Did you know that 500 million people use Instagram stories every day and one-third of the most viewed stories are from businesses? Also, 80% of users follow at least one business and 60% discover products on Instagram! Stories are the future of social media, and you are missing out on connections if you don’t use stories for your organization in 2019!
So, let’s talk about stories! Here’s the ground we’re going to cover:
- What are Instagram Stories?
- Why should I use Instagram Stories?
- How you can use Instagram Stories for your business.
- Instagram hacks and best practices.
1. What are Instagram Stories?
Instagram stories are short videos and photos that you can add to your page. Not to be confused with your feed posts, stories disappear after 24 hours (unless you save them to your highlights- which I highly recommend!). They were created in 2016 to rival Snapchat and have since grown into an important strategic tool for all Instagram users.
2. Why YOU should use Instagram stories for your business:
Stories work alongside feed posts to increase engagement and drive conversations. They are a way to get away from the polished feel of your feel and give followers a more intimate look into your organization.
Stories typically have high engagement, and, in many cases, now earn more views than posts in your feed. It’s a new creative and fun way to reach your target audience.
3. How you can use Instagram Stories for your business:
- Daily happenings- show what’s going on around your office. What are some things that make your team unique and interesting? How can you show your followers what the heart of your organization looks like?
- Special updates- Do you have an event coming up? A team birthday? A graphic that might not go along with your #FeedContinuity? Use stories to show off what’s coming up in the life of your organization without committing to a full post on your feed!
- Get creative- Use stories to entertain your audience and drive engagement with all the fun tools they have available! Run a poll or use the “Ask A Question” feature to connect. Use filters and stickers to make your stories fun and delight your viewers. To use these features, follow these best practices…
4. Hacks and Best Practices:
- Have fun with filters- Use the filters that Instagram provides to liven up your stories. When used strategically, they will make your stories pop!
- Use engagement tools (like polls!) to get feedback on your stories.
- Tag, tag, tag!- tag users, locations, products, and use hashtags to invite people into the conversation and drive awareness.
And if you need more help with your Instagram stories, contact us!
