Your Guide to

Instagram Stories
Measuring What
Matters
Contents

Introduction: Chapter 1: Chapter 2:

What are Instagram Stories? Why Instagram Stories are How To Use Instagram Stories to
Worth the Effort Your Advantage

Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Conclusion

Importance of Tracking Your Advanced Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories Metrics Metrics

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Sked Social: The Ultimate Visual
Marketing Platform

Plan Your Feed To Perfection

Design, preview, schedule and post stunning

Instagram grid layouts with our visual planner
that will grow your audience and increase your
influence.

Develop A Killer Aesthetic

Use our specialised editing and layout tools

to create and maintain an attention-grabbing
look for your brand that shows you’re a true
professional.

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 Increase Your Exposure

Tag people and your products to get

more likes, comments and followers, and
add locations to your posts so potential
customers can find you using search.

Manage Your Feed

Calendar lets you see your entire content

schedule in an instant, and you can add or
reorder your posts by dragging and dropping
them onto the dates and times you want
them published.

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Introduction: What are Instagram
Stories?

When Instagram Stories first launched in 2016, it was an instant hit, sailing
to 100 million daily active users within just two months. The number now
stands at over 300 million daily active users.

According to a survey conducted by Facebook, more than 1 in 3

respondents said that they have become more interested in a brand Instagram stories disappear after
or product after seeing it in Instagram Stories. These numbers make 24 hours, making them useful for
Instagram Stories a channel marketers can’t ignore. real-time authentic communcation

What are Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories enables users to post pictures and videos that disappear
after 24 hours. Your followers can watch these posts in slideshow format
thus making it possible for more real-time sharing and one that is relevant
to that particular moment. With the usual filter options still intact such as
texts, drawing, and stickers, these features can be creatively used when
posting Stories.
1 in 3 respondents said Instagram
Instagram has always been a top choice social media channel where users Stories made them more
share the moments they want to remember. With the Instagram Stories interested in a product
feature, you can now share important highlights regarding your business
with followers. Businesses that get it right are building loyalty and sales
with Instagram Stories.

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Chapter 1: Why Instagram Stories
are Worth the Effort

You may have been used to the traditional media approach where what
you publish stays out there. But now, a new breed of content with a 24-hour
lifespan has made its entry into the marketing space. So, you can share in a
more authentic way.

People are not just using Instagram Stories to connect with friends. A third of
the most viewed Stories come from businesses. These impressive engagement
numbers prove the popularity of Instagram itself. With nearly 50% of brands
already using Instagram, can your brand really afford to wait?

PRO TIP

Sked Social can help you plan your

Instagram stories ahead of time. Sign
up for a free trial today!

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There are plenty more reasons why marketers and entrepreneurs should seriously
consider using Instagram Stories:

An active user base: With a record of 300 million daily users, this is a
good opportunity to drive traffic.

Effortless creation: It would be futile to spend so much time on a

post that will disappear the following day. All you need for a good
Instagram Story is a quick idea, coupled with some creativity.

Enables you to test the waters: These Stories are not as exposed as
the regular posts, so this makes them great for testing out ideas. If
people watch your Story all the way without dropping off, you can
be confident reposting it as a permanent Instagram post. Testing
content enables you to find out what works and quickly adapt.
Alternatively, you can adapt the idea of using another social media
channel.

An armory of features: You have tools for drawing, lots of

augmented reality filters, and various stickers.

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Chapter 2: How to Use Instagram
Stories to Your Advantage

Intrigued by Instagram Stories but are unsure of where to start? There are many brands, non-profit organizations and
even agencies that are already using Instagram Stories as part of their social media strategy. The key is to stay relevant to
your audience, provide value and always encourage user engagement. The brevity of these Stories in Instagram calls for
proper timing when posting, adding relevant photos/ videos and lots of creativity. With that in mind, these tips will help
you guarantee your success:

Show a “Day in the Life” of Your Start a Series Show How Something Is Made
Business

Promote a Recent Blog Post Get Creative with the Stories

Features

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Tip #1 : Show a “Day in the Life” of Your Business

Have a sweet office or a desk you’re proud of? Are you

visiting the facility where your products are made?
Give your followers a little behind-the-scenes peek at
where or how you get your work done.

When social media can feel impersonal at times,

giving this insider look fosters a more personal
connection with all of your followers.

Interior design brand, The Re-Vision, did this in their

Instagram stories by showing a behind-the-scenes
video of how they shot a recent Instagram photo.

A big plus of sharing videos with Instagram Stories

is that you can be simple and still drive your point
home. A quick and spontaneous snippet of your daily
life can have a powerful effect on your brand.
PRO TIP

With Sked Social, you can schedule Video Stories in advance

which helps create a well-planned Stories strategy. Sign up for a
free trial today!

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Tip #2 : Start a Series

One of the reasons that consistency is so crucial on Instagram is

because people love predictability. That’s why scheduling your
content can be so beneficial—it helps you stick to your schedule,
without the headaches and hassle.

