Instagram is one of the most popular media platforms worldwide for sharing videos and pictures. In this article, we will tackle the advantages one could achieve when one puts a little more effort into customizing their Instagram stories.
Introduced in 2016, Instagram Stories features a more casual way of sharing videos and pictures on your IG page. It is more spontaneous than your well-edited Instagram post.
Since the feature lets you share small snippets of your day with your followers, you can post as many pictures and videos as you want. A slide-show format will display them frequently, showcasing stickers and filters.
Let your creativity show by adding text and drawing tools. According to Semrush, 2.9 billion people visit the site monthly. That is a lot of traffic. So how can your stories stand out from all of the rest? Instagram has a broad audience.
That means that your audience would differ in taste and preferences. By customizing your stories, you can attract more people to your page and convince them to follow you.
Why should you change your Instagram story background?
1. To make it more compelling
No one would follow a boring Instagram story.
You have mere seconds to catch the attention of your audience. In that timeframe, you need to show an engaging story, hold their attention and convince them to follow you for more. You are advertising yourself.
You are the product. One way to make you appeal more, change your Instagram background. A carefully curated color palette and personalized letter fonts will upgrade your stories.
You are now creating brand recognition, wherein your followers immediately associate specific colors and fonts with your page. With 1.22 billion users, think of the number of people that will see your Stories. You have to start planning your next story, then.
2. To suit your story better for the audience
Like any marketing strategy, you have to know your target audience. For example, 70% of Instagrammers are under 34 years old. So what elements could appeal to a younger audience? Have a mood board. Make a palette of colors specific to your brand and the theme of your Instagram stories.
Your background should reflect your narrative, like having a jungle-themed background with your vacation story or having a bold solid background for OOTD pics. The background further enhances the experience of the viewer.
It adds depth to your story. For example, adding elements like certain drawings and stickers could portray what emotions you have had at that particular moment in time.
By customizing your Instagram story, your followers will appreciate the effort that you put in. You'll be more relatable and connect to them more emotionally.
3. To practice your creativity
With numerous editing and drawing tools in the app, you can go crazy with customizing your Instagram stories. To make it easier, various templates are available online for you to use or draw inspiration from.
Use these elements to make your followers feel that they are interacting with you. Show your followers your creative side. They would love to see this part of yours that is distinctively yours. Express yourself with colors, art drawings, and even animations.
Experiment with themes and colors you are hesitant with. See what elements work for you and what best enhances your story. Have fun customizing. Show who you are. Try it right now.
How do you change the background color on Instagram Story 2022?
Here are the steps on how to change the background on Instagram stories.
Step 1: Use a Design Tool
Besides the drawing and editing tools available on the app itself, there are numerous tools that you can use that are available online. Most of them are user-friendly and free to use. Some more in-depth tools are also available for a reasonable price. Here are some examples;
One reason Canva became a go-to design tool for most is that its design was tailored explicitly for non-designers. It is very user-friendly and very intuitive for first-time users. It has hundreds of templates ready for you to customize your Stories with.
In addition, it has a library of free stock photos and images for you to use. You can also upload your images to add to your Template. Canva also offers tutorials on changing the background on Instagram Story that could be helpful to you.
2. Fotor
Another popular design tool is Fotor. It is an online photo editing software that is good for beginners. You don't need extensive knowledge in digital photo editing to use this software, as it streamlines all the processes for ease of use.
You can easily resize, crop, adjust color, and enhance and add text to your photo. All the tools possess a simple design. This enables the users to focus more on the creative process than finding out which tool does which.
For example, use a background remover to have a black slate to start with. Not everyone can take the perfect photo. However, you can transform your amateur effort into a masterpiece with some digital editing.
Fotor offers essential image editing and special tools like AI photo effects, HDR and RGB. With these tools, you can showcase professional-grade images on your Stories.
3.Tailwind App
Behind your famous IG influencers is a team of dedicated people working behind the scenes to create the perfect Instagram Story. But since only a few could spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to hire these professionals, most of us are out of the race from the get-go.
Not so fast, though (pun very much intended), with advancements in tech, we don't need to worry about managing our Instagram dream life. Tailwind App is a marketing tool that will help you manage and grow your Instagram Page.
It will give you a personalized and easy-to-follow marketing plan so that you can know what to post, organize your calendar and help you achieve your goals. This is great if you have a high engagement rate.
