{"id":19135,"date":"2019-04-11T22:14:41","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T22:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/?p=19135"},"modified":"2019-04-11T22:17:46","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T22:17:46","slug":"3-ways-up-your-instagram-stories-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/3-ways-up-your-instagram-stories-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Up Your Instagram Stories Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

You just wrapped a series of videos for Instagram Stories<\/a> to introduce a new product line. High-fiving your teammates, you tap \u201cAdd to My Story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Filming went great<\/i>. The lighting was spot-on, the audio clear as can be, and you\u2019re confident your audience will be thrilled about this launch. Making Stories is one of your favorite aspects of content creation, and you look forward to sharing with your followers every day.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why when you start to measure your Instagram Stories performance, you\u2019re stoked to dig into the numbers. But what happens if the data doesn\u2019t look so good? If you\u2019re concerned your Stories are performing poorly, keep these data points and tips in mind.<\/p>\n

Find Your Stories Metrics on Instagram<\/b><\/h2>\n

Before diving in, you\u2019ll need to access your Stories metrics first. Instagram Insights, required to access in-depth Story data, is only available to Instagram business profiles or verified accounts.<\/p>\n

Once you meet that criteria, you can find your stats for the last two weeks within the app\u2019s native platform. Of course, if you\u2019re anxious to see all your Instagram Stories performance stats in one spot, you can always start a free trial<\/a> or access Instagram Insights in your existing account<\/a> in Rival IQ.<\/p>\n

Instagram Stories Performance Problem #1: My feed photos receive way more engagement than Stories.<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve always loved sharing Instagram photos for your business, and Stories are no exception. It goes without saying that you want all content to be seen.<\/p>\n

While we always want to maximize exposure, our research reveals that it\u2019s normal for the majority of your followers to see your posts<\/i> more often than your Stories<\/i>. Smaller handles (with 10K followers or fewer) reach 32% of their followers on average<\/a>. For those handles with 200K or more followers, only about 17% of their followers see their posts, on average.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, this dilemma won\u2019t be a problem for much longer. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Stories are set to outpace the Feed<\/a> in the algorithm sooner rather than later. Until then, it\u2019s worth making a significant investment in this part of the platform. Why? Stories serve as an incredible opportunity to meaningfully connect with the followers who are watching, which can skyrocket customer loyalty.<\/p>\n

This is especially true for small businesses. For example, I follow @mindysbakeshop<\/a>, an Austin-based cake and cookie pastry chef. I first discovered her when friends invited me along to take her cookie decorating class. We had such a fun time, I started following her on Instagram (for the record: watching a professional decorate cookies is absolutely mesmerizing).<\/p>\n

\"Mindy's<\/p>\n

Mindy posted pictures from our class and I responded to let her know we loved every minute. She then responded, thanking me for attending. The Instagram algorithm is designed so that the more someone watches your Story, the more often you\u2019ll appear in their Stories shortlist. So, ever since, Mindy\u2019s Stories bubble is nearly always visible when I open the app.<\/p>\n

One year later, thanks to our ongoing engagement, Mindy was top of mind when it came time for me to order a cake for my daughter\u2019s first birthday party. I contacted her through Instagram and she was off to the races making one of her famous themed cakes for the affair.<\/p>\n

Just think: if I hadn\u2019t stayed in touch with Mindy via Instagram, specifically through Stories, I may not have thought of her when I needed dessert.<\/p>\n

Follow these tips to increase your Story visibility:<\/p>\n