Instagram Business
21 октября 2018
How do people perceive and use Instagram Stories and feed?
The people and communities on Instagram are what define it. So, when advertisers asked us for a more nuanced picture of Instagram Stories and feed, Facebook IQ surveyed a group of experts: nearly 10,000 people in Brazil, Indonesia, the UK and the US aged 13-55 who use Instagram at least once a week. The research revealed that people perceive and use Instagram feed and Instagram Stories in different ways – knowledge that could help marketers fine-tune their cross-platform campaigns.
These days, more than half of Instagrammers globally use stories as well as feed on a daily basis.1 Both products enable people to view, create and share photos and videos, but there are some key differences.
Instagram Stories
Content in Instagram Stories, which launched in 2016, is full-screen, disappears (unless saved) within 24 hours and can be enhanced with playful creative tools such as stickers, emojis and GIFs.
Instagram feed
Content in Instagram feed, which launched in 2010, takes up a smaller proportion of the screen, is permanent on account profiles (unless deleted) and can be edited with filters.
The audience we surveyed perceived similarities and differences beyond these. Across all four countries, people strongly see both Instagram Stories and Instagram feed as visually beautiful places to revel in creativity. But people also tend to associate each with different use cases. For instance, they're more likely to say that they visit stories to see live, unfiltered content – think behind-the-scenes clips from Fashion Month or Boomerangs of athletes getting ready for a big event. On the other hand, they're more likely to say that they go to feed for a broader range of reasons – the most common of which are to find information and discover products and brands.
Based on these findings, a marketer might use feed to introduce people to or share updates on a brand or product, and stories to engage them more deeply through real-time, authentic content.What's the appeal of stories?
Although Instagram Stories only launched less than two years ago, there are already more than 300 million daily active accounts globally.2 To understand the reasons for this rapid rise, we focused a set of survey questions on what people value about the product.3
Many people surveyed indicated strong agreement with the idea that stories have improved their communication with friends and family.4 Some said that they appreciate the fact that content disappears within 24 hours unless saved, and that the format helps them to be more authentic. More than one in three said that they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Instagram Stories.
While these results were strong in all four countries, they were particularly pronounced in Brazil and Indonesia. These were also the two countries for which we saw the highest stated activity on stories among the four countries surveyed. As stories activity rises in the UK and the US, we might also see positive sentiment rise in those countries.
People say that stories bring them closer to friends and brands.6
• 47% find that Instagram Stories helps them be more authentic in their communication with friends and family7
• 44% are drawn to Instagram Stories because content disappears after 24 hours8
• 39% have become more interested in a brand/product after seeing it on Instagram Stories9What do people most strongly associate with stories and feed?
When we studied people's associations with Instagram Stories and Instagram feed, we found lots of overlap. People surveyed strongly perceive both as visually beautiful, creative destinations that facilitate freedom of expression.
That said, we also found a few regional distinctions. People in Brazil tend to associate stories and feed with uplifting content, for instance, which could mean encouraging quotes and inspiring images and videos. People in Indonesia associate stories with authentic content, perhaps because stories often consist of live, unedited glimpses behind the scenes. And people in the UK associate stories with expression of passion, which might be because the format offers an extensive palette of whimsical creative tools.
People associate both Instagram Stories and Instagram feed with visual beauty and creativity.
Top three attributes that people associate with stories and feed:
When do people use stories and feed?
When we asked people to opt for either Instagram Stories or Instagram feed for a range of objectives, we found that on average across four countries, people more often turn to stories than feed in just two situations. The first is when they want to see what friends are doing at the moment, which indicates that stories function as a way of bringing people closer together in real time. The second is when they want to see unfiltered, authentic content – which could mean everyday moments or even «non-moments». In all countries, except Indonesia, people also more often turn to stories than feed for a third reason: to see playful, funny content.
Perhaps because Instagram feed is more familiar and has been used much longer, people opted for it over Instagram Stories for a greater number and range of use cases. The top were to find information and discover products and brands.
People opt for stories for live, unedited content and for feed for discovery.
What types of content do people value most in stories and feed?
