Instagram is one of the most successful social networks. Even though many users are switching over to TikTok, Meta’s platform still has a big piece of the cake, as well as being the network of choice for celebrities. Today we will talk about the Stories and Instagram Reelstwo types of key posts on Instagram, with different goals and intentions.
Stories: for everyday
Instagram stories were born as a response to Snapchat. At a time when users preferred the ghost network, Mark Zuckerberg invented this feature to retain their users on Instagram. To see the Stories of your contacts, you just have to go to the top of your Instagram app’s home page.
The stories are ephemeral publications. Once uploaded, they are no longer visible to the public once passed 24 hours. They are not usually elaborate publications, but images or small short videos to tell something current. Stories are 15 seconds long, although snippets can be created up to a minute long.
One of its strengths is the interaction. Many users post stories with small surveys to receive feedback of your community. There are also those who use them to attract the attention of certain followers —or some other crush—. That’s why there are so many people hooked on Instagram Stories. In addition, the responses to Stories are totally private. Once you upload one, any response will be seen as a private message within our profile.
Another unique feature of this feature is that the creator of a Stories can see which users have seen the post. It is also possible to limit access to certain users or even restrict Stories to only our circle of best friends.
Reels: the TikTok of Instagram
Instagram Reels are the newest addition to the social network. They arrived just a couple of years ago, and their objective was none other than to stop the massive flight of users to TikTok.
The Reels appear next to the publications of a lifetime in the feed. Are loop videos, and we can not control the playback rate.
The main Instagram feed is shared between image posts, videos, and Reels. You will recognize the Reels because they occupy almost the entire length of the screen. Currently, almost all users are choosing to make these types of posts instead of uploading videos as it was done until now within publications.
Once you tap to view a Reel, the Instagram interface changes slightly. The video will be put to full screen. If you swipe up, Instagram will show you a completely different Reel. Regarding the comments, they are completely public. We can also like, share or even save them in our collection of favorite items.
Two Instagram features that complement each other perfectly
Reel is not better than Stories or vice versa. Each of these functions has its uses. To get the attention of your followers, stories are the perfect bait. They don’t require too much elaboration and our friends will see the bubble with our name as soon as they open the app on their mobiles.
On the other hand, Reels looks for the virality. These videos are shown to people all over the world, regardless of whether or not they follow us — unless your account is locked. Making a Reels requires a little more effort, and it is also important to know how to attract attention and tell something interesting.
