By Every company that has an existing Instagram account is likely to have used Instagram Stories (also known colloquially as IG Stories).
Following Snapchat’s meteoric rise to prominence, video marketing has gradually become an integral part of any excellent social media marketing and management plan. Brands’ efforts to provide interesting and interactive content on social media have led to a sharp uptick in the use of formats like Stories and vertical video. YouTube Stories, Facebook Stories, and the rise of TikTok are all evidence of this, but none of these platforms has the reach or marketing power of Instagram Stories. Even said, Instagram Stories can be used for a lot more than just advertising videos.
Explain the appeal of Instagram’s new Stories feature.
Almost eighty-six percent of Instagram’s one billion monthly users share stories on a daily basis. There is tremendous opportunity here for companies to spread their messages to a wide audience. Instagram found that 39% of viewers who were exposed to a brand or product through an Instagram story were more likely to make a purchase as a result. Also, one-third of the most popular Stories are posted by companies. One in five customers who examine a company’s story will contact them through other means, proving that consumers do more than simply look at their content.
This demonstrates that, beyond boosting their profile views, companies can use Instagram Stories as a potent selling tool.
The question is, how can businesses best utilise Instagram Stories?
Brands may connect with their audience and reinforce their image using Instagram Stories. They make it possible for businesses to collaborate with influential people, present their company’s values and values of their personnel, and promote their goods and services.
Participation of the Buying Public
In order to maximise interaction, brands should make full advantage of Instagram’s many functionalities. The major feature that sets a story apart from other forms of social media is the availability of real-time engagement. Every day, Instagram users are presented with new stories, and businesses have the chance to interact with them through a variety of formats, from countdowns to inquiries.
Instagram users may share their thoughts and get insight from your content by using tools like emoji sliders, question stickers, polls, quizzes, and a live chat room. Obviously, brands can decide which questions they want to pose and which ones they want people to vote on, so they can utilise them to build buzz for an upcoming launch or event.
In addition, companies should always include geotags in their postings such as when promoting an event to increase the likelihood that their content will appear in relevant local feeds. And for the same reason, they should use pertinent hashtags in their postings. Brands, however, need to be cautious not to overuse hashtags in their content if they want their taxonomy to continue functioning well.
Disseminating High-Quality Material
When marketers want to recycle their most successful content, Instagram Stories might be a wonderful option. Stories, like Instagram’s carousel posts, allow users to navigate through many pages of material at once. This format is ideal for disseminating instructional tidbits like blog articles, infographics, videos, and frequently asked questions. Companies need to be wary of bombarding users with too many tales at once, lest they be ignored.
The way that news organisations use Instagram Stories is a perfect illustration of this. The New York Times frequently used Stories to provide a visual representation of the news.
Just to recap
After you’ve gone through our comprehensive introduction to Instagram Stories, you should feel confident enough to launch your Stories advertising campaign.
Keep in mind that Instagram Stories need not just repeat your content. Try out various settings and features to zero in on the optimal method of reaching your target demographic with your content. Don’t be scared to learn by making mistakes; you’ll soon realise what works best for you. Want to learn more Instagram promotion strategies? Check out our Instagram Marketing Primer.