Everyone experiences a certain degree of FOMO or a fear of missing out. Be it about the goings-on at work, trending topics in your social circle, new food to try and places to visit, or milestones of your friends and relatives, no one wants to be kept out of the loop. This is precisely why ephemeral content like Instagram Stories has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Instagram Stories are quick to produce but also quick to disappear. As a result, more of your followers click on it knowing they may no longer be able to view it the next time they check their account. This allows you to update your followers and get updated about the people you’re following as promptly as possible. Instagram stories statistics also show that it has become a critical tool in a business’ social media management tech stack.
In this article, we have compiled some data to help you understand the role that this feature plays in the age of social media. We will be focusing on its demographics, impact on consumers, and how it differs from other social media content types. Hopefully, by the end of this post, it will be easier for businesses and marketers to grasp how to take advantage of this feature in their day-to-day operations.
Instagram Stories Statistics Table of Contents
General Instagram Stories Statistics
Since its introduction in 2016, the Instagram Stories format has been gaining popularity among the platform’s users. Many have added it to their daily activities on the site, alongside checking their feed and watching IGTV. Moreover, it has already surpassed the daily user base of Snapchat, which is the originator of this type of ephemeral content. That said, we can expect that this format will grow more prevalent not only in terms of user-generated content but among brands who want to make the most out of this feature’s reach as well.
- How many people use Instagram Stories? As of January 2019, the Instagram Stories feature has around 500 daily active users. (Facebook Inc., 2019)
- The number of Instagram users that leverage the Stories feature has increased by 60% from 2017 to 2018. (Forbes, 2019)
- In May 2020, among the activities of Instagram users were watching a video clip (38%), creating or viewing a Story (27%), watching something on IGTV (23%), and using the live feature (11%). (Global Web Index, 2020).
- As of March 2020, watching other people’s Instagram Stories (42%) is the most popular Instagram activity for American users. Other top activities include swiping up on a Story (23%) and posting a Story (21%). (eMarketer, 2020)
Source: eMarketer
Who Uses Instagram Stories?
While it seems that many Instagram users now post and view Stories, data shows that the use of this feature varies depending on demographics. For one, Millennials and Gen Zers interact with this type of social media content more frequently than their Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts. Meanwhile, in terms of gender, a higher percentage of women are more likely to use this feature than men. For brands, this can only signal the importance of studying whether adding Stories to your arsenal of advertising and marketing strategies will reach your target audience.
- Almost all Instagram users leverage the Stories feature with 86.6% saying they post this type of content. (The Preview App, 2019)
- However, another study noted that a whopping 75.2% of Americans who are above 18 years old do not use the Instagram Stories feature on a daily basis. (Trust Insights, 2020)
- Instagram users falling within the 25 to 34 age bracket are the most frequent users of the Instagram Stories feature. (Trust Insights, 2020)
- Among Instagram users who access the Stories feature daily, 36.19% are men and 63.81% are women. (Trust Insights, 2020)
- Consequently, women are more likely to view Instagram Stories more than once per day than men. In addition, analysis shows that 14.84% of women view it over 10 times a day compared to 9.80% of men. (Trust Insights, 2020)
How Do Instagram Users Interact With Stories?
Photos still reign supreme on Instagram but this in no way means that Stories are not grabbing the attention of social media users. With the increasing availability of ephemeral content on various platforms, users have been actively engaging with this type of content. This could be by posting them, watching them, liking them, or commenting on them. Moreover, Instagram users statistics show that these users aren’t picky about which Stories to interact with. Whether it was posted by a friend or a brand, there’s a good chance they will take a look at the Story.
- In 2019, Instagram users viewed more photos (63.4%) than they watched Stories (36.6%). (The Preview App, 2019)
- However, as of 2020, over half of Instagram users (58%) watch Stories multiple times daily. What is more, 19% of them watch these Stories from beginning to end. (HubSpot, 2020)
- 37% of Instagram users post a Story more than once every week. (HubSpot, 2020)
- Only 21% of Instagram users plan their Stories in advance This is a stark contrast to the 66% of people who plan their Instagram feed. (The Preview App, 2019)
- 26% of Instagram users say they interact with the Instagram Stories they watch, be it from their friends or from brands, via commenting or sharing. (HubSpot, 2020)
- 36% of Instagram users have interacted with a branded Story via likes, comments, or shares. (HubSpot, 2020)
Source: The Preview App
Reasons to Use Instagram Stories for Businesses
Instagram Stories are not just for fun. Just as its stickers, AR filters, and other options can be used to quickly update your friends about your day, it can also be leveraged to generate eye-catching and engaging content for consumers. In fact, elements such as shoppable tags and swipe-up functions can be added to Stories to make it easier for businesses to promote their products and link customers to their online store.
