but not limited to;

1. Promoting products or services

2. Sharing insights into a trend or conversation

3. Directing people to blog content

Instagram Stories – Dimensions & Ratios

1080 pixels Wide x 1920 pixels tall - aspect ration of 9:16

Instagram Stories – Designing Your Own

First things first, you need Canva, a free desktop site and app that will REVOLUTIONISE your visual creativity on Instagram Stories, and social media as a whole.

Whilst previously you had to use custom dimensions on Canva, they now have a template that is set up and ready for you. Simply click on the Instagram Stories template.

Once you are on Canva, click on Create A Design, then in Social Media you’ll see Instagram Stories template, this will open a new window and a blank template the perfect dimensions for Instagram Stories.

Once you have the black document open you have two choices; firstly you can simply add an image (via the uploader button) and then overlay text onto it, or you can use the pre-made template which has elements added into it to give you a style to follow. When you are first starting out, this is a great option, and even a year down the line, one I use most often as it helps to give me a starting off point.

Each of these templates has a variety of options within them, and although the colours are added in, you can alter them, along with the fonts.

You can use the huge selection of fonts within Canva, or if you have specific ones for your brand, you can upload them in the font drop down menu.

Once you’ve chosen the fonts, worked out what colours work best, how they should be positioned, you should have a clearly readable, easy to digest slide.

Keep it short and simple, remember they only have 10 seconds to see it, if you need to say more, spread it over more slides.

Below is an example of a series of stories I have created to promote this blog post.

Once you’re happy with your story or series of stories, you can simply download them in one go, I suggest .png over .jpg as the resolution tends to be better even though the file size is a touch larger.

Then I simply Airdrop the images from my MacBook to my phone, however if you don’t have access to that you could upload them to iCloud to access on your phone, or indeed simply email them to yourself then save to your phone camera roll.

Instagram Stories - Uploading

Open the Instagram app, swipe right to open the camera then click the square in the bottom left hand corner or head to your profile and tap your profile picture

2. Choose your image from your camera roll

3. Before you hit send I suggest you also add items such as tagged accounts mentioned, locations and any hashtags that would support your Instagram Stories (remember that they are not clickable or trackable if added in Canva to the design - it’s worth considering this when you are designing the stories, leaving space on the design for these tags)

4. Once you’re ready to go and everything is in place, simply press the ‘+’ button to add the image to your Story

5. If you have more than one story, repeat the steps above and they will upload in order

My final tips are simple';

• Keep it consistent, fonts, colours and design elements

• Make it personal, don’t forget you can still add Polls and Questions to your stories that allow people to engage with your stories more

• Have fun! Don’t get yourself tied in knots worrying about making them perfect, they just need to be on brand for you. Don’t fret about what others are doing, unless it inspires you!

Please let me know how you get on with this and if it helps you flex your creativity!

How To Find Your Why

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” This is surely the most important aspect of the 2013 TED Talk by US-based ‘leadership expert’, Simon Sinek.  

It should be at the heart of your presence on social media, regardless of industry, offering or expertise, as much as it is a part of your offline business proposition.

Social media is a fantastic tool for finding new customers and continuing to develop relationships with existing ones, but to truly connect with others, we need to share our ‘why’.

Your business why may be rooted in a personal why, it may come from years of experience in an industry. Whatever the root of your why, sharing it with your followers reinforces a sense of trust and community. Tell your followers/community what gets us out of bed in the morning, why you are so passionate about what we do and what you believe in.

Never before have consumers been more interested in the stories behind the brands they engage with and allow into their lives, and even more so the people behind the brand.  It isn’t enough anymore to be a faceless brand who pushes content, long gone are the days of relying on print or tv media, instead you have the power right in the palm of your hand to include customers in your brand.

Thanks to smartphones and social media, we have all the tools we need to capitalise on this interest, engage with our customers and followers in a very real way, and tell them our ‘why’ through a series of posts and stories.

The beauty of social media is that it can be harnessed as a mega phone, pulling closer the millions of potential customers, it allows us to create a tribe, a community online who align with our brand.

Your business why is more than what you sell or the service you provide, instead it is the heart of your business, the thing that makes it tick. In most instances the best place to start is the reason you started your brand. You need to share your why, not just your what and how.

