Enhance Instagram Stories With Tools

Stories on Instagram are undoubtedly a hot main topic for professionals like me in the social media year 2018. Instagram announced the 400 million daily view mark for Stories’ two-year birthday in the summer. In the meantime, the 500 million views mark for Instagram should be close. Even Facebook has recognized Stories as a feature that corresponds to the zeitgeist.

In our Instagram series here on the blog, we have already had tips on stories against and explained why this format belongs in your content strategy. This time there is a reference in tools to add value to your Instagram stories and make them more accessible and more attractive.

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Recommended Tools That Add Value To Your IG Stories

We have already suggested the Unfold app (unfold. app) for stories on Instagram. It is still a good tool for adding value to Instagram stories in no time with predefined layouts and templates. But as an alternative or in addition, you are welcome to try these tools – they will convince you and simplify your everyday life.

Email is designed similarly to Unfold but shifts the creation of stories to the browser. The number of templates at Easel is in the thousands and provides layouts not only for industries but also, for example, for holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Halloween. Email is intuitive to use with drag-and-drop, and the templates are easy to configure individually. There is a free trial month for the basic version for companies, which includes access to more than 1,500 free exclusive stock photos. With Easel, you will quickly get aha effects in your stories through creative templates.
Sorrento is also starting to create Instagram stories in the browser. The focus here is on integrating all interactive elements such as surveys, hashtags, and location information into stories in a user-friendly manner. A video editor is also on board. Sorrento, which focuses entirely on Instagram, is rounded off by a content calendar and the simplified option of posting with pinpoint accuracy. Up to ten stories per month are free for business customers like you at Sorrento.
Storyheap’s goal is to get your Instagram stories out when they best reach their audience. Extensive analysis tools are integrated into Storyheap to give you reliable recommendations on when it is best to post. Storyheap learns based on your previous stories and those of your competitors. Another tool is built-in with Insights that measure the success of your accounts. There is also a free trial month at Storyheap.

Sterio

Stereo is an app that has so far only been available for iOS. It only has one purpose, but that is crucial for everyone who handles videos in Instagram stories. Stereo automatically cuts longer videos into the 15-second bites allowed for stories on Instagram. In the end, the short video becomes a coherent short film again for the viewer. A one-time in-app purchase of EUR 10.99 is required to remove the Stereo watermark from the end products forever. Compared to the working time usually needed to cut videos down to the second, this is a fair price. An alternative is CutStory, also so far only available for iPhones and iPads. The difference here to Stereo: Time formats other than 15 seconds can also be set.

InShot

InShot is available for iOS and Android. This app makes it easy for you to convert videos to Instagram’s preferred portrait format. InShot eliminates the notorious black bars on the left and right in moving images. To do this, you can add music to your videos, incorporate effects such as zoom or time-lapse and slow motion, and project text onto the tapes. Remove watermarks and additional features of InShot Pro cost extra as in-app purchases.
Currently only available in Apple’s app store, Hype Type ensures that your texts gain momentum in Instagram stories. In addition, Hype Type sets letters in motion, plays with colors, lets the music play, and the Pro version has various other effects in the quiver. The basic version is free; you remove the watermark and unlock more functions with in-app purchases.

Instagram stories have become such a big topic that far more than the providers mentioned here offer it. In this respect, our list does not claim to be complete – but the tips discussed here have all proven themselves in practice.

Also Read: How Does Trello Work? A Popular Online Tool For (Agile) Projects And Teams

Why Are Tools So Crucial For Excellent Instagram Stories?

You can see for yourself: If you log into Instagram, you will be assaulted by stories. It is all the more important to stand out from the crowd. Incidentally, Instagram has now introduced its category for stories in its English-language newsroom, in which you are regularly informed about new features and trends. However, Instagram’s onboard tools are still modest to help you design. When you try out the tools we recommend, you will immediately understand how a good idea can be turned into an attractive show with just a few clicks. To filter out for yourself which content is particularly suitable for stories, we remind you here again of our contribution to the content strategy on Instagram.

Simply More Fun With Tools For Instagram Stories

Your time budget for working on social networks is limited. In addition to Instagram, Facebook would also like to be served, perhaps Twitter or Pinterest. You want the results in the Instagram Stories to work with a manageable amount of effort. In this way, they do their purpose, to give your brand an image and bring your company to business deals. It is, therefore, apparent to use tried and tested software.

There are good tools for both the creative and organizational parts that are specially tailored to Instagram stories. Testing them out doesn’t cost anything at first – so don’t miss this chance.