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December 9, 2024
Why are Stories important? Creating engaging and effective Instagram Stories is a continuous challenge for brands and businesses. Anyone tracking the reach of their Instagram content during 2019 already knows that Stories have never been as vital as they are now. While getting attention for your feed posts is getting increasingly harder, the numbers of Story Impressions remain high. Therefore, it’s strategically important to be active on the Story platform and take advantage of their ability to reach wider audiences.
Producing a constant stream of daily content is not an easy task for small business owners who have a lot of other things on their minds. It may even seem strange to design and tweak content that will disappear in 24 hours. But if you master the use of the simple apps we recommend in this article, you will be able to create professional-looking content in minutes. And don’t forget that in addition to the increased exposure you will get from regularly posting Stories, you can permanently save them to your profile with the Highlights feature. Use it creatively to leverage your Story content for anything from showcasing your product catalog to sharing long videos split into stories
There are so many apps to choose from that finding the ones that become part of your process can get overwhelming. Lucky for you, we’re here to share our experience and save you the process of trying a dozen different apps to find the one you like. Every brand has different needs in terms of the design concept and creative, and you should base your choice on your immediate needs. Here are a few things to consider:
Platform: All the apps mentioned in this article are available for iOs and Android.
Price: We believe it’s worthwhile to pay for an app that you use every day, but don’t rush into paying for something you’re going to use once. All the apps on our list have enough free options for you to try them out.
[Please note that the prices we cite here are all estimations based on advertising by the companies themselves and sourced in Feb 2020]
Versatility vs. accessibility: Do you need a heavy-duty tool that you’re going to use for a variety of things or just a simple app that you’re going to use once for instant results?
Upgrading existing content vs. creating content: Consider the content you have available. Do you have attractive images and excellent copy that only need a cute frame to become an engaging story? Or are you starting with nothing and need help sourcing images and phrasing words? Apps with built-in access to stock images or well-crafted templates can save the day.
Price: Lots of free options, 9.95-30/month for pro version with more customization option.
Stock images: a wide choice of free stock images and access to individually priced photos
Why we like it:
Canva can become your go-to design tool for social content if you can take the time to learn all its features. We use the desktop version for making everything from Instagram posts to blog headers. The mobile version is especially convenient for creating stories on the go. With an endless choice of templates, fonts, and designs, there’s something for everyone here.
Price: Some templates are free, but to unlock most you need to pay for the pro version, which costs around 6$/Month
Stock images: Access to Unsplash and Pixabay
Why we like it:
Similar to Canva in its wide selection of templates. It’s the only app on our list that offers access to both Unsplash and Pixabay, so if your brand has no image bank to use on social media, this is the app for you.
Price: 3.5$/month
Stock images: Access to Unsplash
Why we like it:
This popular app is especially easy to use to get elegant results in seconds. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, but apparently, a framed picture is worth even more, because Unfold’s frames really upgrade any image. Don’t have your own pics you can frame? Choose one via the built-in access to Unsplash.
Price: 3.5$/month
Stock images: No
Why we like it:
Watching the moving reel of stories is the millennial equivalent of watching TV. To catch the eye of the casual scroller, you need to stand out. Moving elements are a great way to animate (literally) your stories. Adding Instagram’s built-in GIF stickers is fun, but sometimes you want a more refined result. Mojo is another straightforward app that allows you to add your images into animated frames and have them fly into the viewers’ attention.
Price: 21$/one time
Stock images: No
Why we like it:
Similar to Unfold, this app lets you frame your pictures to make them more compelling. But while Unflod’s aesthetic is minimalist StoryArt has a broader selection of styles. From girly pinks to shabby chic florals to edgier greys. Plus, a built-in tool for designing story highlights.
Let us know how we can help you!