The fact that people tend to opt for feed over stories to discover products and brands doesn't mean that people don't want to see content from brands in stories. In fact, when we surveyed people about stories and feed independently and compared the results, we saw that people in Brazil, the US and UK placed a higher value on content related to brands or products in stories than in feed. (The only type of content that people in Indonesia valued more in stories was content that lets them show their authentic selves.) It seems that while people strongly associate discovery of brands and products with feed, they also appreciate the ability to see brand- and product-related content in stories.
When it comes to feed over stories, people in the US and UK prioritise content that helps them connect to family and friends, and get a glimpse of their lives, discover new things about their passions and hobbies, and connect to others who share their interests. And in Brazil and Indonesia, people indicate that content that shows them destinations they dream about visiting is more important in feed than in stories.
People prioritise different types of content in feed and stories.
Below represents the categories where we see statistically significant differences between the types of content that people say are important in stories and the types of content that people say are important in feed.
What it means for marketers
• Tell your story. Many people surveyed say that stories have improved the way they communicate. Consider experimenting with adding stories to your next Instagram campaign, and take a look at these case studies for inspiration.
• Fulfil expectations. While stories and feed have much in common, people associate different experiences with each. Bear these expectations in mind when thinking about what content to share on each channel. For instance, marketers might share live, authentic-feeling moments in stories, and capture timeless content for people to discover at any time in their feed.
• Cater to your market. People in different markets expect to see different types of content in stories and feed. Deliver on these desires by examining each market's most powerful associations with the platforms and tailoring your planning accordingly.
• Bear creative considerations in mind. To help marketers create more compelling Instagram Stories ads, Facebook IQ commissioned MetrixLab to conduct studies of 30 US Instagram Stories ads from CPG brands. We found that strategies such as including branding early, moving quickly from scene to scene and including product demos made stories ads more effective. See the top five creative considerations.
Source unless otherwise specified:
«Instagram Stories and Feed» by Sentient Decision Science (Facebook-commissioned survey of 2,400 people in Brazil, 2,300 in Indonesia, 2,300 in the UK and 2,400 in the US aged 13-55), Oct 2017.
Announcing shopping in Instagram Stories and Explore
Since expanding shopping on Instagram to more countries in March, businesses all over the world have been able to connect with customers in a fresh, immersive way on Instagram – giving them more opportunities to showcase their products while allowing consumers to explore the brands they love. In June, we announced that we were bringing shopping to Instagram Stories through a test with a small number of businesses.
Today, we are giving all businesses approved for shopping on Instagram new ways to connect with shoppers by expanding shopping in Stories and launching the test of a shopping channel in Explore.
With more than 90 million accounts tapping to reveal tags in shopping posts on Instagram every month,1 Instagram has quickly become a shopping destination unlike anywhere else. That's because Instagram allows shoppers to visually explore all of their favourite products and stumble upon new ones that inspire them.
42% of women on Instagram surveyed in the US say they love to shop and consider it a hobby.
Instagram data, Jan 2018 2
Shopping in Stories
To give people a faster way to shop on Instagram Stories, we are enabling businesses to add shopping tags in stories, so they can easily integrate products into their stories content.3 Instagram Stories has seen rapid growth in adoption amongst consumers, with more than 400 million accounts using the feature daily.4 People love stories for its immersive, full-screen format, and one-third of the most-viewed stories are from businesses.5 Now, businesses with shopping can meet more shoppers where they are in a meaningful way.
Businesses that are approved and set up to use shopping will now be able to add one shopping tag to any story6 with customisable text colour. When a shopper taps on a product sticker, they'll be taken to the same product details page that they see when they tap on a shopping post in feed. There, they'll be able to see additional product images, details and similar items, as well as a link to the business's mobile site to make a purchase.
Shopping in Explore
With more than 200 million Instagram accounts visiting Explore every day,7 it's a powerful surface where people can actively dive deeper into their interests. Shopping is one of the interests they want to discover when they come to Explore, and we're learning how to personalise brands and products to each shopper's tastes. This creates a more relevant and enjoyable shopping experience for consumers, and helps brands put their products in front of the right customers.
In addition to the expansion of product stickers in stories, we're also testing a topic channel for shopping in Explore.8 The shopping channel will be based on each user's specific shopping interests and will display shopping posts from a variety of businesses that the user may like, giving them the opportunity to discover new businesses. The shopping channel in Explore is currently in testing and will be rolled out globally over the coming weeks.
