You Can Now React to Instagram Stories with Green Screens

Instagram Stories are a game-changer for real estate professionals using the platform to engage with their target audience. Stories tend to be more personal than Reels, allowing you to give viewers a sneak peek into your real-life experiences. 

After all, your Instagram content doesn’t have to be all about real estate. Depending on your branding, a fair number of your Instagram Stories could focus on a passion of yours. You could also focus on sharing funny and/or relatable experiences you’ve had as an agent. 

Stories are also a great way to reshare content posted by Instagrammers you follow. Likewise, anyone who can see your Instagram Stories can reply with a DM, a heart icon, a preset emoji, a GIF, or personalized avatar stickers. 

And now, to make your response all the more entertaining, you can now reply to someone’s Story with a green screen video, using their post as the background. 

As early as December of last year, beta testing for green screen responses to Instagram Stories has been witnessed on the platform. And users viewing Stories from people they follow might see in-app notifications inviting them to take the feature for a spin. 

If you’re game, here’s how to create a green screen reaction to someone’s IG Story. 

How to react to someone’s IG Story using the green screen filter

If you post Instagram Stories regularly, you’ve probably noticed that Instagram already provides a green screen filter you can use with your own Stories. 

Now, with the new feature, you can use the green screen filter to react to someone else’s content, using their Story as the backdrop. 

Here’s how: 

1. Launch the Instagram mobile app (you can’t do this on desktop).
2. Open an Instagram Story posted by someone following you back. 
3. If you see a square smile icon in the bottom left corner of your screen, that’s Instagram’s way of signaling you can send a green screen reaction to the poster of the Instagram Story. Tap the icon. 
4. That should open a new Story page with the words, “React to” at the top, followed by the Instagram username of the person whose Story you’re reacting to. The backdrop will be the person’s Story post, while, in the forefront, you’ll see yourself with your real-life background replaced by the green screen. 
5. Use your fingers to pinch your on-screen image to make it larger or smaller in relation to the backdrop. You can also configure the flash—or use the rear camera of your device if you’re filming someone else’s face for the reaction. 
6. When you’re ready to capture your reaction, tap the shutter button once for a photo, or keep it pressed to record a video. 

What to do after recording your green screen reaction

Once you’ve removed your finger from the shutter button, you still have the option of adding other Instagram Story effects to your reaction post—including stickers, music, and text—before you hit send. 

Also, even though Instagram will send your reaction photo or video directly to the Instagram Story poster’s message inbox, you have the option of enabling or disabling the resharing of your reaction. 

There are a few things you need to know about this feature: 

1. Based on testing, it appears the green screen reaction icon only shows up as an option when viewing Stories posted by accounts that follow you back. 
2. You can send green screen reactions to your Instagram friends—unless their Instagram settings are configured in a way that prevents responses to their Stories. 
3. Green screen reactions are accessible only while using the Instagram mobile app (as of now); it’s not an option when using a computer. 

Ideas for green screen reactions

If you’re wondering how to use this new feature in your business, here are a few ideas: 

• Friendly debates—responding to a contrary opinion in someone’s Instagram Story to share your own perspective and engage them in a (friendly) conversation about it. 
• Responding to a personal/professional hack—to let the Story poster know whether or not you found their hack helpful, as well as any suggestions you have for its improvement. 
• One-on-one follow-up—responding to a Story to update a client or prospect with new and useful information about their neighborhood or the local housing market
• Reacting to a client’s home improvement project results—maybe with an estimate of their property’s increase in value or any information relevant to this and other projects. 
• Reacting to a fellow agent’s Story—with a related anecdote, a compliment, a sympathetic response, or anything they might find encouraging, funny, or helpful. 

So, if you can, start using this feature to engage with other people’s Stories on Instagram and encourage them to do the same with yours. 

Maybe you’ve just watched someone’s interview with a restaurant owner, and you want to compliment them on their innovative or off-the-wall take—or for being the only marketer you know who can make it work. 

Maybe you just disagree with their opinion that a particular restaurant has the best pizza / hoagies / burgers / whatever in town. 

The possibilities are legion. What will you try first?