Only spanning 15 seconds, Instagram Stories were designed to be produced in real time with raw, authentic content. Unlike curated and scheduled posts, Stories can be more approachable and “off the cuff.”
The Instagram Stories feature is among the platform’s most popular, capturing the eager audience that enjoyed Snapchat’s ephemeral messages. Story images or videos can be viewed in full screen, then disappear 24 hours later. Instead of scrolling, viewers can click forward to see all Story content.
Though short and often simple, Instagram Stories still need the captivating elements of any other video to hold the viewers’ attention. This requires mastery of the “hook,” or an opening statement that grabs the viewer’s attention and makes them want to continue.
Why Instagram?
Instagram is a great choice for video marketing for several reasons. According to a recent study, 47% of Instagram users feel they can be more authentic with Instagram Stories than they can be in their Feed. Furthermore, 44% of users appreciate the vanishing content on Stories.
Stories can also be beneficial for businesses. Over 39% of users surveyed reported greater interest in a brand or product after seeing it in a Story.
Users in the U.S. associate a few attributes to Instagram, including visual beauty, creativity, and freedom of expression. The survey also revealed that the type of content users value varies all over the world. In the U.S., value-driven content is preferred, while UK audiences prefer personal stories with inspirational content.
These statistics show the promise of Instagram for short-form video – and Stories in particular – for brands marketing to U.S. audiences. They want creative and value-driven stories that are raw and authentic, which also happens to be the key to impactful video marketing in general.
Mastering the hook
Stories are only 15 seconds, meaning you have less than 10 seconds to “hook” your audience. But if you approach Story content strategically, you can draw in users and keep them watching.
Understanding attention spans
Microsoft conducted a study using data spanning 13 years to evaluate the average attention span of an adult. They started with only 12 seconds, but near the end, attention spans were reduced to only 8.5 seconds – a drop of 25%.
It’s not much of a surprise, however. With more and more content flooding newsfeeds, it’s harder to create something truly unique and captivating.
So, 13 years ago, you would’ve had 12 seconds to maximize the user’s attention span. Now that it’s reduced to 8.5, 10 seconds is a good benchmark for how long you have to share an effective hook.
Sharing strong content in only 15 seconds is easier said than done, however. It’s not enough time for a fully fleshed-out story, but it can be a long time to fill if you have shallow topics.
Even if you use a few consecutive stories to create a series, you still need that hook to keep the audience around for the whole thing. And the longer your videos are, the harder you will need to work for that engagement.
Antonia Maneta
How big is Instagram’s audience?
As of January 2025, 28.3% of Instagram users in the U.S. aged 25 to 24 make up the largest audience in the country. The 18-24 age group follows closely behind, representing 26.5% of users. About 47% of teenagers use Instagram daily, and 8% check it almost constantly.
On the business side, 62.7% of Instagram users actively follow or research brands or products on the platform.
Clearly, the younger generations are dominating Instagram, and they have unique needs as consumers.
They’re used to instant gratification, having what they want or need at their fingertips, and use their smartphones to watch videos, play games, learn, order products, subscribe to services, or even engage in dating.
Because of this, Gen Z and millennials are not as patient as other generations. Instead of visiting brick-and-mortar stores and waiting weeks for packages and letters like Boomers and Gen X, Gen Z and millennials can order in a matter of seconds and have a package on their doorstep in mere days, sometimes overnight.
What does this mean for your brand?
You need to get to the point and give them a reason to watch the whole way through.
Using Instagram Stories for business
Part of the disruptive power of Instagram Stories is its shift away from polished, traditional, and predictable ads and content. They’re interactive, live, creative, authentic, and temporary.
This ephemeral nature creates a “Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)” that urges viewers to tune in before it’s lost forever.
Urgency is a powerful tool in marketing, and Instagram Stories creates just the right amount of FOMO that can captivate younger audiences.
his sense of urgency drives engagement and presents a valuable opportunity for brands to connect with broader audiences in a more organic way.
According to Instagram, 33% of the most-viewed Stories are posted from business accounts. Stories aren’t just for your Instagram followers, either.
They can be discovered by any user with similar interests or who has interacted with similar content, based on the algorithm. In addition, Instagram Stories will show up on Facebook, further increasing the potential audience.
If you’re thinking this is a lot of work for a short, disappearing video, it doesn’t have to be a flash in the pan.
Stories may vanish after 24 hours, but you can still save them to a Story archive or in the Story Highlights across the top of your profile. This is a great way to organize information and direct new viewers to it.
Sephora has well-designed Stories that are helpful to new viewers:
Best practices for Instagram Stories
As the name suggests, Stories are for storytelling.
Since the dawn of time, humans have shared stories across generations, bonding individuals and connecting them to traditions and history. Businesses can use Stories similarly to connect with prospective customers and build trust and community.
Here are some best practices for Instagram Stories:
Give your audience what it wants
It’s important to know your audience and what users are looking for before creating Story content.
You should have a natural and casual approach to topics that your audience tends to engage with, such as Q&As, product demonstrations, customer success stories, or explainer videos.
Keep in mind that natural doesn’t mean your video can be scattered, messy, or low quality. You still need to have a clear content plan and a concise message to resonate.
Use Story tools and features
Instagram offers numerous tools and features to help you create more effective Stories.
For example, you can use Stories to conduct polls and learn more about your audience while increasing active engagement.
Instagram also has stickers, text overlay, and audio clips to enhance your video and complement the message. If your audience is local, don’t forget to use a location tag to draw an association between your brand and the local community.
Here’s a good example of a fun quiz with eye-catching design from the San Diego Zoo:
Showcase creativity
Stories thrive on genuine, creative content. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with things like stickers of your logo, a quirky catchphrase, or custom GIFs that show off your brand personality. Experimenting is the best way to find out what content works for your audience and what you should focus on.
Instagram Story video hooks
Struggling to find a hook? Here are some ideas to inspire you:
- Start with a surprising move immediately to pique curiosity.
- Ask a probing question.
- Tease a glimpse of behind-the-scenes content.
There are plenty of phrases that capture attention and work well as a hook, but be careful not to venture into “clickbait” territory. You need to follow through on the promise.
Here are some examples:
- “Did you know that…”
- “You’re doing this wrong”
- “Quick reminder!”
- “X hacks for…”
- “If you’re struggling today, remember this…”
Here’s a great example from Apple TV:
Learn your hook for Instagram success
It only takes a few seconds to make a real impact with Instagram Stories. Use these tips to create your own captivating Instagram Story hook and get your audience coming back for more.
About the author
Torrey Tayenaka is the co-founder and CEO at Sparkhouse, an Orange County based commercial video production company. He is often asked to contribute expertise in publications like Entrepreneur, Single Grain and Forbes.
Sparkhouse is known for transforming video marketing and advertising into real conversations. Rather than hitting the consumer over the head with blatant ads, Sparkhouse creates interesting, entertaining and useful videos that enrich the lives of his clients’ customers.
In addition to Sparkhouse, Torrey has also founded the companies Eva Smart Shower, Litehouse & Forge54.
Download our win-loss ebook if you're ready to turn passive reporting into active revenue.
Charley Gale
Chief marketing officer alliance insider
Thank you for subscribing
Level up your chief marketing officer alliance career & network with chief marketing officer alliance experts.
An email has been successfully sent to confirm your subscription.
Follow us on LinkedIn