Not sure what your why is? Now is the time to clarify it, as it will help you to shape how you engage with people, how and where you sell your services or products and in turn allows you to find and engage with the best customers possible.

How To Find Your Why - Task One

Write anything from a sentence to a paragraph about why you started your business, what you hope to achieve and how you can impact your customers with your products or services.

If you are struggling, here are some opening lines to get your started;

I used my expertise in… to create…

I couldn’t find a product/service that worked for me, so I started…

I’m passionate about...and that inspired my to begin…

Try writing as a stream of consciousness, rather than staring at a blank page, just start writing and see what flows. Then give it a little time, go back to it and re-read to see if you think that it captures your why.

How To Find Your Why - Task Two

Who are your competitors? What do you think their why is? This might seem like a lot of work but knowing who your competitors are and what makes them tick will help you ensure that you have ownership of your space within the industry and a clear unique selling point.

How To Find Your Why - Task Three

Ask others, be it people who work in the business, or people close to you and the business. Ask them what they think your why is. Sometimes it takes the views of others, slightly out of business but close enough to understand passion you have for the brand.

Ask them to do the same as you did in Task One, write anything from a sentence to a paragraph sharing why they think you started your business, what they believe you hope to achieve and the ways that can see you and your business can impact customers with your products or services.

How To Find Your Why - What’s Next

Once you have your WHY, write it down, put it somewhere clear where you work and refer to it when it comes to every aspect of your business; be it new products/services, business growth or content both on or offline.

Next up I will share 9 examples of fantastic WHY post templates that you can use to help share the why of your brand.

FIND YOURSELF SPENDING HOURS ON YOUR BRANDS SOCIAL MEDIA, YET NEVER GETTING ANYWHERE? MY NEW COURSE, LAUNCHING IN SPRING 2019 IS THE COURSE FOR YOU.

Key Dates Your Business Can Benefit From In 2019

New year, new fire in your belly when it comes to your brands social presence, but find yourself more than 20 days in and not much has changed? This post will help with that. 

Whilst it can seem that there is a National Something Or Other Day constantly, it would be remiss to ignore them all, as it might just be they provide you with anything from inspiration to a tool to advance your product or service. 

To help you get started, I've pulled together a handy list! 

January

DRY JANUARY

Sell alcohol so think this is off the cards for you to engage with, wrong! In fact it's allows you to show the wider reach of your offerings, such as non alcoholic versions of beverages, or in deed soft drink options that are a little more interested than the norm. 

VEGANUARY 

Does you brand sit with vegan morals? Are you a vegan and cruelty free skincare brand? Now is the time to shout about it. Are you a restaurant that could look to offer more vegan options? Use it as a chance to shine and welcome those customers who may have previously felt excluded.

27TH JANUARY - NATIONAL STORY TELLING WEEK

This is a a fantastic opportunity for brands, inspire customers to share their stories with you, be it about the first time they experienced your product/service. Tell the story of your brand, how did your business begin?

February

FEBRUARY 9TH: NATIONAL PIZZA DAY

Who doesn't love pizza, if you're a foodie or drinks brand, this is a clear opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with your customers by asking them to get involved. 

Create a fun quiz which works out what kind of pizza you would be based on your job role, date of birth, favourite cheese...the possibilities are endless!

Host a pizza workshop, a beer & pizza pairing evening, 

FEBRUARY 13TH: PANCAKE DAY

Whether it’s a pancake race outside with all your staff which you share on social and allow customers to vote on or choose the winner, a special menu or just a special 'flipping amazing' offer for that day only, this is a day when everyone is ready to get involved for the sake of delicious pancakes.

FEBRUARY 14TH: VALENTINE’S DAY

The day of love, or the day where you can share a little cynicism! Which ever on works best for your business. 

Florists, make sure you have roses in stock and make it easy for people to buy, fashion stores get your date-worthy outfits front and centre, coffee shops add a free heart shaped cookie on the side of all coffees when people share their best date stories using a hashtag you create.

Online businesses, declare your love for your own customers with a flash sale or special offer, give people time to prepare for it and stress the urgency of the sale/discount. 

March

MARCH 1ST: ST. DAVID’S DAY

St. David is the patron saint of Wales. Welsh businesses take note! Travel companies that have venues in Wales, take notice. Brands who sell Welsh items, take notice and fly the flag high! 

