GIFs can be a lot of fun, especially when added to Instagram stories, to Direct Messages, and even to WhatsApp’s and other communications across Meta’s other social media channels.
A GIF is essentially a visual file which can move or be static, repeating a tiny clip of video or a movement on the screen, or instead presenting a static image. GIFs are often used as jokes and as comic references to a conversation or situation, or as a means of communicating a particular emotion or feeling.
The way that GIFs are used across both Instagram and other social apps varies depending on the mood, tone, and situation. Here’s how to add them to an Instagram story in 5 short moves.
5 Steps to Add a GIF To An Instagram Story
- From your profile page on Instagram, select the plus sign inside the square box in the top right hand corner of your screen. Select ‘Create Story’
- Find the visual that you want to form the background of your story, whether it’s a photo, block colour, screenshot, or a video.
- Click on the smiley face in the square with the turned up corner, along the top of the Story edit screen
- Click on the grey box which has a magnifying glass and the word ‘GIF’ in it
- You can now search any word which links with what you are trying to communicate, and select the GIF that best suits your goal or aim
The selected GIF will appear at the centre of your screen and can be moved around in the same way as any other element that you add to a story.
If you have selected a moving GIF, it will continue to complete its run of movement over and over again until you are ready to share the story. When a user clicks to view your story, the GIF will start its movement from the beginning and will only pause if the user clicks and holds on the screen.
Suffice to say, GIFs are becoming an increasingly popular way of adding a little extra personality to Instagram stories. Have you seen or used them before?
Looking for an Instagram uplift? Twicsy offers likes, followers, comments, and views.
