Instagram Story Size & Ad Dimensions: Make Effective Stories

You've just crafted the perfect Instagram story video, poured your heart into the content, hit "Share"... and bam!

Half your text is cut off, or your stunning video looks like it was squeezed through a digital trash compactor. We've all been there.

Getting the size right of Instagram stories isn't just about avoiding those annoying moments. It's actually super important for making your content stand out.

Did you know that Instagram stories are viewed by 500 million users everyday?

Source: Mediakix

Not to mention, 44% of active users from a survey  use Instagram for shopping.

So, why am I spilling the beans on Instagram stories and Instagram story dimensions?

Simple. I want to help you avoid the pitfalls, master the art of creating perfect Instagram stories, and turn your Instagram game up!

If you think posting a regular story with the dimensions all wrong is bad, then imagine getting it wrong for a story ad, where real money is on the line?

In this guide, we'll dive into everything from the ideal size of Instagram stories to creating scroll-stopping ads that'll have your audience saying, "Take my money!"

Stick around, and I promise you'll walk away with the know-how to create Instagram stories that'll make your competitors wonder how you got such a great social media and PPC team on board!

Ready to master Instagram stories and Instagram story ads? Let's dive in!

What is an Instagram Story video?

An Instagram Story Video is an interactive way to post content on Instagram that lets you share video snippets with your followers.

Instagram Stories are usually 9:16 videos or photos (up to 15 seconds long). Rather than displaying as the feed, Instagram videos show up at the top of your Instagram page just when you log in and can be viewed easily by tapping on any of the stories displays. Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours since posting

Instagram Stories have become super popular. 15% of influencers in a survey said that they use stories as sponsored content. They're great because they let you:

• Share photos or short videos
• Keep your followers in the loop about what you're up to
• Get people to interact with your content through poles and question stickers on your Instagram stories
• Show off your brand without feeling like you're being too pushy

Think of Instagram stories as a way to give your followers a peek into your day-to-day life or business.

For example, if you're a bakery, you might share Instagram stories
of your morning routine - kneading dough, pulling fresh bread out of the oven, or even a time-lapse of your display case filling up with goodies. It's these little moments that make your followers feel connected to you.

Ideal Instagram Story Size: Size Matters!

Now, let's talk about Instagram story size. When it comes to Instagram stories, size really does matter. The right Instagram ad dimensions can make your content look sharp and professional. So, what's the magic number?

Instagram story size guide

• Width: 1080 pixels
• Height: 1920 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size:  4GB
• Length: 15 seconds
• The only accepted video file formats for Instagram are MP4 (highly recommended) and MOV.

This means that your videos need to be 1080 PX wide and 1920 PX long. The perfect relationship between width and height for Instagram stories are an aspect ratio of 9:16.

Following this size guide makes sure you make the best use of Instagram screen real estate which Meta mentions is a big deal now.

This ensures that your video fits perfectly into most phone screens without compromising the quality or cropping important elements.

Let me give you an example. Say you're a travel blogger and you've got this amazing landscape photo you want to share. If you just upload it as is, Instagram might crop out the beautiful mountains in the background. But if you resize it to fit the 9:16 ratio, or remember to take your photos for Instagram stories in portrait, you can exercise control to make sure that all the important parts of your image are visible in your story.

Pro tip: If you have horizontal images or videos, try to resize them to fit these dimensions. Your stories will look so much better! There are tons of free online tools that can help you do this, like Typito or Canva.

Instagram Story ads : Ad dimensions for each type of story ad

The best thing about story ads besides the fact that many influencers are turning to them to promote products, is that they appear in between organic Instagram stories. Making it is less apparent that they are sponsored content. Let's dive into creating some awesome PPC content for IG stories, shall we?

Image ads and visual content

If you're using images for ads, these are the recommended dimensions.

Correct Instagram story size and maximum file size for image ads

• Resolution: 1080×1080 pixels
• Aspect Ratio: 9:16
• Keep your file size under 30MB
• Use JPG or PNG formats
• Make sure your images are at least 500 pixels wide
• Primary text limit: 125 characters

Remember, high-quality image ads can really make your brand stand out. It's worth taking the time to get them right.