With consistency carrying so much weight for users and Instagram’s

algorithm, it’s worth considering starting a regular series on your
Instagram Stories.

Take Bustle for example. They run a “Be My Guest” series where
various people take followers on a tour through their homes. They
also have their “Beauty Call” series where two Bustle staffers review
different beauty products.

Think of a series that you could start on your own account. It’ll keep
your followers coming back for more—while also holding you to a
more consistent posting schedule.

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Tip #3: Show How Something Is Made

People love feeling like they’re getting exclusive

content—and, given its somewhat urgent nature,
Instagram Stories is the perfect place to do that.

Why not give users a glimpse at how something

is created? Whether it’s how your own product is
made, a fun craft project, or even your team’s favorite
guacamole recipe, create a series of videos that show
how you create something from scratch.

Etsy, a marketplace for makers and creative

entrepreneurs, is awesome at doing this. They’re
always posting stories (and even saving them to
their highlights!) that teach followers how to create
handmade products.

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Tip #4: Promote a Recent Blog Post

Instagram Stories are also great for you to display your editorial
content. You worked really hard on a recent blog post, and you
want to get as many eyeballs on it as possible. You can use
Instagram stories to drive traffic to that specific post—or really
any type of content!

One of the easiest ways to do this is to add links directly to your

Instagram story—which allows users to swipe up to be taken right
to the designated page. However, that feature is only available to
business accounts with more than 10,000 followers.

For example, WeWork used a series of Instagram stories to direct

followers to a post announcing their reimagined WeMRKT, a
market showcasing member products.

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Tip #5: Get Creative with the Stories Features

Within Instagram Stories, there are all sorts of fun filters

and stickers you can use.

Location: Including your location gives you a chance at

being featured on Instagram’s location page. So people
who are interested in that specific location can find your
content.

Not only does this clue your followers in on where you

are, but it also gives your engagement a big boost.
Posts tagged with a location experience 79% higher
engagement than posts without a location.

Poll: Another interesting feature is the Poll option. There

are tons of different ways you can use this feature. Have
your followers choose between two names for your new
product or just ask them something silly.
PRO TIP

It’s an effective tactic to involve your followers in your

Using Sked Social, you can manage all your frequently used
decision-making and emphasize that you have a two-
hashtags with the hashtag manager and access them while
sided relationship—rather than constantly broadcasting setting up a new post or story.
your own messages.

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How Instagram Stories Benefit Your Instagram Engagement

Although some may be skeptical of the fact that these Stories

only last for a short while, this is actually beneficial in many ways. PRO TIP

You do not have to clutter up your profile with

numerous photo albums. Post a lot more raw
content on your Stories and turn your posts into a
portfolio, showcasing your best content.

Stories are relevant to businesses because it humanizes

your business and gives it transparency. Therefore,
you can have a deeper communication with your
target audience.

Using Sked Social, you can bulk upload

Your Stories will appear at the top of the feed for users and then schedule Instagram posts,
comments, and even Instagram stories
who follow you, as opposed to the regular posts
from your desktop, so that your followers
which have to compete for a top spot. Each time consistently see content from you.
you add a story, your followers will be alerted with a
colorful ring to indicate that a new Story has been
published. This maintains visibility in your follower’s
feeds.

The Instagram Story indicator also lets your followers

know your account has been recently active.

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Chapter 3: Importance of Tracking
Your Instagram Stories Metrics

When it comes to Instagram Stories, there are a number of

KPIs that allow brands to understand how their audience is
responding to it. The goal of any marketing strategy is to build
lasting relationships, and Stories are a great way to do so on a more
personal level.

Measuring these performance indicators allow you to:

Tackle pain points

Analyze Stories that drive the most engagement

Segment your audience and deliver the right message

to the right people

Increase brand awareness

But before you’re able to do the above, you need to understand the
basic Instagram Stories metrics.

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Instagram Stories Metrics

Number of views

When you click on your own Story, the eye icon tells you how many people viewed a particular story. Clicking the eye icon
will show you exactly who the viewers are – an extremely helpful tool to help you target a specific type of audience.

Recently, Instagram introduced a feature that also lets you know which viewer took a screenshot or recording of your
Story. If you find that a significant number of people took the time to save your Story, then that’s a good indicator of what
kind of stories you should create more of.

PRO TIP

Click on the eye icon to see exactly

who has viewed your story.

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View percentage

Essentially, this tells you what percent of your followers are

viewing your Stories. All it takes is some basic math: FORMULA

What this metric does is give you an idea of how many of VIEW PERCENTAGE:
your followers have adopted Instagram’s Stories feature.
If you find that only a small percentage of your followers # of story viewers
view your Stories, then maybe you should cut back on the x 100
number of stories you post, and focus more on regular total # of followers
posts.

