Why Are My Story Views So Low: Common Reasons and Fixes

Instagram Stories are a terrific way to post quick, candid updates or share interesting content with your followers. These expire after a day, so they’re uncontrived, fleeting, and low-maintenance enough for you to let your authenticity shine through. But not everyone finds success with their Story content that easily. Some rack their brains, asking, “Why are my Story views so low no matter what I do?”

Are you confused as to why your Stories aren’t shining and performing the way you anticipated? In this guide, we’ll fill you in on what you could be doing wrong and tips to help fix it. Keep scrolling to learn how you can successfully skyrocket your Story views once and for all.

Why Are My Story Views So Low: 5 Common Reasons for Underperforming Stories

Are you wondering, “Why are my Instagram Story views so low?” Well, the answer is never really that straightforward. There are many reasons why you might not be rolling in as many Story views as you had hoped for. Some of them have easy fixes in your Instagram settings, but others require tweaking your overall content strategy.

Here are five of the most common explanations as to why your Stories are underperforming in terms of views.

1. Your Story Content Isn’t Driving Enough Engagement

Although it’s a hard pill to swallow, there’s a chance your Stories aren’t getting views because they’re simply not engaging. This can happen if your Story content isn’t relevant or interesting to your target audience.

There are several factors Instagram considers when ranking people’s Stories on their followers’ feeds. The algorithm typically first shows you the Stories of users you interact with a lot. But aside from that, the platform will also push out Stories, driving lots of engagement.

Likes, direct messages, and emoji reactions signal Instagram that these Stories are relevant to people. The algorithm will prioritize these well-performing posts on the Story pile on people’s feeds.

If your posts aren’t engaging enough to pull interactions from others, Instagram might position you lower on the Story pile. This can lead to fewer views than Stories that people are actively showing interest in.

That’s why it’s super important to post interesting content in your Stories. Post photos and video clips that will resonate with and help your target audience. Experiment with different content types and key messages in your Stories and note what your followers like most. Then, tweak your content strategy to include more of that engaging type of Story.

2. You’re Posting Too Many Stories at Once

According to Gitnux, Instagram users typically watch until the end of someone’s Stories 75% of the time. But what happens the other 25% of the time?

We can only speculate on the exact reasons why someone doesn’t finish watching another user’s Stories. However, one possible cause is that the person posting Stories already has way too many of them. Posting excessive content may tempt people to skip your Stories and move on to the next user.

Do your best not to post way too many Stories in one go, as this can be overwhelming for viewers. Don’t post so many that the duration bars at the top of the Story screen end up looking like dots. Always prioritize quality, not quantity, when posting Story content.

3. You Have a Private Profile

Another simple explanation for you not getting as many Story views as you want is that your profile is private. If you’re a private account, you limit only your Story audience to your followers.

If you want more potential viewers for your Stories, consider making your profile public again. This allows even people who don’t yet follow you to discover and watch your Stories, adding to your view count.

4. You’re Not Posting Original Content

According to a tweet by Instagram’s own Adam Mosseri, the platform ranks content on the feed based on originality. That means new, original content will get more views and engagement than Stories that repost or share other people’s content.

Plus, fresh, original content is more interesting and personal than “recycling” something that’s already been posted. This can pique your viewers’ curiosity and interest and entice them to engage with your Story, leading to more views. So, try your best to take your original photos and videos for Instagram Stories.

5. You Publish Your Story Posts When Your Followers Are Offline

The final reason why you have so few Story views is that you’re uploading your content at the wrong time. If you post Stories when no one is active on the platform, no one will view or interact with them.

Avoid posting Stories when you know your target audience isn’t on Instagram. This includes late at night when everyone is asleep or in the middle of a busy school day or workday. If you post Stories during these times, you’ll likely get little to no views.

Are you curious as to when you should post your Stories on Instagram? We’ll fill you in on that in a little bit, so keep reading!

How To Get More Story Views on Instagram: Tips for High Viewership

Are your Instagram Story views down right now? Don’t worry; there are plenty of ways to give your Stories an extra push so more people can see them.

Whatever you do, don’t fall into the temptation of buying Story views. Don’t resort to automating bots to view your posts to balloon your view count, either. These put you in the direct firing line of Instagram—a platform known for its watchful eye against fake, inauthentic activity.

Instead, work on your creative content strategy and posting schedule to ensure you maximize your potential for views. Here’s how to get more Story views on Instagram.

1. Boost Story Engagement With Interactive Stickers

One Instagram feature unique to Stories that can help you boost engagement is interactive stickers. You can position these stickers anywhere on your Story posts to allow your target audience to interact with them.

There are plenty of engaging stickers to choose from, including polls, Q&A stickers, emoji sliders, “add yours” tags, and more. These stickers help you learn more about your audience and get their feedback on your content.