In addition to these nifty functionalities, the number of people a business can reach using the platform is hard to overlook. Not only does Instagram have a lot of users; a good chunk of its user base can spend a significant amount of time on the platform to socialize, discover brands, as well as purchase from businesses. They are also more welcoming to interacting with branded Stories and ads. So much so that many users even say that they become more interested in a product or service that they have seen featured on Stories.
With these in mind, it’s not surprising that Instagram trends predict the Stories format to gain even more popularity as a marketing strategy in the coming years not only for individuals but for brands as well.
- 50.5% of people allot between one and three hours a day on Instagram. Meanwhile, 26% spend over 3 hours on the platform.(The Preview App, 2019)
- 62.1% of Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new things, particularly brands, nearby businesses, and the like. (The Preview App, 2019)
- One in every three consumers on Instagram say their interest in a brand or product has increased after seeing it on Stories. (Forbes, 2019)
- Over half of Instagram users (67%) have ‘swiped up’ on the links of branded Stories. (HubSpot, 2020)
- 22% of Instagram users say they watch branded Stories, or Stories produced by businesses, at least once a week. (HubSpot, 2020)
- 81.6% of consumers who have Instagram accounts have clicked on an ad shown on the platform. This includes both posts and featured Stories. (The Preview App, 2019)
- A third of the most viewed Stories on Instagram are produced by businesses (Embed Social, 2020).
- Out of the seven million advertisers using Facebook, four million are leveraging the Story ad format across Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. (Ad Age, 2020)
- 44% of businesses on Instagram have used the Stories format for promotional purposes. (HubSpot, 2020)
- 96% of marketers in the United States say they intend to continue leveraging Stories for their ad campaigns in the next six months. (Embed Social, 2020)
- Between April 2018 and February 2019, brands have increased their use of the Stories format by 21%. (Socialbakers, 2019)
Instagram Stories vs Other Content Types
Aside from the number of consumers and businesses that use Instagram Stories, another reason to adopt this format is how effective it is in driving engagement.
Studies show that while Stories may not have the highest click-through rates, it does yield a lot of interactions from users. For instance, it gets likes and comments comparable to the video format. Even better, it has a median level of engagement that is higher than other content types on the platform. This is impressive considering the Stories feature is a fairly new format for this predominantly photo-centric platform.
Experts say one of the reasons that contributed to its success is its temporary nature. Instagram Stories tap a consumers’ fear of missing out (FOMO), like other ephemeral content. Knowing that the Story will be gone in 24 hours, users tend to click on them faster because they don’t want to miss the chance of seeing it. In addition, for brands that post enough Stories on a daily basis, Instagram’s algorithm also has a tendency to prioritize this type of content so that your loyal followers can see it in a timely manner.
In Terms of Use
- Instagram Stories or carousels make up 17% of all brand posts in Q3 2020, making it the second most common content type for businesses on the platform. Meanwhile, taking the top spot are images at 67.7% and videos take the third spot at 15.4%. (Socialbakers, 2020)
- On the other hand, a similar study by Locowise shows that brands’ use of carousels is a little higher at 26.1%. Images still remain the top post type at 59% while 14.9% are videos. (Datareportal, 2021)
- In Q1 2019, carousel posts made up 18% of influencer content. Meanwhile, images comprised 71% and videos comprised 10%. (Socialbakers, 2019)
- Among the most effective content formats for influencer marketing are Instagram posts (78%), Instagram Stories (73%), and YouTube videos (56%). (Mediakix, 2020)
- For brands with under 5,000 followers, the image Stories are more popular (50.08%) than video Stories (49.92%). Meanwhile, for brands with over 100,000 followers, video Stories are more widely used (55.05%). (Socialinsider, 2020)
Most Common Content Types on Instagram
Source: Socialbakers 2020
Designed byIn Terms of Effectiveness
- Branded photos and Stories published on Instagram tend to receive more interactions compared to the same content types published on other platforms. (Mention, 2020)
- Ephemeral content on Instagram has a .24% click-through rate. (Socialbakers, 2020)
- Locowise shows that carousels receive an organic engagement rate of 0.86. (Datareportal, 2021)
- However, carousels enjoy a higher median level of engagement at 188 per post while images only get 140 and videos only get 95. (Socialbakers, 2020)
- Carousels get a median number of 2,882 likes and 82 comments. Meanwhile, images have the highest median number of likes (4,420) and comments (106). It is followed by videos (3,499 likes, 94 comments) (HubSpot, 2020)
- Instagram Stories posted by brands with 10,000 to 50,000 followers have a reach rate of 5.4%. This is higher for those with fewer followers at 6.2% and is lower for those with more followers at only 1.5%. (Rival IQ, 2021)
Source: HubSpot, 2020
Ad Spending on Instagram Stories
The perceived benefits of using Instagram for promotional and marketing purposes did not go unnoticed of course. It still does not come close to the amount of money being spent on Facebook but Instagram receives its fair share of ad spending. Instagram Stories and Feed Ads, for instance, only come second to Facebook Feed Ads in terms of ad share.