Posting time is a huge factor in posting your Instagram

stories. Although your Stories will stay on the top part of
your followers’ Instagram feeds, Instagram’s algorithm PRO TIP
arrange the featured stories by the time it was posted. This
allows the most recent update to be the most noticeable. Platforms like Sked Social can help you
schedule your Instagram stories at the
Optimizing your posting time to the usual time your time your audience is most active. Sign
audience engages (which you can find out through up for a free trial today.

organic data analysis), and using geo-tags and hashtags

so that your stories may be discovered by new people can
improve engagement considerably.

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Completion rate

It’ll take a bit more complicated math, but this metric

will show you how many people watch your entire Story. FORMULA

Here’s how:
COMPLETION RATE:
This stat lets you know how effective your Stories are at not
only grabbing, but retaining attention. Additionally, what’s # of viewers on your last story
important to note is how your completion rate holds over x 100
an extended period of time. # of viewers on your first story

For example, you can compute your average completion

rate over a 14-day period. Looking at those numbers,
identify which Stories have the highest and lowest EXAMPLE:
completion rates. Was it a discount promo that drove
engagement? A behind-the-scenes video of an event? 74 viewers
x 100 =74%
100 viewers completion
This will give you a good enough idea of what resonates
with your audience and what doesn’t.

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Number of replies

Viewers can’t comment on Stories, but they can do something better—send you a direct message. The ability to have
personal conversations with your followers complements the authentic nature of Stories, and allows you to strengthen
relationships on an even deeper level.

Make sure you reply back to every message to encourage them to keep engaging with you.

Another additional feature to boost engagement is Stories polls, which allow your viewers to vote between two choices.
You can use polls to not only gauge interest in a Story, but get valuable feedback from your audience.

PRO TIP

Make sure you reply to every message

received to keep your followers
engaged.

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Chapter 4: Advanced Instagram
Stories Metrics

Swipe-through rates

Perhaps the most valuable feature of Instagram Stories when it comes to measuring ROI is its swipe up CTA. Basically,
when users swipe up, they’re taken to a website of your choice through the Instagram app.

According to SWAT.IO, since the feature was introduced, swipe-through rates have ranged between 15-25 percent—an
incredible conversion rate for anyone. You can use Stories CTA to:

Drive viewers to your Link to full versions of Share valuable Tease a new product,
online store your Story videos content linked to its landing page

There are plethora of possibilities you can tap into with this feature. And by using third-party software (like Google
Analytics), you can track just how much traffic is driven by Instagram to your website.

To really make Stories effective for your brand, you need to leverage it into something that doesn’t depend on proprietary
algorithm. And Instagram just made it easier with swipe up CTA.

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Instagram ads insights

Stories ads has all the benefits of regular Instagram ads—

targeted reach, driving traffic, conversions—the feature
not only allows you to engage your audience, it aids
driving business results.
PRO TIP
More importantly, business profile users can see how their
Stories ads perform in the Insights section. And with Ads
Manager and Power Editor, additional metrics like reach,
impressions and video metrics can be gleaned.

Graph API

Last year, Instagram introduced new features to its Graph

API, which according to them, helps businesses manage
their organic presence more effectively by upgrading to
Facebook’s API. This allows them to keep track of their
performance even on third-party tools.
Switching to an Instagram business profile
Additionally, the new API features allows for comment can give you access to advanced insights &
metrics using Facebook’s API.
moderation (including the ability to hide comments/
toggle them on and off). According to Instagram, this is in
line with their commitment to keep the platform a “safe
place for self-expression.”

It’s important to note that the features are available

exclusively to users with business profiles. They will also be
required to use a Facebook Login when giving permission
to third-party tools.

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Conclusion

Consistently monitoring the metrics mentioned above should lead

towards crafting a sound Instagram Stories strategy. But before
you dive deep into Stories analytics, it’s crucial that you set realistic
goals and objectives.

And again, the real objective of Stories goes beyond number

of views or swipe-through rates. It’s about how many of your
audiences you’re able to build strong connections with. Stories is a
door you need them to step through, getting them to stay in touch
through other channels is the ultimate goal.

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Make Sked your Social Media sidekick,

who saves you time and automatically
posts your content when you want, where
you want and how you want.

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 Spend less time managing social media,
More time engaging with your audience.

Sked Social has everything you need to plan and automatically post
your content to Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and more.

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Automatic Posting

Once you schedule or queue a post with Sked Social,

we’ll publish it for you automatically anytime you want,
including carousel posts, videos and Instagram stories.

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Hashtag Manager

Store all your hashtags in one convenient place

and divide them into sets so you can easily add
them to posts, Instagram stories or campaigns.

Drag & Drop Calendar

Calendar lets you see your entire content schedule

at a glance. Set it to monthly, weekly or daily view
and it’ll show you all your planned posts for that
period.

Professional Image Editor

Your images will look amazing after you’ve tweaked

them using our in-browser editor. You can crop
them, resize them, apply filters, and add stickers and
text to create a unique look for your brand.

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