Alexis Kestler
Hey there!
As your resident Instagram expert and social media geek, I couldn’t wait to dive into the versatile world of Instagram story makers. I may spend too many hours scrolling Instagram myself, so helping brands use stories to succeed is a passion project for me!
And the stats speak for themselves…500 million active daily users post stories. 500 million! 🤯
That’s a massive opportunity for your brand to get discovered. But only if you stand out from the crowd.
That’s why in this jam-packed guide, we’ll uncover:
✅ Exactly why Instagram stories are crucial today
✅ How story makers help you create pro-level visuals
✅ An in-depth comparison of 12 top story making platforms
✅ Bonus tips, ideas and inspiration for eye-catching stories
Let’s get started, shall we?
Why You Need Instagram Stories In Your Marketing Mix
Launched back in 2016, Instagram stories have skyrocketed from a nice-to-have to an essential element of any social strategy today.
But why? What’s all the hype about these ephemeral 24-hour image and video clips?
More Eyeballs On Your Brand
Well, for starters, that 500 million daily active user stat makes stories prime real estate for exposure.
Even if someone doesn’t follow you, your story can appear when they click stories at the top of their feed.
And Instagram’s algorithm favors frequently posting stories in terms of reach and engagement.
Translation? More eyeballs that equal more website traffic, followers and potential customers.
Increase Engagement
Speaking of engagement, Instagram stories see a 10x higher engagement rate over feed posts.
Viewers feel more connected with the authentic, raw, behind-the-scenes vibe of stories.
In turn, this drives more comments, link clicks, shares, etc.getting your audience actively involved versus passive scrolling.
Direct Feedback From Your Audience
Stories also let you instantly ask questions and get opinions using interactive polls, questions and emoji sliders.
Followers love sharing their thoughts to shape your brand. And you gain priceless insight into what resonates that guides content and product decisions.
Give Inside Access
Additionally, stories give you an insider seat to happenings of your business from new products, office dogs, employee spotlights or company retreats.
Pulling back the curtain, making your brand more relatable and human versus distant and corporate.
Promote Offers
Stories serve as the perfect medium to promote special deals, sales or limited-time freebies to generate buzz and website traffic.
Utilize Trending Features
And Instagram keeps expanding interactive features like questions, polls and AR filters that brands creatively leverage to set themselves apart.
But I know simply understanding why stories matter isn’t enough. You need to actually create attention-grabbing stories.
And doing that takes more than Instagram‘s (very) basic editing tools.
That’s why story makers should be your BFF. Keep reading!
Why Instagram Story Makers Are Essential Today
Since 2016, Instagram has evolved from a photo sharing app to a robust platformcombining video, long-form IGTV, Reels, Live, shoppable posts…the list goes on.
And with that evolution comes increased expectation for polished, aesthetically pleasing content.
Yet, the native editing capabilities still fall short.
Leaving you struggling to create beautiful images and video that captivates viewers in seconds before they tap Next.
This is where the magic of story makers comes into play…
Bridging the gap between Instagram’s functionality and the tools needed to develop mesmerizing stories that help grow your brand on the platform.
Professionally Designed Templates
I love how story makers offer hundreds of gorgeously designed templates across every niche tailored exactly for Instagram stories.
So instead of staring at a blank screen, you can simply select a template that matches your brand style and personalize it.
It lets you skip fussing over layouts and color schemes to focus purely on content.
And saves a heck of a lot of time over creating visuals completely from scratch.
Flexible Customization
Speaking of personalization, story makers empower you to swap out visuals, fonts, colors and more so stories stay consistently on-brand.
Certain platforms even let you save customized templates for a cohesive look as you create an entire series of stories.
Advanced Editing Capabilities
Additionally, they open up a myriad of editing functionalities beyond Instagram‘s core tools.
I’m talking auto image enhancements, removing photo backgrounds, applying stylized filters and graphic overlays, smoothing skin and whitening teeth.
Optimizing images from ho-hum ➡️ WOW.
Interactive Elements
Plus, juice up static images with animated gifs, stickers, emoji brushes, confetti rains and more.
Elements native Instagram stories lack that spark fun reactions.
Beginner-Friendly Interface
Now you may be skeptical if you need extensive graphic design or video editing chops to leverage these robust features.
Thankfully, the beauty of most story making platforms is smart templates and intuitive tools making it possible for total newbies.
Allow everyone business owner to marketer to solopreneur – create professional, high converting Instagram stories and Reels in minutes versus hours.
Let me walk you through an in-depth comparison of 12 fantastic options…
Breakdown of The 12 Best Instagram Story Makers
Okay, okay – I know. The sheer volume of incredible Instagram story tools out there is admittedly a little overwhelming.
So I condensed the 12 best platforms used by mega-influencers and big brands down to key details so you can see which aligns to your specific needs.