In addition, there’s a growing number of businesses investing in the Stories format specifically. Among the many reasons include its high engagement rate, which we tackled earlier, and its lower cost per click rate and cost per mille. This just goes to show that if you haven’t already leveraged this for your marketing and advertising efforts, it’s probably high time that you do. In this way, you can get the best value for your money.
- Ads on Instagram Stories accounted for 35% of total ad impressions on the platform as of Q3 2020. (Marketing Charts, 2020)
- A stakeholder’s report from Facebook revealed that Instagram Feed and Stories received 27.9% of the total ad spending on their platforms in Q3 2020. It comes second to Facebook Feed (58.2%). (Socialbakers, 2020)
- 29% of the total ad spending on Instagram was invested in the Stories format. This is up from 22% in Q1 and Q2 of 2020. (Marketing Charts, 2020)
- In Q3 2020, the cost per mille (CPM) of Instagram Stories fell to $0.75, signaling an 8.4% decrease from the previous quarter. (Socialbakers, 2020)
- Similarly, the cost per click (CPC) rate of Instagram Stories decreased to $0.38, which is 15.2% less than Q2 2020. (Socialbakers, 2020)
Instagram Stories Best Practices
Brands often get more engagement from content on Instagram than any other social media network. However, simply posting on the platform is not enough to reach your target audience effectively. It is important to understand how to optimize each post, paying attention to everything from the frequency of your posting to what time you post to ensure the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.
For Instagram Stories, to be specific, posting more often can give you an edge in terms of engagement as it gives your content more visibility. Meanwhile, in terms of length, publishing Stories with fewer frames may be more common but those who use more frames with shorter scenes have a better shot at retaining audience attention. Furthermore, brands should try their best to incorporate links and similar elements to their Stories to increase the chances of conversions.
Frequency of Posting
- Two out of 10 businesses with an Instagram account create a story more than once every week. (HubSpot, 2020)
- Brands on Instagram posted an average of 10 Stories per month in 2020. (Rival IQ, 2021)
- Half of Instagram accounts owned by businesses generate at least one story every month. (Embed Social, 2020)
- The most active 25% of active brands published at least 16 times a month while the least active 25% posted only 1 Story per week. (Rival IQ, 2021)
- Between April 2019 and September 2020, brands with over 100,000 Instagram followers posted an average of 14.46 Stories per month compared to only 3 per month for brands with less than 5,000 followers. (Socialinsider, 2020)
- Active brands on Instagram saw a 12% increase in Story replies. (Rival IQ, 2021)
- The median tap-back rate on branded Stories is 3.5%. This is higher for brands that are more active on the social media platform. (Rival IQ, 2021)
Length of Posts
- Short Instagram Stories are more common than long ones, with 60% of brands posting Stories with only one to three frames. In contrast, only 20% publish Stories with seven or more frames. (Rival IQ, 2021)
- The best-performing Story ads tend to be 1.3 seconds shorter per scene than lower-performing ads. (Meltwater, 2020)
- Instagram users usually swipe past a Story after two frames, signaling a need for businesses to hook viewers after just the first two frames. Interestingly, however, the decline in retention stays above 75% once the Story has over 6 frames. (Rival IQ, 2021)
- For Stories with 5 frames per day, the median tap-forward rate is 75%. Meanwhile, if it contains over 12 frames, the tap-forward rate reaches 80%. (Rival IQ, 2021)
Other Factors to Consider
- The best time to post to Instagram Stories in the US is between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM Eastern Time (EST). (Meltwater, 2020)
- 11% of brands using Instagram include a link to a shoppable page on the Stories they post. (HubSpot, 2020)
Future Trends for Instagram Stories
As Instagram Stories continues to evolve, several emerging trends are set to shape how users and brands interact on the platform:
- Increased Use of Augmented Reality (AR): AR filters, already popular among users, will likely become a standard feature for brands to create immersive experiences. Brands may use AR to allow customers to “try on” products virtually or visualize items in their own space, enhancing engagement and encouraging interaction with Stories content.
- Expanded Shoppable Features: With Instagram’s focus on e-commerce, shoppable Stories are expected to grow in popularity, especially as the platform enhances tools for in-app shopping. This will make it easier for brands to drive sales directly from Stories, offering seamless purchasing experiences through product tags, links, and embedded checkout options.