With the use of this app, you can cater to all the needs of your page. One of the great things about Tailwind is that their marketing plan is very detailed. It gives you a step-by-step guide using the best tools to complete your work.
Step 2: Choose Instagram Story Template
There are hundreds of websites offering free Story Templates. Choose which are to your liking and which will suit your aesthetic or theme.
Here's an example using Canva. A detailed guide is available on their page.
1. Open the Canva app and search Instagram Story Templates,
2. Select a template. You can customize the Template to your liking
3. To add an image from your gallery, tap a photo element on the Template and Replace it on the app's bottom toolbar. The images from your gallery will appear. Tap your chosen photo, and it will appear on the design.
4. Adjust the colors and filters to match your theme. Next, edit the other elements, like text, shapes, frames, etc.
5. When you're satisfied with the design, tap Download.
6. You can now click Share then Share on social.
Step 3: Change the Background Color of your Story
There is a whole psychology of color. To simplify it, studies show color is a determining factor in one's judgment about a particular object, environment, etc. This is why companies focus on using colors in their product marketing.
Instagram could determine whether your Stories would be more appealing to your audience.
In Fotor, here's how to change the background on an Instagram story.
1. Open Fotor App
2. Click on Create a Design and select the Template of the Instagram story in the Recommendation to get started.
3. Add the Template you want in the toolbar, and drag and drop your images into the Template.
4. Add filter, sticker and text; change the background color or a photo background change
5. Download and then share.
Another tool you can use is Removal.AI as a background remover. This is useful if you need a photo background change. This is a great help in removing the existing background of your current image to a clean slate.
In addition, it makes adding new backgrounds or using photos in collages easier.
Step 4: Upload and Share
Before you share your Instagram Story, a point to consider is to make sure that all the elements work together to create a sort of "branding." Your color palettes, typeface, animation, etc., should represent what your Instagram Page is all about.
Remember you are trying to retain viewership, and having an appealing and engaging Story will fulfill that.
What Background Should You Use for Your Instagram Story?
Did you know that 30% of Instagram Stories in 2020 were just one frame? This is because 20% of the audience would lose interest after the first frame. You have to get the attention of your audience the first instance that they see your story.
Gradient backgrounds let you transition from one color to another color creating a beautiful effect in your Instagram Story.
This type of background helps make your text or image pop. It is visually stimulating and deafening. Using bright colors makes your story more eye-catching and gives the feeling of friendliness and playfulness.
If you want to use this background against text, make sure your typeface is bold and plain. This is for your text to be legible and not cause eye fatigue.
Plain doesn't always mean boring. It's how you maximize its effects that count. In your Stories, using plain solid colors is also an excellent option. Colors evoke certain emotions in people.
Cool pastel colors in blue and green have the effect of tranquility and liveliness. Yellow is bright, playful and optimistic. Darker colors in gray are somber, reflective and contemplative. Using the right color, it adds a layer of depth to your post.
Using colors in the same family or shade creates continuity in your Instagram Story. In addition, you can use a background remover to easily edit your images and maximize the full effect of the solid colors.
3. Artistic Backgrounds
Changing colors and gradients are not the only limitations for your Instagram background. With the various drawing and editing tools, the sky's the limit for your creativity.
Create amazing patterns for your background. Colorful stickers and filters will brighten your story more. Use gifs, emojis, or animations to add commentary to your story.
There are a lot of available templates online that you can include in your story. You can edit these templates to suit your style or aesthetics further. In addition, hundreds of sites teach you how to change the background of Instagram stories.
Be inspired by them. Use a background remover to edit your images easily. You can also utilize a photo background change. It's also a way to show your followers that you appreciate them by giving them ample time to ensure that even your stories are well-crafted and well-thought-of for their entertainment.
Conclusion
Instagram offers numerous aspects worth discussing. One notable one is its emphasis on visuals. But, then again, one will argue that visuals are the element most people gravitate towards.
With billions of images available on the app, it takes a lot of creativity to make the perfect image that will appeal to a broad audience.
But, you have to think of it this way. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, how much more can we explore regarding an Instagram Story?
In its purest form, Instagram is a way to connect with others. A community built on sharing your experiences. It inspires people to show who they are and not be afraid.
Yen Pedrajas is an ecommerce and digital marketing enthusiast who loves to share and write new insights and perspectives about marketing and growth hacking for startup business. Currently, she works as full-time Lead Editor at Removal.AI - an AI tool used for image background removal and processing photos ideally for ecommerce, web and app development and all other related industry that needs photo editing services.