Brief Overview Of Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories, launched in August 2016, have become a vital feature for users to share moments that disappear after 24 hours. This ephemeral nature encourages spontaneous and frequent sharing, making it a favorite tool for both personal and business accounts. Stories can include photos, videos, text, and interactive elements like polls and questions, providing a dynamic way to engage with followers.
Importance Of Customizing Instagram Stories
Customizing Instagram Stories is crucial for several reasons. It enhances the visual appeal of your content, making it more engaging and memorable for viewers. Customization allows you to maintain a consistent brand aesthetic, crucial for businesses and influencers looking to establish a recognizable online presence. Moreover, well-crafted stories can boost engagement rates, drive traffic to your profile or website, and help convey messages more effectively.
Purpose Of The Article
The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive guide on how to change the background color of an Instagram Story. Whether you’re a casual user looking to make your stories more visually appealing or a business aiming to maintain a consistent brand look, this guide will offer step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to help you achieve your desired results. By the end of this article, you will have all the knowledge needed to customize your Instagram Story backgrounds like a pro.
Understanding Instagram Stories
What Are Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories are a feature within the Instagram app that allows users to share photos, videos, and other content in a slideshow format that disappears after 24 hours. Introduced in 2016, Stories are designed to be short, engaging snippets of content that encourage real-time sharing and interaction. Users can add text, stickers, music, polls, and other interactive elements to their stories, making them a versatile tool for communication and engagement on the platform.
Benefits Of Using Instagram Stories For Engagement
Enhanced Exposure: Stories are displayed prominently at the top of the Instagram feed, ensuring they are highly noticeable to your followers.
Real-Time Interaction: The temporary nature of Stories encourages immediate interaction and engagement from your audience.
Enhanced Engagement: Features like polls, questions, and quizzes make it easy to interact with your audience and receive direct feedback.
Personal Connection: Stories allow for more casual and personal content, helping to build a stronger connection with your audience.
Drive Traffic: Stories can include swipe-up links (for accounts with 10k+ followers) or call-to-action stickers to drive traffic to your website or other online resources.
Different Customization Options Available In Instagram Stories
Background Colors: Change the background color to enhance visual appeal.
Text and Fonts: Add text in various fonts and colors.
Stickers and GIFs: Use stickers and GIFs to add fun elements to your stories.
Filters and Effects: Apply filters and effects to make your stories stand out.
Music and Sound: Add music to your stories for an auditory element.
Interactive Elements: Use polls, questions, quizzes, and sliders to engage your audience.
Why Change The Background Color?
Enhancing The Visual Appeal Of Your Story
Changing the background color of your Instagram Story can significantly enhance its visual appeal. A well-chosen background color can make your content more eye-catching and engaging, encouraging viewers to spend more time interacting with your story. It helps to set the mood and tone of the story, making it more memorable.
Creating A Consistent Brand Aesthetic
For businesses and influencers, maintaining a consistent brand aesthetic is crucial. Changing the background color to match your brand’s color scheme ensures that your stories align with your overall brand identity. This consistency aids in establishing brand recognition and fostering trust among your audience.
Highlighting Specific Content Or Messages
A strategically chosen background color can help highlight specific content or messages within your story. For instance, using a contrasting background color can make text or important information stand out, ensuring that your message is easily noticed by your audience. This technique is especially useful for announcements, promotions, or any content that requires special attention.
Methods To Change The Background Color Of An Instagram Story
Using The Instagram App
Step-by-step Guide To Accessing Instagram Stories
Open the Instagram app on your smartphone.
Tap the camera icon in the top left corner of your home screen or swipe right from anywhere in the feed to open the Stories camera.
Selecting A Photo Or Video For Your Story
Choose a photo or video from your camera roll by swiping up on the screen.
Alternatively, you can capture a new photo or video by tapping the shutter button.
Choosing The Drawing Tool To Change The Background
Once you have selected or captured your photo/video, tap the drawing tool icon (a squiggly line) at the top of the screen.
Select the pen tool (first option) or the highlighter tool (second option).
Using The Color Picker To Select A Background Color
A color palette will appear at the bottom of the screen.
You can choose a color from the palette or tap and hold on any color to open the color slider for more options.
Drag your finger across the slider to find your desired color.
