by The AgencyAs humans, we are natural storytellers. It’s one of the ways we make sense of our world. It also helps us entertain and engage our peers and connect. Since the time that we told our stories gathered around campfires, we have come a very long way. Today’s storytelling circle is right at our fingertips. Instagram Stories can be seen and heard around the world. In this article, learn helpful tips for your Stories and find out how to effectively use this platform in your social media marketing strategy. More than a billion users are active on this social media outlet, 500 million of which use Stories every single day. Businesses Stories posts are the most popular. The 10-second images or 15-second videos have a 24-hour shelf life.
Why Are Businesses and Users so Drawn to Instagram Stories?
Stories are a quick and easy way for brands to showcase their personality. Transparency is a chief factor for building trust with an audience. This is especially true for building trust with millennials. Instagram Stories offer an endearing and casual ‘behind the scenes’ invitation.
This platform is not the only one that features Stories. It first appeared with Snapchat, then IG and Facebook followed. Businesses see so much value in this feature and have benefited so greatly in terms of audience reach and engagement, that due to LinkedIn growth, the company has confirmed that it is working to develop its Stories version. The rollout is expected to be available to users soon. This will be an awesome way for their unique users to benefit from LinkedIn growth as well.
So How Do You Use Stories to Benefit Your Brand?
Stories are a huge asset in terms of engagement and let you drive traffic via ads and links, or by shopping on the Explore feature. Hashtags and geotags help you gain new followers through search.
You should include just about anything that you know your followers will find interesting or entertaining in your Stories. Posts that highlight a specific business aspect ar the most useful. However, anything that your audience finds intriguing enough to consume is a fair game.
Post ideas
- Product testimonials
- Behind the scenes moments
- Sales announcements
- Event promotions
- News about your business
Use your imagination and discover what your followers respond best to for your social media marketing strategy. The point of posting to IG Stories in the first place is to personalize your brand, increase audience reach, and get engagement.
There is no need to stress over the quality of photos and videos for your Instagram Stories. You aren’t filming a full-on production. Simply aim for original and engaging content that fans of your brand will want to share with others.
Creativity is your secret weapon. The Instagram app does not have face-altering effects like Snapchat Stories but does offer several unique features and filters. This includes an additional five seconds of video and the doodling feature. The Boomerang app can be used to make a three-second GIF that you can incorporate with your story.
The main thing is to familiarize yourself with all of the newest features Instagram Stories provides.
Creative Options for Your Instagram Stories
- Color and text customization
- Hands-free mode
- Selfie stickers
- Poll stickers
- Superzoom
- Live streams
- Camera roll integration
- Hashtags
The only problem you may run into once you learn these features is spending more time playing around with them than you should. Each will offer ways that capture your followers’ attention by making your Stories unique and entertaining.