Plus, it increases dwell time on your Stories. This, coupled with the high engagement stickers drive, helps boost your ranking on the feed, leading to more views. Overall, it’s an awesome audience engagement strategy you shouldn’t sleep on.

2. Add the Hashtag Sticker to Your Story

Hashtag stickers are also a thing on Instagram Stories. These stickers display any hashtag you want to include in your Story post. When viewers click a sticker, it leads them to the hashtag’s main page, where they’ll see content under that tag.

Hashtag stickers are an amazing way to expand your Story’s overall reach. Your Story will end up on that tag’s public Story. So, anyone following or exploring that hashtag will see your posts. As a result, you’ll get more views than usual on your Story—typically from people who don’t follow you yet.

3. Insert Location Tags to Your Posts

Location tags pretty much work the same way as hashtag stickers. This sticker allows you to tell your audience where in the world you are when posting your Story. Your content may then appear in that specific location’s public Story, boosting visibility and, consequently, your view count.

You can add a location sticker for any place you can think of. You can do it when you’re traveling to different cities and countries to update your followers about where you’re at. Alternatively, you can choose to tag establishments in your posts. For example, you can tag a restaurant for your sumptuous brunch photo or the local market you’re shopping at. It’s awesome for expanding your Story’s reach while targeting local audiences.

4. Create a Highlight To Extend the Lifespan of Important Stories

Stories expire after 24 hours. After that, Instagram will send them to the archive, where only you can access them. That means no one will be able to view those Stories anymore.

But there is one way to extend the lifespan of your Stories and make them available for people to see. All you have to do is create a Story Highlight and save your favorite posts to it. Highlights showcase important Stories on the top of your profile even if they’ve already expired. That way, people can come back to them and watch them again and again.

It’s best to make Highlights for very impactful Story content. For businesses, this could mean your FAQs, positive testimonials, and user-generated content submitted by customers. For influencers and personal accounts, feel free to make Highlights for trips, life milestones, relationships, and more. Pro-tip: create cute Highlight covers to make them look charming and cohesive on your page!

Note, however, that you won’t see who views your Stories after they’ve expired, even if they’re in a Highlight. Still, it’s an awesome way to get people to see your Story posts after 24 hours.

5. Post When Your Target Audience Is Most Active

Earlier, we discussed how bad it was for your Story viewership and engagement to post when your followers aren’t online. To maximize views on your Stories, always post when you know your target audience is active.

The easiest way to find the best time to post on Instagram is to check your professional Insights dashboard. There, you’ll see the times of the day your followers are typically online.

You can also use your intuition to guess when peak social media hours are for your audience. For example, if your target market is students, you know they’ll only be on their phones at night. If you’re targeting stay-at-home moms, they likely go online in the morning and afternoon when the kids are at school. Every audience’s peak Instagram time differs, so make sure to do your research on your niche demographic!

6. Mention Other Accounts in Your Stories To Encourage Reposts

Another trick to get more views on your Stories is to tag other accounts in your posts. When you tag or “mention” someone in your Story, they’ll have the option to repost it on their own Story. This exposes your post to their fanbase, which helps potential followers discover and explore your page. This may lead not just to new followers but also to more Story views.

7. Get an Influencer To “Take Over” Your Page

If you’re a business with tons of brand ambassadors, consider getting one of them to “take over” your page.

Influencer takeovers don’t just refresh your usual Story content but also make it more diverse and exciting. It also entices their followers to flock to your page and watch your Stories. The fact that these influencers can promote your brand’s products in their takeover posts is just the cherry on top.

Here are some examples of influencer takeover content for Instagram Stories:

• A Q&A about your business and its products with your brand ambassador answering all queries.
• A behind-the-scenes look at your company’s HQ as the influencer goes on a tour of the office.
• The influencer’s “day in the life” while using and promoting your brand’s products.

Get More People To See Your Content With Path Social

It’s natural for some Stories to fall short of the mark, especially for those who haven’t mastered this content format. From privacy settings to post frequency, there are plenty of reasons why it happens to some people’s Story content.

But as long as you incorporate our tips above into your content strategy, you can drive tons of views. Remember to add stickers to your Stories, create Highlights, and tag other users to help boost your posts’ visibility. Don’t underestimate your posting schedule and the idea of working with influencers. Those can do wonders for boosting your Story visibility.

Now that we’ve answered your burning question, “Why are my Story views so low?” it’s time to get cracking. Aside from following our strategies for increasing views, think about working with Path Social to boost Story viewership.

We use AI to find your niche audience and promote your content to them. This allows more people genuinely interested in your posts to discover your page. As a result, you’ll get plenty of new, authentic followers keeping an eye out for your content—including Stories. Not only do you grow your fanbase, but you get more people’s eyeballs on your Stories, too. Gain more Instagram followers with us today!