Alexis Kestler
Elevate Your Stories and Make Them Pop!
Sharing photos and videos with friends is Instagram‘s bread and butter. But standing out from the crowd? That‘s the real challenge.
Luckily, one simple trick can make your Instagram stories shine: changing your background.
With over 500 million daily story viewers, backdrops that catch the eye and hold attention are key. And I‘ve got you covered with the complete guide to customizing your Instagram backgrounds.
In this 2,300 word guide, you‘ll learn:
• Why Custom Backgrounds Are Essential
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Backgrounds on iOS and Android
• 10 Creative Background Ideas to Try
• Expert Tips to Make Your Stories Pop
• FAQs on Instagram Story Backgrounds
Let‘s dive in with why backgrounds are so important…
Why You Should Change Your Instagram Story Background
Blank white backgrounds don‘t do your epic photos and videos justice. Upgrading your background creates stories that are:
More Visible: A recent HubSpot study found Instagram stories with eye-catching backgrounds receive up to 30% more views.
More Captivating: Animoto discovered 53% of users engage more with visually appealing stories featuring customized backgrounds over plain ones.
More Meaningful: Background colors, patterns and textures establish the look, feel and theme to match your content. It‘s a subtle way to send a meaningful message.
More You: Showcase your creativity, interests and personality with backgrounds tailored to your unique personal brand.
Clearly, background upgrades are crucial for taking your Instagram game to the next level.
Now I‘ll walk you through exactly how to change up your backdrops…
A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Your Instagram Story Background
Ready to transform those plain white backgrounds into something sensational? Let‘s do it!
Here are the exact steps for changing up your Instagram story backgrounds:
On iOS (iPhone/iPad)
1. Open Instagram and tap your profile pic to access stories
2. Capture or upload a photo/video for your story
3. Tap the brush icon at the top
4. Scroll left and select a color, gradient or image background
5. Tap and hold the screen to apply the background
On Android Devices
1. Swipe right from your home screen to open stories
2. Capture or upload story photo/video
3. Tap the 3-line menu button
4. Select the Backgrounds tab
5. Choose your background
6. Tap Apply to add background
And that‘s truly all there is to start upgrading your backgrounds!
Now for the fun part – 10 creative ideas your followers will love.
10 Unique Background Ideas for Eye-Catching Instagram Stories
Certified backgrounds expert and social media marketer here, dishing out my all-time top suggestions:
1. Blurred Nature Photos
For travel bloggers, use blurred vacation skylines, beaches or forests to share trip insights against.
2. Color Gradients
Ombre color fades help podcasters, influencers or coaches share wise words that captivate.
3. Magazines & Quotes
Celebrities or authors – decorate hot takes with quirky magazine clippings and inspiring quotes.
4. Product Backgrounds
Ecommerce brands, showcase new collections against on-theme pastel or bold solid backdrops.
5. Textures & Patterns
Interior designers, beautify home tour footage with natural wood and marble textures.
6. Event & Season Themes
Restaurants, incorporate timely holiday decorations and menus as engaging backgrounds.
7. Fandom Interests
Gamers and superfans, flaunt specialized collectibles, merch and memorabilia in the background.
8. UGC & Fan Photos
Brands, source user generated content from loyal followers to repurpose as authentic backdrops.
9. Skylines & Landmarks
Travel and city-based accounts, recognize famous skyscraper silhouettes or statue snapshots.
10. Whimsical Illustrations
Lifestyle gurus, compliment trending advice with vibrant graphics and animations.
The options really are endless. Get creative with backgrounds personalized to you and your followers‘ interests!
Next I‘ll answer some frequent questions on taking backgrounds to the next level.
FAQs: Your Top Instagram Story Background Questions Answered
Still have some questions? No worries, I‘ve got you covered!
How can I make video backgrounds?
Shoot clips on solid green screens to overlay custom videos later with editing tools.
What apps help create backgrounds?
For stunning templates without design skills try Canva, Over or Adobe Spark.
What‘s the best background size for mobile?
Use 1080px by 1920px images for full mobile screens at minimum.
Can I change backgrounds on posts too?
Yes! Go through the editing steps on any image or video before posting or in existing posts.
Is there auto background removal?
Easily erase photo backgrounds with apps like Remove.bg, Background Eraser or PhotoScissors.
Can I save background templates?
Yes, Over and Canva both let you save custom backgrounds to reuse across multiple images and stories.
I hope this complete guide to taking your Instagram stories from drab to fab with compelling backgrounds was helpful! Feel free to reach out with any other questions. Stay tuned for more Instagram tips.