Applying The Background Color
Tap and hold anywhere on the screen to fill the background with the selected color.
If you are using a photo or video, the color will overlay the content. Adjust the opacity by choosing the highlighter tool instead of the pen tool.
Once satisfied, tap “Done” in the top right corner.
Add any additional text, stickers, or elements before posting your story.
Using Pre-made Backgrounds
Accessing Instagram’s Built-in Backgrounds
Open the Instagram app and access the Stories camera as described above.
Swipe up to choose a photo or video, or capture new content.
Choosing And Applying A Pre-made Background
Tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen (a square smiley face).
Browse through the available stickers and look for pre-made backgrounds or frames.
Tap on your desired background to add it to your story.
Resize or reposition the background as needed by pinching and dragging with your fingers.
Add any additional content or elements before posting your story.
Using Third-party Apps
Popular Third-party Apps For Creating Instagram Story Backgrounds
Canva: A graphic design tool that offers customizable templates for Instagram Stories.
Adobe Spark: A user-friendly design app that provides templates and design tools for creating unique story backgrounds.
Over: An app that offers a variety of templates and customization options for Instagram Stories.
Step-by-step Guide For Using A Third-party App To Change The Background Color
Canva:
Download and open the Canva app.
Select “Instagram Story” as the design type.
Select a template or begin from a blank canvas.
Tap the background to change its color, then select a color from the palette or enter a specific hex code.
Customize with text, images, and other elements.
Save your design and upload it to your Instagram Story.
Adobe Spark:
Download and open the Adobe Spark app.
Select “Instagram Story” as your project type.
Choose a template or create a new project.
Tap the background and select a color from the color picker.
Add additional elements and customize as desired.
Save your project and upload it to your Instagram Story.
Over:
Download and open the Over app.
Select “Instagram Story” from the available templates.
Tap the background to change its color, choosing from the color palette or entering a hex code.
Add text, images, and other design elements.
Save your design and upload it to your Instagram Story.
Tips And Tricks For Effective Background Customization
Choosing Colors That Complement Your Content
Match the Mood: Choose background colors that match the mood of your story. For example, bright and vibrant colors for happy, energetic content, and softer, muted tones for more serious or reflective posts.
Contrast and Readability: Ensure there is a good contrast between the background color and any text or stickers you add. High contrast makes text easier to read and elements more noticeable.
Color Harmony: Use colors that complement each other. Tools like color wheels or online color harmony generators can help you choose complementary or analogous color schemes.
Using Gradients And Patterns For A Unique Look
Gradient Backgrounds: Gradients can add depth and dimension to your stories. Use Instagram’s gradient options or create your own in third-party apps like Canva or Adobe Spark.
Patterned Backgrounds: Incorporate subtle patterns such as dots, stripes, or abstract designs to make your background more interesting without overwhelming the main content.
Layering Techniques: Combine gradients and patterns for a more dynamic background. For instance, a soft gradient with a subtle pattern overlay can create a sophisticated look.
Maintaining Brand Consistency With Your Color Choices
Brand Colors: Stick to your brand’s color palette to maintain consistency across all your Instagram Stories. This reinforces familiarity with your brand and establishes a unified visual identity.
Template Use: Create or use branded templates that include your color scheme. This ensures that every story you post aligns with your brand’s aesthetic.
Repetition: Consistently use the same colors in your stories to build a strong visual identity. Over time, your audience will associate these colors with your brand.
Experimenting With Different Colors To See What Works Best
A/B Testing: Try different background colors on similar stories and monitor engagement metrics to see which colors perform best.
Audience Feedback: Use Instagram’s interactive features like polls and questions to ask your audience which background colors they prefer.
Seasonal and Event-Based Colors: Experiment with seasonal colors (e.g., pastels in spring, warm tones in fall) or event-specific colors (e.g., red and green during Christmas) to keep your stories relevant and engaging.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Using Colors That Clash With Your Content
Poor Color Choices: Avoid using background colors that clash with the content in your story. For example, bright red text on a bright green background can be jarring and hard to read.
Lack of Contrast: Ensure there is enough contrast between your background color and the text or images on top of it. Low contrast can make your content difficult to see and understand.
Ignoring Color Theory: Familiarize yourself with basic color theory to choose complementary colors that enhance your content rather than detract from it.
