Ever had that sinking feeling that nobody is going to show up to your dinner party? Then you understand how it feels when nobody is swiping up on your Instagram Story.
You could see that they are getting loads of views, however, those just are not translating into clicks. Where is everybody?
They are still on Instagram, however, I am sorry to say that they are swiping up on other people’s Stories instead of yours. Do not take it personally. It isn’t you— it’s your Stories. And luckily, there are a lot of methods to improve them!
Here’s how to get your followers swiping up instead of swiping through.
7 reasons your Instagram Stories may not be converting
1. Your content is too polished
As the Instagram Feed developed more and more refined, a perfectly-arranged avocado toast post at a time, Stories became a place where viewers expected looser, more natural content.
Our group discovered that live-action videos perform greater than graphic videos for that reason: content that is too slick looks out of place and disrupts the user’s experience as they scroll through their Stories.
Similarly, brands like The Guardian discovered that realistic Stories perform better than heavily-edited ones.
Even when you are promoting on Instagram Stories, you do not want your videos to look too much like adverts. Otherwise, they will stand out awkwardly from the other Stories you publish and users will skip them.
There are advantages to keeping your Stories more casual. For one factor, it provides you with more chance to experiment. As Stories become the dominant format on Instagram, the platform continues to add more functions and codecs so that you can play improve your Tales. Including stickers, GIFs, and filters generally is a good contact that helps your content slot in with the opposite Tales your follower is watching.
When you are searching for inspiration, Bon Appetit is consistently great at sharing high-quality videos that never appear too stiff or formal.
One exception to this rule? In case your brand id is extra composed and formal, then your Stories need to be too. For example, the New Yorker’s Instagram Stories are aligned with the editorial feel and look of their other content.
2. …or maybe your Stories are too laid-back.
I know, we just informed you to relax! Nevertheless, it’s kind of like when a friend tells you to “be yourself” at a job interview. They do not mean that you need to show up in sweatpants.
When in doubt, stay on brand. Having a clear visual identity for your business is important, because it’ll help new followers get to know you, and long-time followers recognize your content immediately. Audiences will only spend a few precious seconds deciding whether to see your Stories, so make it simple for them to figure out who you’re.
Even if you want your Stories to look like you are publishing them at the moment, ensure to preview them first to check how they look. Are they blurry? Are they cropped weirdly? Does your text have typos? If so, reshoot!
While it always helps to have a professional photographer or designer making your Stories, even small groups could produce stunning content. Anybody could learn to take and edit gorgeous photos utilizing only a smartphone. Or, you can even use a set of graphic templates.
One last tip: always follow the design specs for Stories, which can guarantee your videos and photos look sharp and clear.
3. Your CTA is unclear
Ok, you have reviewed your Stories and you are confident that they are hitting the right balance between polished and informal. However, your viewer still is not swiping up.
It might be another common problem: your call-to-action is not obvious enough.
Without a clear CTA, your viewer is likely to move on without realizing you want them to take another action.
Instagram provides “See More” text to the bottom of Stories that embrace links, however, that does not give your followers lots of data. Swipe up to do what? Purchase the pictured product, read a post about it, sign up to find out when it’s available?
In terms of CTAs, there’s no profit to subtlety. You need to be as obvious as Andrew Lincoln holding giant cue cards up for Keira Knightley.
Providing further context helps make your message clear in the few seconds you have with viewers.
You could also make your CTA larger and more visible than the “See More” text while maintaining your Story’s aesthetic, like Apartment Therapy did right here:
Or use one of the many GIFs or stickers on Instagram that were designed for exactly this goal. Listed here are only a few of the options if you search GIFs for “swipe up” options.
4. Your landing page isn’t constant
Your CTA is necessary, however, it’s just the means to an end. Your landing page—or whatever’s waiting on the other side of that swipe—is where you will make or break your conversions.
And one of the largest reasons viewers close your landing page without taking action is because your content or message is inconsistent. Message matching is vital! Be sure whatever you are providing on your Story is aligned with what audiences get on the landing page.
The appear and feel of your landing page is equally necessary. It needs to mirror the tone and visuals of your Stories for a seamless experience that draws viewers in.
Important oil brand Vitruvi is a great example of an aligned Instagram Story and landing page:
5. The important details are hard to find
You understand how essential quality is when it comes to Instagram Stories: if it looks bad, or it’s boring, followers will skip it. However, even great content could fail you if it isn’t giving enough info to your viewers!
Even followers who like your Story may not ensure what the purpose is. A product reveal? A blog post? A longer video waiting for them on your site?
For instance, mattress startup Endy shared some Valentine’s Day Stories about flowers. Right here’s the first one:
From this Story alone, it’s difficult to guess what audiences could expect if they swipe. A list of reasons to visit a florist? Tips for selecting a bouquet? The next Stories in the sequence are much clearer:
Follow their lead, and ensure that your Story sequence has a clear point for audiences.
And in case you are sharing an offer, you should be even more particular and urgent. “SALE!” is compelling, however, “ONE-DAY SALE ON NOW” is going to get more people swiping.
In case your Story is a video, do not rely too heavily on audio to get your key points across. While Instagram says that 70% of users see videos with the sound on, that still means 30% of them turn it off. Embody text with your offer and CTA, or risk followers missing these particulars altogether!
6. There’s too much information
You want your Stories to pique curiosity and drive followers to your landing web page. Which means being selective and sharing necessary info, not every single detail!
In case your follower looks at the dashes along the top of the screen and views that there are 20 Stories ahead of them, they could get overwhelmed and just skip all of them.
You would not give a presentation in front of a follower without practicing it, or publish a blog post without editing. So apply the same philosophy to your Instagram Stories. Plan your Stories in advance to ensure each of them has a goal (whether that’s info or entertainment) and adds worth for your viewers.
How much is too much? Some have made a solid case for a three-story limit, however, there’s no hard and quick rule.
In case you are sharing image Stories which are simple to flick through, you could embrace more. However, only your die-hard followers will watch a dozen 15-second videos in a row.
7. You don’t understand your audience
You could be nailing all these suggestions, and yet your Stories are still be falling flat. It could be that you are making great content for the wrong audience: yourself, rather than your fans.
In case your viewers are not swiping up on your Stories, chances are you’re sharing something they re simply not that excited about. So how do you find out what your followers want to see?
You probably do not want to DM each one and ask. Luckily, there is a lot of analytics that can tell you what sort of content resonates most with your followers. Instagram has some helpful built-in statistics, however, there are lots of other sources of information. Find out what analytics you need to be tracking, and the tools you could use to track it.
A/B testing could also help you grow your Stories strategy, by permitting you to test variations on your promoted content. Over time, you will learn which CTAs and Story formats yield the best outcomes.
Qualitative analysis is valuable too, so talk to your followers! Use Polls or Questions to gather feedback rapidly on what they want to see from you, or what sorts of content they like greatest.
Always keep in mind, your audience already likes your brand. They follow you for a reason! You just need to develop a solid understanding of who they’re and what they like, and share Stories that speak to these interests.
When you hit your stride, the conversions will follow!