This post in a nutshell:
- Understanding the importance of branded Instagram Stories templates
- How to design your custom templates on Instagram
- How to use Instagram's customer design elements and tools
- How to create a cohesive Instagram Story content strategy
Instagram Stories are a fantastic way to engage with your audience and promote your brand, but creating visually appealing stories can be time-consuming. That’s where branded Instagram story templates come in.
In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of branded Instagram story templates, how to create them, and how to utilize them to create a cohesive Instagram story content strategy.
Understanding the Importance of Branded Instagram Story Templates
Instagram, in particular, has become one of the most popular social media platforms for businesses to showcase their products and services, and engage with their audience. However, with so much and so many types of content being shared on the platform, it can be challenging to stand out and make an impact.
Enter: branded Instagram Story templates!
Branded Instagram story templates are pre-designed layouts that incorporate your branding elements, such as visual identity, colors, and fonts. These templates can be used to create consistent, visually appealing IG stories that help your brand stand out on the platform.
Boosting brand recognition
One of the primary benefits of using branded Instagram story templates is that they can help you boost brand recognition. By incorporating your brand’s visual identity into your stories, you can create a cohesive look that your audience will instantly recognize. This is important because it helps to establish a strong brand presence on Instagram and makes your stories stand out in the sea of content.
For example, if your brand’s color scheme is blue and white, you can use these colors in your Instagram story templates to create a consistent look and feel. This will help your audience identify your brand quickly, even when scrolling through their feed.
Increasing audience engagement
Creating visually appealing Instagram stories is essential to engaging with your audience. When your stories look professional and well-designed, your audience is more likely to stop and engage with them. Branded Instagram story templates can help you achieve this by providing you with pre-made layouts that are visually appealing and easy to read.
Incorporating interactive features like Instagram polls and quizzes into your branded templates can also help increase audience engagement rates. These features encourage your audience to interact with your content pieces, which can lead to increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Check out MixBloom's guide for some top tips on how to increase your social media engagement rate!
Maintaining a consistent aesthetic
A consistent aesthetic is essential for building a strong brand presence on Instagram. By utilizing branded Instagram story templates, you can maintain a consistent look and feel across all of your brand’s stories. This is important because it reinforces your brand’s identity and helps to establish your brand as a trustworthy and reliable source of information.
Consistency is also important for creating a cohesive brand narrative. When your stories have a consistent look and feel, they can tell a story about your brand and its values. This can help to create an emotional connection with your audience, which can lead to increased customer retention.
Designing Your Brand's Instagram Story Template
Identifying your brand's visual identity
The first step in creating a branded Instagram story template is identifying your brand’s visual identity. This includes your brand’s color palette, typography, and other visual elements that define your brand’s look and feel.
Your brand’s visual identity is what sets you apart from your competitors and helps your audience recognize your brand instantly. Take some time to analyze your brand’s visual identity and make a list of the key elements that make up your brand’s look and feel.
This will help you create a unique Instagram story template that represents your brand.
Once you have identified your brand’s visual identity, you can start building your Instagram story template. Use your brand’s existing visual identity as a starting point and build upon it to create a unique Instagram story template that represents your brand.
Make sure to keep your brand’s visual identity consistent across all of your social media channels, including your Instagram story template.
Choosing the right colors and fonts
Your colors and fonts should align with your visual identity and be easy to read. Use contrasting colors to make key information stand out.
For example, if your brand’s primary color is blue, consider using a bright yellow or orange for call-to-action buttons. Make sure to use fonts that are easy to read on a small screen, and avoid using too many different fonts in your template. Stick to one or two fonts that complement each other and your brand’s visual identity.
When choosing colors and fonts, consider the emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Colors can have a significant impact on how your audience perceives your brand. Blue can evoke feelings of trust and reliability, while red can evoke feelings of excitement and passion. Choose colors and fonts that align with your brand’s personality and the emotions you want to evoke in your audience.
Incorporating your logo and other brand elements
Incorporating your logo and other brand elements, such as product images or icons, into your branded Instagram story template can help reinforce your brand’s visual identity. But be careful not to overcrowd your template with too many elements or make it too busy. Keep it simple and use white space to help your key messaging stand out. Your logo should be prominently displayed in your Instagram story template, but make sure it doesn’t overpower your other content.
Consider incorporating other brand elements, such as your brand’s tagline or mission statement, into your Instagram story template too. This can help reinforce your brand’s messaging and make your Instagram story template more memorable. Make sure to keep your messaging consistent with your brand’s overall messaging and personality.
Utilizing Instagram Story Design Tools
Instagram stories have become an essential tool for businesses to engage with their audience. But creating them can be a challenge, especially if you don't have a background in design.
Exploring Instagram's built-in features
Thankfully, Instagram has a range of built-in features to help you design your Instagram stories. These include filters, stickers, and GIFs.
Filters can help you create a consistent look and feel for your Instagram stories. Stickers and GIFs can add a touch of fun and personality to your stories. Experiment with these extra features to see which ones work best for your brand, and incorporate them into your branded Instagram story templates.
One popular feature is the "Poll" sticker, which allows you to ask your audience a question and get real-time feedback. This is a great way to engage with your audience and get valuable insights into what they want to see from your brand.
Leveraging third-party design apps
If you want to take your Instagram story design to the next level, there are many third-party design apps available that can help you create beautiful Instagram story templates. Canva, Adobe Express, Adobe Photoshop and Unfold are just a few examples of popular design apps that can help you create professional-looking Instagram stories quickly and easily.
These apps offer a range of templates, graphics, and fonts that you can customize to match your brand’s visual identity. You can also create your own templates from scratch, giving you complete control over the design of your Instagram stories.
Creating a Cohesive Instagram Story Content Strategy
Establishing content themes and categories
To create a cohesive Instagram story content strategy, establish recurring content themes and categories. This could include behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business, product tutorials, or customer testimonials.
By establishing these themes and categories, you can ensure that your stories are consistent with your brand messaging and align with your overall social media marketing strategy.
Balancing promotional and engaging content
It's also important to balance promotional content with engaging content. While it’s important to promote your products and services, focus on creating branded stories that provide value to your audience and help to build a relationship between your brand and your followers.
Planning and scheduling your Instagram Stories
Finally, plan and schedule your Instagram stories in advance to avoid last-minute scrambling. Use a social media calendar to plan out your stories. Planning and scheduling your Instagram stories will ensure that your content is consistent, well-designed and aligned with your brand.
Overall, branded Instagram story templates are an essential tool for businesses looking to establish a strong brand presence on Instagram. By creating visually appealing and consistent templates, you can boost brand recognition, increase audience engagement, and create a cohesive Instagram story content strategy.
Whether you’re using Instagram’s built-in features or third-party design apps, make sure to customize your templates to reflect your brand’s visual identity and messaging.
And remember to plan and schedule your Instagram stories in advance to ensure that your content is consistent and aligned with your overall marketing strategy.
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