Instagram Posts vs. Instagram Stories: Which One Should You Use?

In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between Instagram Posts versus Instagram Stories, and help you decide which to post depending on your needs.

Instagram Posts vs. Instagram Stories: Which One Should You Use?

Instagram is a powerful social media platform that can be used to reach a wide audience. However, with so many different ways to post on Instagram, it can be difficult to know which format is right for your clients.

In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between Instagram Posts versus Instagram Stories, and help you decide which to post depending on your needs.

What are Instagram Posts?

Instagram Posts are the traditional way to share content on Instagram. They can be photos, videos, or carousels of photos and videos. 

Posts stay on your profile permanently, and they can be found in your followers' feeds. This is the “traditional” Instagram experience, and users can like, comment, share, and save these posts.

This content, along with Instagram Reels, has been the main form of content marketers can schedule using a social media management platform like Cloud Campaign.

What are Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories are a more ephemeral way to share content. They disappear after 24 hours, and they are only visible to your followers. 

Stories can be photos, videos, or text-only posts. They can also include interactive features like polls, stickers, questions, and quizzes. This is a more “Snapchat-esque” experience with an emphasis on in-the-moment content.

Instagram Stories has been off-limits to automated publishing, until now. With Meta opening up its Stories API, you can now schedule Instagram Stories with Cloud Campaign!

Instagram Posts or Stories - Which Should You Use?

So, which format should you use for your Instagram content? It depends on your goals, strategy, and what kind of content you want to share.

If you want to share evergreen content that will stay on your profile for a long time, then Instagram Posts are a good option. This is a good way to share important announcements, product launches, or brand-related content.

If you want to share more casual, ephemeral content that will disappear after 24 hours, then Instagram Stories is a good option. This is a good way to share behind-the-scenes content, ask questions of your followers, or run contests.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between Instagram Posts and Instagram Stories:

Ultimately, the best way to decide which format to use is to experiment and see what works best for your agency. 

Try using both Instagram Posts and Instagram Stories, and see which one gets you the best results.

Tips for using Instagram Posts and Instagram Stories:

Use high-quality images and videos. This is especially important for Instagram Posts, as they will be visible on your profile permanently.

Keep your captions short and engaging. People are more likely to read your captions if they are short and to the point. You can also leverage our free AI caption writer, Caption AI, to speed up the copywriting process.

Use relevant hashtags. Hashtags can help you reach a wider audience on Instagram.

Run contests and giveaways. This is a great way to engage your followers and grow your audience.

By using both formats effectively, you can reach a wider audience and grow your clients’ businesses on Instagram.

Ready to automate your Stories workflow? Check out Cloud Campaign for two weeks FREE and schedule a free demo with our team to hit the ground running.