What did we tell you? Instagram Stories is a never-ending playground for new features and cool rollouts. Whenever we think: “Instagram Stories cannot trump its latest addition!” guess what?! They do! Sure, it’s a clever marketing trick on their part to keep us hooked. However, if you’re running a business, the new Instagram Stories rollouts are not only fun toys to play with, but also great marketing tools for your strategy as well.

Just this week, Instagram made it official that shoppable tags are coming to Instagram Stories. If you don’t yet know what shoppable tags are, hurry up and get up to date with how these can be used in normal posts (and who can use them). If you know about the shoppable posts, then it’s time to get even more excited than you previously were. We’ll tell you more about that in just a bit.

Before we have to mention the other cool feature that just made its way into Instagram Stories: selfie GIFs. Now you can have a picture-in-picture experience that even though at first might sound surreal, it might end up offering you quite a creative opportunity. And since we’re at it, we need to talk a bit about the Instagram Stories Blueprint. What’s that? You’ll soon find out. So let’s dig in!

Add shoppable tags directly to Instagram Stories

If you’re a retailer or work in e-commerce, the news that Instagram is rolling out shoppable tags to Instagram Stories should be gold. With the shoppable tags feature you have the chance to redirect followers to find out more details about the product and price.

While using the feature with posts is great, having access to it in Instagram Stories is even greater. Why? Because Stories have a continuously expanding number of users, reaching an astonishing 300 million. AND because you have more chances of getting viewed with Instagram Stories. The shoppable tags feature has been around since 2016 for a limited number of selected partners, but only for posts. Now it seems like the Instagram Stories update is going to be available to all accounts, as no other mentions or limitations have been given away by the company.

So, roll up your sleeves and get creative! In Stories, you’ll be able to leverage the unique authentic feel and have your products casually pop up without appearing too in-your-face. The feature will work rather simple:

1. Open the Stickers tab in Stories
2. Search for the “Shopping Bag” tag
3. Drag the tag to your Story, next to the item you want to give more details about (e.g. let’s say your Story features a girl on a bike and you’re a bike retailer, then you’ll drag the tag next to the bike)

On the other hand, the way followers will be able to interact with shoppable tags in Stories is very similar to how they interacted with shoppable posts. First, the Story appears and then the “More Details” pops up. Once clicked, it will redirect followers to a new page with more details about the product. Yeap, that means making great use of the momentum you’ve created with your photos and Stories.

How about a selfie GIF with that Instagram Story?

While there’s a lot of mystery revolving the shoppable tags feature and the date it will be made available, the selfie GIF is here and ready to be used. This feature is available to both business and personal accounts and well, it’s as versatile as you can make it. Here’s how it works:

1. Open Stories and take or upload a Story
2. Open the Sticker tab
3. Click on the Camera icon/tag which is actually the Selfie Sticker
4. Take a Selfie or a photo of your choosing
5. Move the Selfie/photo around in your Story to wherever you want it

That’s it. Simple and easy. While the result might appear pretty rough at the beginning, remember that this is what Instagram Stories is famously known for and appreciated: rough authenticity. And, if used well, it can and will also look nice!

Some nice applications for the Selfie Sticker might include past and present associations. You can even use it to associate two types of opposite scenarios (maybe you’re at the office but dreaming about a vacation or the other way around haha?). However, opposites are not the only messages you can associate. You can creatively use the Selfie tag to, let’s say, overlay your face over another body. Another use of the Selfie tag can be to make a face appear in a photo to offer comments. Fact is, you can use the picture in picture, however, your imagination and objectives see fit. And, of course, you can use the Selfie Gif to photograph even something that it isn’t a face.

Find out all there is to know about Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories is a powerful business tool. If you’re directing your attention to Instagram (and you should), then Instagram Stories need to be part of your marketing plan. They will offer you a new way in and a broader reach to a growing audience that now counts 300 million users. And, most importantly, Instagram Stories are so exciting and fun to use!

Instagram Stories offer not only a chance to broaden your reach but also a creative opportunity and so, so, so many features and tools that can boost your strategy. Actually, the tools are so diverse, that even if you’re using Instagram Stories on a constant basis, you might not know of some of them. And it’s a shame. Creating diverse Instagram Stories will not only help you highly engage and entertain your audience, but it will help you better promote your brand by putting various aspects of it into light.

Did you know that you could create Stop Motion videos directly through Instagram Stories? Well, now you know. And you got this new info just by reading one line. Imagine what could 55 pages of awesome insights could teach you. Yeap, a full 55 pages that together make one awesome Instagram Stories Blueprint. All you need to know and much much more for free. Get your copy now and start reading. Cool is the word and now is the time:

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