Stories are short-lived content (typically 24 hours) that appear at the top of the app on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Definition
Stories are short-lived content (typically 24 hours) that appear at the top of the app on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. They support photos, short videos, text, polls, questions, and interactive stickers.
Stories reach your existing followers more reliably than feed posts because they sit prominently at the top of the app. They're perfect for behind-the-scenes content, quick updates, polls, and driving traffic via swipe-up links. Over 500 million people use Instagram Stories daily.
A restaurant uses Instagram Stories to share daily specials, kitchen behind-the-scenes, and poll followers about new menu items. Their Stories consistently reach 20-30% of followers, while feed posts only reach 10-15%. The polls also provide free market research.
Key Takeaway: Stories are your direct line to existing followers — use them for engagement and real-time connection, not just content distribution.
Post 3-7 Stories per day for optimal reach without overwhelming your audience.
Use interactive stickers (polls, questions, quizzes) to boost engagement — the algorithm favors interactive Stories.
Save your best Stories to Highlights so new visitors can see your key content beyond the 24-hour window.
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Category
13 terms in this category
Reels
Reels are short-form vertical videos on Instagram and Facebook, ranging from 15 to 90 seconds.
Carousel Post
A carousel post is a multi-image or multi-slide post that users swipe through horizontally.
Engagement Rate
Engagement rate is the percentage of your audience that interacts with your content through likes, comments, shares, saves, and clicks.
Reach
Reach is the total number of unique users who see your content.
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