Social Media
Instagram story design
Designing engaging Instagram Stories requires a mix of creativity, strategy, and technical know-how. Here are the key points to consider for maximum impact:
- Dimensions & Technical Specs
- Recommended Size: 1080×1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
- Safe Zone: Keep critical content within the center 80% (edges may get cut off on some devices)
- File Type: Use MP4 for videos (max 15 sec per clip) or JPEG/PNG for images
- Brand Consistency
- Use templates for recurring content.
- Stick to your brand colors, fonts, and logo placement
- Create a visual style guide
- Content Types & Strategy
- Behind-the-scenes: Show your workspace/process
- Polls/Q&A: Boost engagement with interactive stickers
- Countdowns: Build hype for launches/events
- User-generated content: Repost customers using your product
- Swipe-up links (for accounts with 10K+ followers)
- Design Elements
- Text:
- Use large, bold fonts (minimum 24pt for readability)
- Add outlines/drop shadows if text overlaps images
- Follow the “3-second rule”
- Stickers:
- Location tags, hashtags, mentions (increases discoverability)
- Emoji sliders, polls (boosts interaction rates)
- GIFs: Use trending GIFs from GIPHY (but keep them on-brand)
- Movement & Animation
- Video Clips: Shoot vertically with steady lighting
- Boomerangs/Mini-videos: Great for product showcases
- Transitions: Swipe, fade, or zoom effects between slides
- Story Highlights Optimization
- Design custom cover icons (use consistent colors/symbols)
- Organize by category
- Keep highlights updated (archive outdated content)
- Call-to-Action (CTA)
- Direct viewers with:
- “DM for details”
- “Swipe up to shop”
- “Tap the link in bio”
- Place CTAs in the middle-lower third (thumb-friendly zone)
- Analytics & Iteration
- Check Story Insights (swipe-up rates, exits, replies)
- Replicate high-performing content formats
- Experiment with different posting times.
