The New “Add Yours” Instagram Story Sticker

A new feature that has made Instagram Stories more collaborative is going viral on the app, and brands should jump in early to take advantage.

At the start of November 2021, Instagram started rolling out a new feature called the “Add Yours” sticker, which essentially lets users create their own posts that incorporate—and respond to—the original story.

How It Works

It’s a bit like the TikTok Stitch feature, but the key difference is that “Add Yours” centralizes all of the responses under the original post. 

Say someone posts a directive to “show your closet tour” sticker—all of the public responses will show up under the “Add Yours” sticker so that anyone can view them.

How It Helps Brands

For brands, the new sticker offers a way to create a more collaborative community on Instagram. Done right, it can also get your brand name out there.

This interaction will potentially promote more engagement than poll stickers or question stickers.

Because the original Add Yours post shows up in the IG Story of every person who replies, brands that make an engaging first post can get their names not just in front of their own followers, but also the followers of their followers.

Utilizing the “Add Yours” Sticker: Helpful Tips

Here are some ideas to help you properly create your own Story and gain traction with the Add Yours feature:

Post a Challenge

One of the ways that people have used the new sticker so far is to give a directive to their followers.

An Instagram user might post a photo of the book they’re reading, then ask for followers to reply with their own reading list.

Ask a Question

The “Add Yours” sticker can offer a new way to build a community on the app, and brands might consider asking their followers something personal about themselves, or requesting that their followers demonstrate where or how they use their favorite products.

Lean Into the Meme

On TikTok, some of the most popular Stitch videos are clearly designed to be memed: the original video might say something like “tell me you’re from California without telling me you’re from California,” and then TikTokers will stitch in their own videos in response.

Brands should consider doing the same with “Add Yours”—think of a prompt that is unconventional enough to elicit a large number of response videos.

Use It With Other Instagram Stickers

To add a little extra interactivity or personality to their stories, brands can use Instagram's other stickers alongside the "Add Yours" feature. What's unique about this feature is that they're allowed to create their own stickers.

Here are some interactive stickers that can add a bit of excitement to your Story:

• GIF Stickers: Customized GIFs are a fun way of adding some branding to your own Story. You can do this with little design skills, you don't need to be a graphic designer to make a GIF engaging.
• Hashtag Stickers: Using a creative hashtag can easily boost Instagram marketing. Coming up with something catchy and engaging will attract interest.
• Countdown Stickers: If you're posting about a limited-time challenge or promo, you can show users the time limit via a countdown sticker.
• Link Stickers: These stickers allow you to share websites you wish to promote with Instagram users.

Detour: A  Tutorial for Adding Your Own GIF Stickers

Before moving on, here's a quick step-by-step guide to help you easily add GIF stickers to your Instagram Story.

This guide is for the Instagram app on iPhones or iOS devices.

Using Your Camera Roll:

1. Open your Instagram Story in the app.
2. Save your custom GIF (image or GIF with a transparent background) to your Camera Roll.
3. Choose the Download icon. It should be on the top right corner of your screen.
4. A screen with options to save and share your GIF will pop up. Choose Copy.
5. Open the Instagram app again. An option to add the sticker to your story should pop up.
6. Just tap the Add Sticker icon and it's done!  

Using Your Giphy Account:

1. Open your Instagram Story in the app.
2. Go to giphy.com and log in to your account.
3. Find the GIF you want to use, then tap to choose it.
4. A screen with two options will pop up. Choose Tap & Hold to Copy GIF to copy the GIF to your camera roll.
5. Open the Instagram app again. An option to add the GIF you copied should appear.
6. Tap the Add Sticker icon and you're good to go!

Respond to Followers in the ‘Add Yours’ Thread

Because all of the videos in the thread will show up under the original post, brands could consider proactively engaging with a personalized comment on some of the responses to their original video. 

That can leave a lasting impression on each follower and help make the Instagram community feel engaged and appreciated.

A Tool for Understanding Your Audience Better 

For brands that want a clearer sense of what their audience is looking for, Chatdesk Trends analyzes patterns and customer feedback. This feedback can offer direction on the perfect “Add Yours” post.

Not only do you get customer insights from your Instagram account, but also across all your social platforms. Schedule a demo to see how Chatdesk Trends can help you craft social media posts that are always spot-on for your followers.