If your going the Instagram image ads rout, then why not check out carrousel ads? they are a new feature for Instagram story ads

Instagram Story video ads

Videos are huge on Instagram right now. For story video ads, stick to these guidelines:

Correct Instagram story dimensions & maximum file size for video ads

• Resolution should be at least 1080 x 1080 pixels- no minimum requirement
• Use the same 9:16 aspect ratio as regular stories
• Make sure videos are in MP4, MOV or GIF format
• Maximum file size: under 4GB
• Video duration: 1 second to 60 minutes
• Minimum width: 500 pixels
• For the best quality video these settings; “H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at over 128 kbps” are recommended by Meta.
• Video captions and sound are recommended.

Meta recommends captions for story video ads and this is no surprise as they have studies conducted on facebook users that report videos without captions have negative reactions (80%) and are not as effective for increasing watch-time as videos with captions.

Instagram’s native tools do allow you to add captions to your story videos but it may not be available in every country.

The most efficient way to add captions to your 9:16 aspect ratio videos is by using an AI tool called Lit Captions.

Lit captions have many stylish templates to add captions to your vertical videos in as quick as one click.

You’ll just have to try it for yourself to see how beautiful it can make your videos.

Add Lit Captions🔥to your vertical videos now

Did you notice the mammoth difference and with such low effort?! Perfect for those lazy creatives on your PPC team!

Test it in your ad campaigns and you won't be disappointed with your story ad performance!

Now that you know the optimal Instagram story size and caption recommendations, here are some ideas on curating the best story ad visuals that you can also turn into reels.

Vertical content and storytelling

Vertical content works best for Instagram Stories because :

1. It fits how people naturally hold their phones
2. It takes up more space on the screen unlocking more Instagram screen real estate
3. It looks better and loads faster on Instagram

When you're creating stories, try mixing images, videos, and text. And remember, good stories have a beginning, middle, and end to make sure that you are creating compelling Instagram stories.

Meta’s carousel Instagram story ad lets you add up to 10 images and video stories within a single ad. Each with its own CTA link. This is visible to users by clicking on the expand story button on the top left corner of the story ad under the account name.

For example, if you're a coffee shop, you could create a story that shows the journey of a coffee bean. Start with an image of coffee beans, then a video of the roasting process, and end with a beautiful shot of a finished latte. Add some text explaining each step, and voila! You've got an engaging, informative story that showcases your product and process using images and video.

Creating Instagram Story videos

Note: While adding a video using the native Instagram app is easy and quick, it may not be ideal for businesses, as the options are limited. Also, you don't have any control over the video's quality, and that's why using a good online video editor comes in handy.

And that's exactly what this section intends to show you. Keep reading!

How to make an Instagram story video using Typito

Whether you're trying to create a video featuring a collection of images with eye-grabbing captions, or making a video ad for Instagram Story, Typito is the one-stop solution.

An easy-to-use online video editor, Typito lets you create stunning videos for your Instagram Stories without any video editing skills. From adding catchy text effects, animated captions to customizing the entire look and feel, Typito helps you create professional Instagram story videos that get more clicks and increase brand awareness amongst your followers.

Step 1: Create your project

• Head over to Typito and get started for free (you can directly get started with editing your video and signup or log in later once you're ready to export your video).
• You will see Typito's editor with all the video editing tools on the left and canvas to the right.

Step 2: Add your media files

• You will be prompted to add your media files (photos/videos) from your drive. Or you can choose to create your video with high-quality videos and images from Typito's Stock Media Library.

• Hover on the image/video that you want to use and click the Add button.
• Click add to project to insert to your Instagram Story Video.

Step 3: Edit your video

• Click the video on the canvas or the timeline to make edits. You can speed up or slow down your video to make your Story more attractive. If your video has background audio that you want to mute, you can adjust the clip volume to 0 from the left panel.

Step 4: Add captions, animated text, effects, format colors, and more

• Click Text Effects from the left panel and choose from 200+ animated text templates to make your Instagram Story more attractive.
• Click on the text template to replace the placeholder text with your message. You also customize the color, style, size, and more. You can also rotate the text to any desired angle.

