Have you ever heard that if you post a Layout to your Instagram story, it will increase your story views?
I heard this, so I decided to test it out over a period lasting a couple of weeks so I could report back on how it went for you all.
What’s a story Layout?
The Layout feature on Instagram Stories is a way to post multiple images into one story. There are plenty of different Layout options, so you can add 2, 3, 4 or 6 photos to one Layout.
Here are some step-by-step photos to show you how to create a Layout:
At first, I found it hard to create a Layout without being too forced, but then after experimenting with different ways to use several photos in one Layout it became more natural to me.
Here are a few ways that I used the Layout feature in case it gives you some ideas:
The Verdict:
It worked! On average, I saw about a 25-30% increase on my story views on most of the days where I used the Layout feature versus the days I didn’t use it.
A few notes:
- I found that it worked best when it was my first story of the day.
- It’s important that you don’t post a Layout just for the sake of posting a Layout. Make it a good, quality piece of content that will make your viewers want to continue watching your Story; if it’s a low-quality piece of content then your audience may nt want to continue viewing and engaging with that day’s Story or future Stories.
Why does this work?
Instagram rewards users for utilizing all the new features that come with each update, one of them being the Layout feature.
So when you use this fun new feature, Instagram rewards you by moving your Story higher up in the Stories feed for users to more easily find and click into.
This means that this same principle could also apply to other newer Story features such as Multi-Capture, PhotoBooth, etc. (I just didn’t include these in this blog post because I haven’t tested those!) This same principle also applies to feed content (which is why I continue to create so much Reels content).
However…
The key to having well-followed stories is NOT to rely on fun new tricks like Layouts. These are great tools to have, but they are not the end-all-be-all. Sharing consistent, quality stories will be what really grows your Stories following over time.
Check out this blog post about how to create better Instagram Stories and keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming blog post about how to increase your Story views and engagement.