Looking ahead
As more and more people visit Instagram to shop the brands and products they love, we'll continue to explore new ways to enhance the overall shopping experience on Instagram.
To learn more about these new ways to shop on Instagram, visit our shopping on Instagram page and read how to get started with an Instagram business account.
#INTHEKNOW with Instagram: Summer edition
Stay up to date on Instagram's latest product updates, learn new tips from our business community and read their success stories. #INTHEKNOWWelcome to IGTV
We've launched a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favourite Instagram creators, such as LaurDIY posting her newest project or King Bach sharing his latest comedy skit. While there's a stand-alone IGTV app, you'll also be able to watch from within the Instagram app, so the entire community of one billion can use it from the very start.
Take a look at the video of the event to learn what IGTV is, how it works and see it come to life.
Introducing music in Stories
Now you can add a soundtrack to your story that fits any moment and helps you express how you're feeling. Instagram Stories is now used by 400 million every day, and we're excited to give our community new ways to feel closer to their friends and followers.
Find out more about music in Stories
Introducing the questions sticker
An interactive questions sticker in Instagram Stories lets your friends submit questions for you to answer. It's a fun new way to start conversations with your friends so you can get to know each other better.
Find out more about the questions sticker
A new space to build brand love. Use stories to bring your brand to life on Instagram.
• Use the vertical canvas to tell creative stories
• Build creative that's relevant and well-branded to build brand equity and perception
• Choose key brand moments such as launches and premieres for driving action and awareness
• Share authentic content (e.g. sneak peeks of products) to drive brand loyalty
Find out below how to build your brand with Instagram Stories
Unlock greater performance. Inspire action with Stories.
• Optimise for the right objective
• Focus your creative content on product features and benefits
• Measure and track real business outcomes based on people
Learn below how to drive performance marketing with Instagram
Winning with Instagram
The fashion brand Defshop wanted to try one of Instagram's new shopping features to see if it could sell more products directly from its Instagram account. Compared to before it began using the Instagram shopping feature, DefShop saw 56% more visitors to its website, resulting in 64% more sales at a 13% higher conversion rate.
The UK-based fitness wear brand Gymshark used ads in Instagram Stories to promote its newest fitness line – making over 2,400 sales directly through its ads. Result: 9X return on ad spend.
The French bank Crédit Agricole used video on Instagram and Instagram Stories to promote a new banking offer to millennials, which increased brand awareness and ad recall. Result: 20-point increase in ad recall.
Italian snack company Pan di Stelle by Mulino Bianco used Instagram ads to reach its most difficult target audience during the relaunch of its Mooncake – resulting in impressive ad recall and message association. Result: 5-point lift in message association amongst millennials.
Global excellence
Through the power of Instagram Stories, Under Armour Mexico managed to connect with its audiences and generate visits to its website, increasing the number of online sales. Results: 33% lower cost per sale on their website and two times more sales during the campaign.
When Greenpeace Brazil used ads in Instagram Stories to collect signatures for a petition to build a marine sanctuary in Antarctica, it recruited 2,633 people in just ten days – at a cost 5.7 times lower than its established goal.
NBA team Portland Trail Blazers ran immersive ads in feed and Instagram Stories to attract fans and increase ticket sales, resulting in 14 times return on ad spend, 56 times return on ad spend for peak Instagram feed campaign and 33 times return on ad spend for peak Instagram Stories campaign.
See more business success stories on InstagramPARTNERING UP
Beauty brand L'Oréal was looking to make a big splash with the launch of their new #ShapeUp product. In order to drive awareness of their new product range, it was important for their ads to grab the attention of the viewer in a bold and bright way.
L'Oréal and their agency DMI enlisted Vidsy, an Instagram Marketing Partner, to create content that showcased the new products with eye-catching creative that also conveyed product benefits. The ads in Instagram Stories resulted in a 32% higher view rate compared to benchmarks.
If you're short on time or need additional help, find an Instagram Partner to help you with everything from buying ads to sourcing and delivering creative. All partners are proven experts in their field and vetted by us.
Find the right Instagram Marketing Partner to match your needs
Quick links
For all of the latest announcements, updates and best practices from Instagram, take a look at our business blog.
Get more out of Instagram with our small business toolkit
Learn all about advertising on Instagram with these free online courses
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