Want to experience smooth and simple video editing? Head over to Typito and create engaging videos for your next Instagram story.

Make an Instagram Story Video

Instagram Story Best Practices

Now that you know the technical stuff about proper Instagram story dimensions, let's talk strategy. Here are some Instagram story tips
to make your stories awesome:

Engagement and Interaction

1. While creating Instagram stories, Use things like polls and questions to get people involved. For example, if you're a restaurant, you could ask your followers to vote on the next special dish you should offer.
2. If you're running an Instagram story ad, make sure you have a clear call-to-action. Don't just show your product - tell people what to do next, like "Swipe up to shop" or "DM us for more info".
3. Respond to messages and comments quickly. People love feeling heard!
4. Share content from your followers – people love to see their stuff featured! This is great for building community.

Content Strategy and Planning

1. Try to tell a story across multiple posts. Maybe you're launching a new product - you could tease it over a few days before the big reveal.
2. Use ads to show off your products and get people to visit your website. But remember, don't make every story an ad - mix it up!
3. Work with influencers who fit well with your brand. If you're a sustainable fashion brand, partner with eco-conscious influencers.
4. Mix up your content – show behind-the-scenes stuff, tutorials, product showcases. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

Remember, consistency is key. Post stories regularly to keep people coming back for more. But don't stress about posting every single day if you don't have high quality content yet - it's better to post great content less often than mediocre content all the time.

Common Instagram Story Mistakes to Avoid

We all make mistakes, but here are some common ones to watch out for when you are getting ready to post Instagram stories;

1. Posting too many stories in a row – it can be overwhelming. Try to keep it under 10 per day unless you're covering a special event.
2. Using hashtags that don't make sense for your content. #NoPointUsingHashtagsJustForTheSakeOfIt
3. Being too salesy – nobody likes feeling like they're being constantly sold to. Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% valuable content, 20% promotional.
4. Not keeping up with Instagram's new features. Instagram is always rolling out new stickers and AR filters - experiment with them!
5. Forgetting to add captions or subtitles – they're important for accessibility! Remember, many people watch stories with the sound off.

Measuring Success and Optimizing Your Instagram Stories

So, you've created some compelling Instagram stories with the ideal Instagram story dimensions. But how do you know if it's working? Here's what to do:

1. Use Instagram's analytics to track things like how many people are seeing your stories and engaging with them. Pay attention to completion rates - are people watching your stories all the way through?
2. Keep an eye on how your stories are performing regularly. Maybe dedicate some time each week to review your stats.
3. Try different types of content and see what works best. Maybe your audience loves behind-the-scenes content, or maybe they engage more with educational posts.
4. Adjust your strategy based on what your audience likes. If you see that posts at a certain time of day get more views, try posting more often at that time.

Remember, it takes time to figure out what works best. Keep trying new things and learning from what you see. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Make Stories and Ads More Appealing with Lit Captions

Want to make your stories even better? Try using Lit Captions. It's a tool that lets you:

• Add subtitles to your videos

• Make your content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Boost engagement for people watching without sound by using stylist customizable caption templates.

If you cared about results, you'd be using lit captions to make your ads more awesome today!

Add Lit Captions🔥to your Story video Ads today

Conclusion: Your Instagram Story Success Awaits!

And there you have it – everything you need to know about Instagram story size, dimensions, and best practices. With all this info, you're ready to create some seriously awesome stories.

Remember, it's all about getting the technical stuff right like those Instagram story dimensions we talked about, being creative, and consistently putting out good content. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through!

Creating great Instagram stories is a bit like cooking - you need the right ingredients (your content), the right measurements (the right dimensions & maximum file size recommendations), the right tools (like Typito and Lit Captions), and a bit of practice. But once you get the hang of it, you'll be whipping up amazing stories in no time.

Ready to give it a go? Head over to Typito to start creating some great Instagram story content. And don't forget to check out Lit Captions to give your stories that extra boost.

Now go out there and create some amazing stories.

Want to add fun captions to your story videos?

Check out stylish caption templates on Lit Captions🔥