Instagram Stories—they are currently all the rage! A whopping 300 million users interact with Instagram Stories on a daily basis (data from TechCrunch – May 2018).

A growing number of Instagram users check Stories rather than their Instagram feed to stay connected, and this has many good reasons. Instagram Stories are chronological, in the moment (they only last 24 hours), and relevant.

Is your district ready to tackle this? Here are some steps to get started. You can grab a printable PDF version of these tips here!

• Identify someone who is willing! This could be a staff member, trusted students (think Student Council and Yearbook), savvy administrator, even a parent.
• Give access to the district’s Instagram account a few days before by sharing the login and password information.
• Encourage your volunteer to test Instagram Stories on their own account first. There are so many cool options to check out!
• Instagram Stories are vertically oriented. 94% of smartphone users hold their phone vertically, so keep this in mind when posting.
• Pinpoint a target audience and tailor the messages specifically for them.
• If the story is ongoing and involves multiple posts with the same theme (homecoming, graduation, opening night for a play), save them to the Highlights section. Choose an appropriate name so people can find the topic later. If the story is just a one-off, no worries! Post away, but remember that it will disappear after 24 hours. Looking for some ideas? Necedah Area School District did an outstanding job for Homecoming. Two seniors in Superior, NE are knocking it out of the park week after week, and New Auburn is upping their game with the help of a tech-savvy principal.

  

Now get creative! Instagram Stories has so many cool features.

Once you’ve snapped a photo, test one out to see how it works visually. Adding a location, a hashtag, or even tagging someone adds to the Story. Play around with it!

• Use a caption and help tell the story like this example from Reedsburg:

  

• Get creative with video! Options such as Boomerang, Superzoom, Focus, and Rewind are just some of the possibilities. The women in Superior, NE are experts at this; be sure to check out their Stories.
• Encourage interaction. Use a poll or ask a question.

  

• Add stickers, GIFS or another fun element.

  

We promise that Instagram Stories will take your storytelling to the next level. Now, go have fun!

A guest post from Heidi Feller, our Chief Inspirational Officer. She is a former teacher and district website/social media coordinator, but now she spends her days inspiring the #SocialSchool4EDU school partners with the encouragement they need to tell their story. In her own words, “Our teachers and students knock their socks off learning and growing each school day and the world needs to know about it!”