Since their introduction, Instagram Stories have become increasingly popular, with over 500 million users as of 2025. The feature, which resembles Snapchat, allows users to create a video and photo sequence that lasts 24 hours. This content format enables businesses to create engaging visual content.

According to one study, 20% of Instagram stories result in a direct message. This makes the stories a powerful way to connect with potential customers and bring in new leads. Instagram has added features to the Stories to keep them fresh and exciting. In this article, we explore how to utilize one of those features, GIFs, to make your Instagram stories more exciting.

Why Use Instagram Stories GIFs?

GIFs were introduced to Instagram stories in January 2018, allowing users to add the stickers to their Stories videos and photos. The social media platform collaborated with GIPHY to create a library of fun and animated stickers. Unlike what some think, GIFs aren't just looping video clips; they are a form of language that conveys different emotional cues.

One of the reasons for their popularity is that they enable users to express themselves more effectively. A Tenor Survey indicated that two-thirds of millennials considered GIFs to be more effective than words. The majority of people in the survey said that GIFs made them feel more connected.

Brands, too, are realizing the power of GIFs in social media marketing, with many now incorporating them into their social media brand image. This is because they allow brands to connect with their target audience. Instagram stories GIFs can enable users to:

• Connect emotionally with their target audience.
• Add personality to Instagram stories.
• Increase their loyal following.
• Remain relevant in an ever-changing digital world
• Increase social media engagement
• Save time that would otherwise be spent creating creatives.

How to Include GIFs in Your Instagram Stories

Creating GIFs for your Instagram Stories is easy. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Start by choosing the photo or video content you want to post on Stories. You will see a sticker at the top right, along with other options such as hashtags, polls, and location. 
2. When you click on the sticker, you will be presented with a library containing thousands of GIPHY stickers. You will also see a search bar, as well as the trending GIF stickers. If you need something more specific, use the search bar.
3. After choosing your perfect GIF, you can resize it by pinching and dragging the edges. You can also drag to adjust the placement. Tap the GIF and hold it to pin it to a location if you plan to use it inside a video. You will now have a whole library of blinking, swirling, and dancing animations to create engaging and attention-grabbing Instagram stories.

Creative Ways of Using Instagram Stories GIFs

Before creating your Instagram story GIF, consider your brand’s content strategy and whether to use a template. When creating your Instagram stories using a template, be sure to leave space for the GIF. Otherwise, failure to leave a space for the GIF can leave you with a chaotic story.

Remember that your Instagram Stories GIFs must align with your whole social media marketing goal. That means you should only use a GIF that aligns with your brand.

Pin the Instagram Stories GIF

One way to add an element of surprise to your IG story GIF is to pin it, ensuring it appears only at certain times. This can be a fun and engaging way to add it to your stories. You can tap the GIF, then hold it to pin it to your preferred location. Use the bar at the bottom to adjust its location. 

Once you are satisfied with the location, tap on the pin button and wait for the magic to happen. Once you have pinned the GIF to your Instagram story video, you can ensure it pops up at the right time to keep viewers hooked.

Use GIFs to Add Different Effects

If you are unsatisfied with Instagram's filter options, you can use story GIFs to create your own custom filters. You can add some creativity by simply resizing and adjusting the GIF's direction. You can then resize the GIF by pinching it with two fingers or expanding it, just like you can with text or stickers.

The GIPHY library contains lots of cool effects. You can select one, enlarge it, and move it to a particular place, and that is it. For instance, if you want to add a lively winter-like effort, you can search for snow. When you search for efforts, you will see several sparkly and animated confetti pieces you can use to add a magical effect.

If your GIF doesn't appear as you want it to, try flipping it or adjusting its placement. By changing the GIF direction, you can modify it to fit your screen.

Make Your Text Lively with an Instagram Story GIF

The introduction of Type mode in Instagram Stories made it easy for brands to add text-heavy content. However, this also comes with downsides, as many users don't read texts. Instead, they will skip your stories for the next one if it's full of text. One way to grab viewers' attention is by highlighting your stories with GIFs. This can be a great way to make your text stand out and improve readability.

You can also find an extensive collection of texty GIFs in the GIPHY library that you can use in your Instagram Stories. For instance, you can replace a word with a GIF.

Create Lively Photos

While you want to preserve the value of your photo, you can add a small GIF to bring it to life. Remember that even a slight movement can help attract the viewer's attention, making them want to look more closely at the image. Ensure that you use Instagram Stories GIFs sparingly to avoid distracting your viewers from the main image. Otherwise, a story filled with too many GIFs can leave viewers confused and make them skip the GIF.

Grabbing the Viewer's Attention

We already noted earlier that GIFs can help grab the viewers' attention. Ensure you add a GIF call-to-action to direct viewers to their next step. This could be a new post, a link in bio, sound on, etc., which will clearly instruct viewers on what you want them to do.

Use Reactions GIFs

One of the areas where GIFs excel is in capturing reactions. This is why people use GIFs to express themselves. To effectively connect with your target audience, it is essential to understand their behaviors better and ensure they align with your brand image.

You can use reaction GIFs to connect better with your audience on an emotional level and convey your message. Even though reaction GIFs in stories can be fun, avoid overdoing them. A good rule of thumb is to use one or two on each slide.

In Conclusion

Instagram Stories GIFs have proven to be a favorite way for people and brands to communicate their emotions without using words. This has made it one of the fun ways to express yourself, and if you are a brand, it's a great way to engage with your audience. If you are wondering how to use GIFs in Instagram stories, you can use the tips above. We also recommend reading our guide on adding music to Instagram stories.