Utilizing Lesser-Known Features
The videos below can be expanded to full screen by tapping the expand button in the bottom right corner!
Crop to Fill: If you’ve ever wondered how other Instagrammers get those taller images you see in your main feed (not just squares) without adding a border around them, here’s how they do it!
3 Ways to Hide Hashtags in Stories: Keep the look you’ve created in your post-share, image Story, or video Story by hiding hashtags (and location tags, and mentions) with one of these 3 hacks!
Find That Filter: When you create a Story, you have the option to add a filter… however, only featured filters display. What if you want a filter you’ve seen someone else use, or one that you’ve seen before but isn’t featured today? Here’s how to access more than just featured filters!
Save Inspirational Images and Create Collections: When you see a piece of content you want to replicate for your own brand, do you know how to save it? After this video, you will!
How to Archive Content without Deleting It: If you got a lot of engagement on a post that doesn’t match your grid aesthetic or is expired, what do you do with it? Don’t delete it! Do this instead.
**More content will be added to this lesson over time as new features are added, so be sure to keep checking back!
Tips for Using Green Screen
Are you thinking of using green screen on your own profile? (See this example and this example for how to use them with image and video, respectively! You’ll have to tap through to Guides Highlight on the second link.) Here’s some things to know!
1: You need to choose the video or photo that will be behind you before you apply the filter.
If you plan on appearing in your Story, with a screen behind you that scrolls or clicks or what have you, you’ll need to record the video that will appear behind you beforehand. You won’t actually be syncing with another screen in real time. So have the video recorded and ready in your camera roll.
2: When you appear in the video, you’ll want a selfie stick to get the camera far enough back that you’re not blocking the content behind you.
This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but your arm is only so long. You’re going to take up most of the screen if you’re filming yourself for your Story just holding up your mobile device.
So grab a selfie stick (you can get them on Amazon), which will usually have an option to plug into your phone or connect with a remote so you can control when you start filming and for how long, and back up enough to show both yourself and the content behind you.
3: You can download green screen Stories and convert them to Reels.
If what you really want is a Reel with the green screen effect, record your entire segment as though it was going to be a Story, but don’t stop every 15 seconds. Instagram will keep recording you. Once you have all the content you want, download the entire Story series by tapping the down-facing arrow at the top of the screen, repeating for each video clip you’ve created, and then upload all of them to the free app InShot. (You may have to rearrange them to get them in the right order.) You can download the entire series as a single video, then upload to Reels instead of Stories.