Let’s explore!
table {
font-family: arial, sans-serif;
border-collapse: collapse;
width: 100%;
}
td, th {
border: 1px solid #dddddd;
text-align: left;
padding: 8px;
}
tr:nth-child(even) {
background-color: #dddddd;
}
| Story Maker | Best For | Standout Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promo | Video Stories | – Hundreds of niche video templates – Animated gifs and graphics – Direct Instagram publishing |
– Free version – Paid monthly subscriptions |
| Veed.io | Custom Video Stories | – User-friendly video editor – Voiceovers and text-to-speech – Animated elements like emoji brush |
– Free version – Premium paid plans |
| Canva | Photo + Video Stories | – Design templates – Resize/edit your own visuals – Filters, graphics, animations |
– Free version – Paid monthly plans |
| Adobe Express | Animated Video Stories | – 6,000+ templates – Premium graphics and textures – Save branded templates |
– Free branded templates – Premium paid plans |
| Picsart | Photo Collages | – Hundreds of collage templates – Unique layouts like diagonal and hearts – Beauty tools |
– Free version – Premium paid plans |
| Biteable | Animated Video Stories | – Animated templates and infographics – Stock library of media – Charts and shapes |
– Free version – Premium paid plans |
| Picmaker | Photo Stories | – Photo editor with textures, overlays – Massive background library – One click image resizing |
– 100% free |
| Vimeo | Professional Video Stories | – Video templates across every niche – Animated graphics and text – Detailed analytics |
– Free and premium plans |
| Wepik | Photo Story Templates | – 2,000+ templates – New templates added weekly – Search by niche like fashion, real estate |
– 100% free |
| Fotor | Photo Collages | – Hundreds of collage templates – Unique layouts like waterfall – Beauty tools |
– Free version – Premium paid plans |
| PicMonkey | Photo + Video Stories | – Hundreds of templates – Touch up images before upload – Direct Instagram sharing |
– Basic features free – Premium paid plans |
| Invideo | Instagram Reels | – Video templates formatted for Reels – Animated elements like emoji – Tools to trim and rearrange clips |
– Free version – Premium paid plans |
As you can see, story makers open up tons of possibilities to take your Instagram presence to the next level.
But I realize names and generic descriptions alone aren’t that helpful to know which platform fits your goals and budget best.
So let’s explore key factors to evaluate when selecting a story making tool…
Key Factors To Consider When Choosing Story Makers
The story maker you ultimately land on depends on several variables unique to your brand and resources.
Media Types Needed
First, identify what content formats you need to repurpose – photos, videos or both?
Certain story tools specialize more in video templates while others focus solely on imagery.
Design Experience
Next, evaluate your comfort level when it comes to designing visual content.
Are you a total newbie looking for premade templates and lots of hand-holding?
Or more experienced leveraging editing tools to build fully customized animations and graphics?
Tools range from beginner-friendly to advanced functionality so choose one that matches your skill level.
Customization Options
Also, determine how much you want to tailor the platform to fit your brand identity.
Options for personalization include:
🎨 Fonts + Color Palettes
🖼️ Graphic Elements + Overlays
📝 Saved Templates
More freedom to tweak makes stories distinctly yours.
Interactive Features
Additionally, explore what built-in tools stories makers offer beyond static images to boost engagement.
I love when you can easily add gifs, emojis, polls, drawing capabilities, text to speech, questions and more.
Learning Curve
Pay attention to how quick and intuitive picking up each story maker may be based on their interface too.
Advanced tools do fantastic things but complex interfaces hamper getting started.
Sharing Integrations
And absolutely verify they enable simple one-click publishing or downloads compatible with Instagram.
You want hassle-free deployment vs. clunky coverting files and manual uploads.
Pricing Considerations
Lastly, pricing hugely varies amongst free vs freemium vs subscription-only plans.
Factor in available features to meet your budget and usage.
Weighing all these elements helps narrow suitable story makers for your unique situation and goals.
Level Up Your Instagram Stories
Okay, so by now you’re hopefully fired up to step up your Instagram story game! 🙌
Armed with a phenomenal story maker, here’s some additional ways you can create riveting content your audience craves:
🌟 Batch Prepare Themes + Content
Plan creative topics and themes ahead of time that align to campaigns, seasons and events. This gives continuity versus posting random ideas.
🌟 Maximize Trending Features
Weave in trending audio clips, AR filters or interactive add-ons gaining traction to increase discoverability. Tools surface what’s hot!
🌟 Ask Intriguing Questions
Spark reactions by posing fun questions in your caption or polls that get followers invested in your brand.
🌟 Give Inside Access
Pull back the behind-the-scenes curtain giving VIP-access feels to your audience for more intimate brand connections.
🌟 Utilize Countdowns + Teasers
Drum up excitement for product launches and events with story countdown timers and sneak peeks. Scarcity triggers urgency and hype.
So there you have it – everything you could possibly need to know about upping your Instagram stories game with creative story makers!
I don’t know about you, but I’m thirsty after talking so much! Want to grab a smoothie? My treat for sticking through this guide with me. 🥤
Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy story making!
