Since launching in 2016, Instagram stories have become a popular favourite with Instagrammers with the amount of people using the feature hitting 300 million daily. If that number is not enough to question why your business has not jumped on the insta-story bandwagon yet, here’s some of my top hints, tricks and reasons why you should definitely be including it in your social media strategy..
What are Instagram stories?
The copycat feature of Snapchat allows users to take pictures and video footage in short clips which can then be overlaid with text, graphics, emojis and lots more. Instagram stories appear at the top of your Instagram feed and are available for all your followers to view.
The feature was firstly designed to vanish from your profile after 24 hours but the app has recently added an option for ‘story highlights’ which means they can now be marked as a ‘highlight’ with no expiration time, allowing all of your favourite moments to be saved for followers to see directly from your profile.
Why should I use Instagram stories for my business?
There’s plenty of reasons why Instagram stories will be beneficial to your brand. Not only do they give you the chance to really promote awareness, products and services but they can also be a powerful tool to show off personality and the fun side to your business.
Instagram stories give you the opportunity to get creative, playful and more informal with your marketing content through the use of different settings. If you master getting it right, it can really work to build loyalty from your audience and direct people straight to your social channels, which could potentially lead to more sales! Using stories on Instagram also means you can track results and success using the analytics tools on the app.
How do I use Instagram stories?
To access the feature, you just need to swipe right or tap on the camera button in the top left corner on the Instagram app. You can take a photo with a tap of the middle button or record a video by pressing and holding. You can also select a photo or video from your camera roll by swiping up. You can then swipe across the access 11 different choices of filters.
The default setting on Instagram stories allows you to post just a photo or video but swiping across the bottom of the screen gives you different options to capture content including Type, Music, Live, Boomerang, Focus, Superzoom, Rewind and Hands-free each option lets you share content in a different way.
Instagram stories are constantly becoming more interactive and creative, the app now gives you the option to add your location, temperature, tag friends, hashtags, music, emojis, polls and questions. Experimenting and making the most out of the features will entertain your audience and keep your content exciting.
What should I be posting on Instagram Stories?
You will be surprised at how many people like knowing the ‘behind the scenes’ of a business. Giving your audience a glimpse of what goes on will make your followers feel like insiders to your brand and Instagram stories is a great tool to use for this. Taking snaps at an industry event, a video of an office tour or even a sneak peak teaser of a new product/service are all things that will interest fans.
Experimenting with different types of content for stories will be the only way you find out what your followers are interested in but some of my other content suggestions include a Q&A session, product demonstrations, staff focus and flash sales or limited offer graphics. Here’s some examples from other brands that may inspire you..
Instagram Stories gives you a modern way to communicate to your followers, build trust and raise traditional levels between business and customer. They key is to keep your content audience focused, be engaged and provide valuable information.
Do you need help with your Instagram stories? Maybe you need a refreshed social media strategy? Get in touch with us today!