- Interactive Content Growth: Instagram Stories are becoming increasingly interactive with features like polls, quizzes, and Q&A. These tools will continue to expand as users enjoy direct engagement with content, and brands leverage these interactions to gather insights and encourage participation.
- Personalized Story Ads: With advancements in machine learning, brands can create more personalized Story ads. Instagram will likely incorporate deeper targeting options, allowing advertisers to tailor content based on individual user behavior and interests.
- Higher Emphasis on Short-Form Video Content: The popularity of short videos, fueled by platforms like TikTok, will push Instagram Stories to prioritize quick, engaging clips. As more users engage with this content, brands will likely pivot to creating dynamic, bite-sized videos to capture attention within seconds.
- Collaborative Stories for Community Engagement: Instagram may encourage more collaborative or co-branded Stories, allowing multiple brands or influencers to share content within a single Story frame. This trend could build community and engagement, creating cross-promotional opportunities while enhancing user interest in Stories content.
Ephemeral Content: The Future of Social Media
The Instagram Stories feature has undoubtedly bolstered itself as a crucial function of the famous social network, rivaling photo and video content. With the current pandemic and the massive number of people using social media daily, this type of ephemeral content has surely allowed us to remain connected in uncertain times.
For individuals, it has served as a quick way to chronicle their daily life for their followers. In other ways, it’s been helpful for crowdsourcing, spreading awareness, or even just sharing their thoughts. Meanwhile, businesses are able to leverage it to maximize their content, boost their reach, improve engagement, and even elicit immediate responses from their followers.
As such, with the success of Instagram Stories, we can expect that more social media platforms will adopt this type of content in the near future. In addition, this may prompt improvements to existing ephemeral content on different networks. For instance, Instagram is continually rolling out new filters and effects as well as sales and conversion features, which are helpful in growing social presence for businesses.
But, of course, as we mentioned earlier, it’s not enough to simply implement these social media tools as part of your business strategies. To make the most out of these tools, measuring your performance is key. You can start by understanding how to use social media analytics so you can gain deeper insights into your strategies. Combining this with Instagram Story analytics, you can pinpoint what works and what doesn’t work and adjust accordingly.
Key Insights
- Instagram Stories have quickly become a critical tool for social media engagement since their launch in 2016.
- As of January 2019, Instagram Stories boast around 500 million daily active users, indicating widespread adoption.
- Millennials and Gen Zers are the primary users of Instagram Stories, with women interacting with this feature more frequently than men.
- A significant portion of Instagram users (58%) watch Stories multiple times daily, showing high engagement with this type of content.
- Instagram Stories are highly effective for business promotion, with 67% of users having swiped up on links in branded Stories.
- Businesses see Instagram Stories as a valuable marketing tool, with 96% of U.S. marketers planning to continue using them in their ad campaigns.
- Instagram Stories ads account for a growing share of ad spending on the platform, demonstrating their increasing importance in digital marketing strategies.
- Effective use of Instagram Stories includes frequent posting, short and engaging frames, and the inclusion of interactive elements like links and tags.
FAQ
- What is the primary demographic using Instagram Stories? The primary users of Instagram Stories are Millennials and Gen Zers. Women, in particular, use this feature more frequently than men, with a significant number of them viewing Stories multiple times a day.
- How often do Instagram users engage with Stories? Over half of Instagram users (58%) watch Stories multiple times daily. Additionally, 37% of users post a Story more than once a week, indicating regular engagement with this feature.
- How effective are Instagram Stories for business promotion? Instagram Stories are highly effective for business promotion. A third of the most viewed Stories are produced by businesses, and 67% of users have interacted with branded Stories by swiping up on links. This demonstrates the format’s ability to drive consumer interest and engagement.
- What are some best practices for posting Instagram Stories? Effective practices include posting frequently, using shorter scenes to retain viewer attention, and incorporating interactive elements such as links to shoppable pages. Brands that post more often and use engaging, concise content tend to see higher engagement rates.
- How does ad spending on Instagram Stories compare to other formats? Instagram Stories account for a growing share of ad spending on the platform, making up 35% of total ad impressions as of Q3 2020. While it doesn’t match the spending on Facebook Feed ads, the increasing investment highlights the format’s effectiveness and popularity.
- Why should businesses consider using Instagram Stories in their marketing strategies? Businesses should consider using Instagram Stories because they offer high engagement rates, cost-effective advertising options, and the ability to reach a broad and active user base. The format’s temporary nature also taps into users’ FOMO, encouraging them to engage quickly with content.
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