Are you looking to get more views on your Instagram Stories in 2024?
With over half a billion people watching Stories on the daily, focusing your marketing efforts on an effective Instagram Stories strategy can seriously pay off.
In this blog post, we're sharing our top five ways to rack up engagement and ultimately get more views on your Stories.
Plus — we'll break down how to use the best tool for scheduling (and publishing) your Stories to make planning content a breeze.
How to Get More Instagram Story Views
Here are five ways to increase your Instagram Stories views in 2024:
Add an Engagement-driving Sticker
Include an Extra Story at the End
Share Exclusive Content
Tap Into Instagram's Close Friends
Be Consistent
Tactic #1: Add an Engagement-driving Sticker to Your First Story
One of the quickest ways to boost your Stories' views is by adding an engagement-driving sticker (such as a poll, emoji slider, or quiz) to the very first Story you share:
This will encourage engagement on your Stories right off the bat, which is a major nudge to the Instagram algorithm.
The more clicks and engagements your Stories receive, the more Instagram will bump your Stories to the front of the queue.
Hello, more views! 👋
Tactic #2: Include an Extra Story at the End of the Day
This tried-and-tested tip comes straight from Later’s Social Content Lead, Lindsay Ashcraft.
“Adding a new Story at hour 22-23, right before the rest of our Stories expire, gives all of them an extra boost in views.”
We’re not entirely sure why this works so well — but it's worth experimenting with.
Later’s social team has also tried taking a short hiatus to see if this had any impact on Story views.
The result? Not much.
“We didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary for us,” shares Lindsay. “Lots of people recommend this, but we haven't been able to replicate results consistently.”
ICYMI: Later's social media management tools make posting your Instagram Stories easier (and you'll save time in the long-run). Create an account today.
Tactic #3: Share Exclusive Content on Stories
It may be an age-old marketing tactic, but sharing exclusive content is a bonafide way to increase your views — especially if it’s something useful or interesting to your community.
For brands, this could be an exclusive 24-hour discount code. For creators, it could be a tutorial sneak peek, or a point of view you’ve never shared before:
The short-lived nature of Instagram Stories is great for creating buzz — especially when paired with a feed post caption that encourages viewers to head to your stories to find out more.
On the lookout for inspiration? Bookmark this blog: 25 Instagram Stories Ideas for Your Social Strategy
Tactic #4: Tap Into Instagram’s Close Friends Feature
This little-known hack can be a real game-changer for increasing Instagram Stories views.
You may have noticed that when someone adds you to their Close Friends list, you’ll see their Stories closer to the front of your feed with a bright green border.
This is because Instagram prioritizes content from “close connections.”
Admittedly, adding all of your followers to a Close Friends list isn’t a viable tactic — but it is a great way to share important information to the most engaged members of your community.
This could be anyone — from brand ambassadors to repeat customers.
Tactic #5: Be Consistent
Being consistent is one of the best ways to get views on your Instagram Stories, drive sales, and increase engagement.
But posting daily Instagram Stories can be challenging — whether it's choosing what to post, finding the time to create content, or forgetting to post altogether.
Enter: Later's Instagram Stories scheduler.
By bulk uploading and storyboarding your content in advance, you can make sure you're hitting your content pillars, being strategic, and posting consistently:
Plus, you can easily see how your Instagram Stories are performing with Later's easy-to-use analytics dashboard.
The tool lets you track up to 12 months' worth of Instagram Stories, so you can see exactly what's performed best — and filter by key metrics, such as likes, reach, comments, and more:
It’s the best way to inform your content strategy.
And that's it!
Whether you're looking to improve your engagement or get more eyeballs on your Instagram Stories, these five tips will keep your followers tap-tap-tapping for more.
So, what are you waiting for? Start scheduling your Instagram Stories in advance with Later — available on paid plans.