Overcomplicating The Background Design
Too Many Elements: Avoid cluttering your background with too many design elements, such as excessive patterns, stickers, or text. Simplicity often makes for a cleaner, more professional-looking story.
Distracting Designs: A busy background can distract from the main message of your story. Ensure your background supports, rather than overwhelms, your content.
Consistency Issues: Stick to a cohesive design that aligns with your overall aesthetic. Overcomplicating can lead to a disjointed and inconsistent look.
Ignoring Instagram’s Size And Format Guidelines
Aspect Ratio: Instagram Stories use a 9:16 aspect ratio. Ensure your background design fits this format to avoid awkward cropping or resizing.
Resolution: Use high-resolution images to prevent pixelation. Instagram recommends a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels for stories.
Safe Zones: Keep important content within the central area of your story to avoid it being cut off by Instagram’s interface elements, such as the profile picture and interaction buttons.
Additional Customization Options
Adding Text Overlays And Stickers
Text Overlays: Add informative or engaging text overlays to your stories. Use different fonts, sizes, and colors to make the text stand out and complement the background.
Stickers: Instagram offers a variety of stickers, including location tags, hashtags, mentions, and more. Use these to add context, make your story interactive, or provide additional information.
Animated Stickers: Utilize animated stickers to add a dynamic and fun element to your stories, making them more engaging for viewers.
Using Filters And Effects To Enhance Your Story
Built-in Filters: Instagram provides a range of filters that can change the color tone and mood of your story. Experiment with these to find one that enhances your content.
AR Effects: Augmented Reality (AR) effects can add a layer of fun and creativity to your stories. Use face filters, 3D objects, and other AR effects to make your stories more interactive.
Manual Adjustments: Use Instagram’s editing tools to manually adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and more to perfect the look of your story.
Incorporating Interactive Elements Like Polls And Questions
Polls: Use the poll sticker to ask your audience questions and get immediate feedback. This increases engagement and makes your stories more interactive.
Questions: The question sticker allows followers to ask you questions or respond to prompts. This encourages a communal atmosphere and promotes active participation.
Quizzes: The quiz sticker lets you create fun, interactive quizzes for your audience. Use this to educate, entertain, or gather insights from your followers.
Conclusion
Changing the background color of your Instagram Story is a simple yet powerful way to enhance its visual appeal and engagement potential. Whether you’re a casual user looking to add a creative touch to your posts or a business aiming to maintain a consistent brand aesthetic, mastering the art of background customization can significantly impact your storytelling.
By understanding the benefits of using Instagram Stories, recognizing the importance of effective background customization, and avoiding common mistakes, you can create stories that capture attention and convey your message more effectively. Utilizing Instagram’s built-in tools, pre-made backgrounds, and third-party apps, you have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to customizing your story backgrounds.
FAQ’s:
Can I Change The Background Color Of An Existing Story?
No, once an Instagram Story is posted, you cannot change its background color. Instagram does not currently offer an option to edit a story after it has been published. If you want to change the background color, you will need to delete the existing story and create a new one with your desired background color.
What If I Don’t Like The Color After Applying It?
If you don’t like the background color after applying it, you can easily change it before posting the story:
Re-select the Drawing Tool: Tap the drawing tool icon (a squiggly line) at the top of the screen.
Choose a New Color: Select a new color from the palette or the color slider.
Apply the New Color: Tap and hold anywhere on the screen to fill the background with the new color. Repeat until you are satisfied with the result.
Undo Option: Use the undo button (an arrow pointing left) at the top of the screen to revert to the previous state if needed.
If you are using a third-party app, simply edit your design within the app and re-export it for upload to Instagram.
How Can I Make My Story More Engaging With Color Changes?
Highlight Key Content: Use contrasting background colors to make important text or elements stand out.
Mood and Tone: Select colors that match the mood and tone of your content. Bright and vibrant colors can create excitement, while soft and muted tones can convey calmness.
Brand Colors: Incorporate your brand’s colors to maintain consistency and reinforce brand recognition.
Gradient and Pattern Use: Experiment with gradients and patterns to add depth and visual interest to your stories.
Interactive Elements: Combine color changes with interactive elements like polls, questions, and quizzes to engage your audience.