No matter how dedicated you might be to operating your company’s Instagram account, you may not be there all the time. Everyone wants a vacation every now and then!
When one other group member has to take the reins, an Instagram Stories style guide will assist to set them up for success by overlaying every part they should know. Read on to find out:
- Different causes you may need to create an Instagram Stories style guide
- Every part you need to include in your Instagram Stories style guide
Why you need a style guide for your Instagram Stories
You need an Instagram Stories style guide for a similar cause you need a style guide for your other social media channels. It’ll show you how to keep a constant look and feel on your Stories, which strengthens your brand in addition to your relationships along with your followers.
Plus, it would give your coworkers confidence when they should step as much as the plate, to allow them to deal with creating nice Stories rather than worrying that they’re utilizing the improper fonts or hashtags.
With that in thoughts, here’s what your style guide ought to cover.
10 things to include in your Instagram Stories style guide
1. Fonts
Whether or not you favor one of the five standard fonts on Instagram Stories (classic, modern, neon, typewriter, or strong), or use a third-party app like HypeType to broaden your choices, your font says lots about you.
As designer Sarah Hyndman has found, fonts convey your brand’s persona and character to audiences. Utilizing a unique font will change the tone of your Stories, as in the event that they instantly began speaking in that weird British accent of Madonna’s.
So wherever your font comes from, be sure you embrace it in your style guide. Specify sizes and weights, and any exceptions or particular conditions. In case you use all caps for headlines, or desire to stay with an informal all-lowercase vibe, ensure to mention it.
2. List of approved + branded hashtags
Adding hashtags to your Instagram Stories may also help them attain wider viewers. However, they’ll additionally work against you in case you accidentally write something embarrassing or off-key.
Spare your coworkers (and your brand!) the embarrassment with a complete checklist of hashtags. These ought to embrace branded hashtags (the ones which are particular to your organization or campaigns, like Warby Parker’s #WarbyHomeTryOn), in addition to any other accepted hashtags you utilize frequently and when to incorporate them.
Don’t make assumptions about how acquainted different group members are with Instagram shorthand. You may assume everybody knows what #TBT means, nevertheless it doesn’t hurt to be clear.
3. List of approved GIFs
I hope you’re utilizing GIFs, the frequent language of the internet, in your Instagram Stories. There are nearly no posts that can’t be improved by the addition of a dancing Tina Belcher. In case you are, you should embrace them in your style guide!
Whether or not you create your own or simply pull some favorites via GIPHY, your style guide ought to cover GIFS and their utilization.
As an example, maybe once you embrace a hyperlink in your Instagram Stories, you all the time add a selected “swipe up” or “read more” GIF. It might probably assist here to incorporate screenshots or image files.
These particulars are small, however, they make all the difference in crafting a Story that feels proper to your followers.
4. Image sources and guidelines
Similar to espresso is an important part of your morning, visuals are the most important part of your Instagram technique.
Depart particulars for the place to seek out accepted pictures, like your preferred stock photos sites or meme accounts, and shared folders with property on your merchandise or campaigns.
On the occasion that your coworkers must take live photos and videos for his or her Instagram Stories, it will also be useful to offer tips about image greatest practices.
Fortunately for you, we have tips on taking great photos! However, you must also embrace any common filters or edits that you just do to maintain your images on-brand, to offer guidance for image editing as well.