MARCH 11TH: MOTHER’S DAY

This is a wonderful opportunity to stray away from the norm, inspire customers to be kind, to share the love for their mums. Share a little insight into your team members, share candid moments about their lives, customers relate to that and it reminds them that behind every business are real people with real lives! 

If you have products that fit well with the day, then by all means share, offer and promote. Flowers, gifts, eating out etc, make sure you let them know in person, online and via mailing lists. Make it timely and focus on the feelings and memories you can create, rather than on the material possessions. 

MARCH 24TH: RED NOSE DAY

No matter your business, this is a perfect time for you all to get red noses on and be part of one of the country’s biggest charity days, it's a great way to get staff and customers involved and engaging with each other. This is a fantastic opportunity to create funny or moving video content, whilst doing your bit for the charity.  

April

APRIL 1ST: EASTER SUNDAY

Do something unexpected, as well as the usual promotions. Get the local businesses together and host an egg hunt, bonnet contest or chocolate egg workshops. There are so many engaging ways to celebrate that don't simply involve making that sale!

Don't forget your online presence too, hide easter eggs in your images, treat customers to Easter giveaways, invite followers to get creative. 

APRIL 21ST: NATIONAL TEA DAY

Can you even be British if you don't have an opinion about tea! Fan the flames of national pride and get a conversation going! In store give away free cups of tea, if you’re a coffee shop, concentrate on all the ways you can have tea, iced, hot, in baking... 

May

Bank Holiday - 7th & 28th 

Make the most of people having the day off work (in most cases) - give people a really good reason for getting out of the house and trying your products or services.

Think of the things people love doing on Bank Holidays, BBQ, spending time with family, getting outside, then find a way your business can link in with that. It doesn't have to be ground breaking, but it does need to be on brand to convince people to spend with you.

June

June 17th: Father’s Day

If your business has items that will make dad’s day then put them up front and centre and try putting them on offer so little ones, and slightly bigger ones, can help show their dad some appreciation on this day.

July

JULY 7TH: WORLD CHOCOLATE DAY

Everyone, take note! If you are a B2B business, send your main customers a box of chocolates, treat your staff to a chocolate bar. 

If you're a B2C business then think of the ways you can add value to customers already shopping with you.

If you have a cafe or restaurant, use this day to amplify your USP, rather than simply offering a discount on normal items, how about creating a specific chocolate menu, chocolate tea, curry, salad dressing, cocktails, they can all be created with a touch of chocolate. 

August

AUGUST 27TH: BANK HOLIDAY

Replicate what worked in May, customers will make it clear what they engaged with most, so give them it in bucket loads!

October

OCTOBER 31ST: HALLOWEEN

Get the costumes on, seriously it's the most fun day of the year! Get the camera out and make sure your social followers know you’re taking part and give them a chance to get involved and win! in fact, Go to town on the decorations and the spooky puns! 

November

MOVEMBER

As with Red Nose Day, getting your staff and customers involved in the greater good together can only lead to great things.  health. Whether you encourage beard-growing staff to take part, or stick a fake ‘tache onto others. The moustache has also become super trendy in recent years, so maybe you already have items (or have some shaped biscuits your coffee shop can bake) to sell as part of the theme and remember to have some proceeds go to the good cause it stands for.

NOVEMBER 11TH: REMEMBRANCE DAY

Whilst this is a sober event, it's important your business do its bit by showing support. Make sure your staff wear poppies, where possible, uphold the 2-minute silence at 11 am. Be aware that working this day into your marketing in any other way is likely to be considered poor taste.

December

DECEMBER 24TH: CHRISTMAS EVE

The final push before Christmas and prime for people who haven’t finished their shopping and will be on a mission to do so, make sure you’re letting everyone know that your items are the perfect finishing purchase for their Christmas.

If you're an online business that cannot deliver items same day, then make it easy for people to purchase them and download them to give as a gift!  

DECEMBER 25TH-31ST: SALE 

Christmas Day and the week that follows is one of the busiest shopping periods online, ensure your business is set up for that push and increase in sales, especially if you have discounts.

So there you have it, a snippet of insight into some of the days you can capitalise upon, regardless of your industry!