Many creators have observed that including clickable links in their Instagram stories tends to reduce the overall views for that batch of stories.
This is because Instagram prefers to keep users engaged within the app. By including external links in stories, creators inadvertently make it easier for traffic to leave the Instagram app. So, it makes sense why Instagram's algorithm might prioritize stories without external links.
The idea behind our newest automation type, Instagram Story Reply, is to keep your links out of the story itself and instead share them with your followers via direct messages (DMs) -- just like with Comment for Recipe!
How It Works
Story keywords function similarly to post keywords, but they trigger when someone replies to your story rather than commenting on your post.
So, here's what you need to set up your first Instagram Story Reply:
Navigate to the Instagram Story Reply tab from the GrocersList homepage.
Click on the Create New Story Reply green button in the top right-hand corner.
Add the keyword you want to use in your story.
Add the link you want to send your followers.
Tip 💡 - If you click the refresh button, we'll automatically pull in the image from the recipe's webpage and add it to the DM card. You also can remove the image and choose your own one to upload.
Next customize the message and button text if you would like. (This is optional.)
Last, but not least, feel free to add a secondary button such as an Amazon affiliate link or a link to your join your newsletter. (This is also optional.)
Hit Save! Your post will now appear in the table on the Create tab.
Once you start getting comments on your post, it will appear on the Analyze tab where you can view DMs sent, opens, clicks and your click-through-rate.
When To Use Instagram Story Reply
Based on what we're seeing work best for other customers, we recommend using this campaign to drive 3 main benefits:
Grow traffic to specific recipes
Periodically push stories to grow your email list
Provide clickable links to earn more affiliate revenue
Instagram Story Reply is available on all paid plans.