When Instagram Stories was released, the feeling was neutral. At the time, Snapchat had apparently cornered the market in live video and was followed by the masses. Yet by November 2017, Instagram Stories had touched 300 million daily active users, whose users under 25 spent more than 32 minutes each day on the network.
Brands were turning to Instagram for many reasons, most of them being due to the fact that they had already created a significant number of visitors on this platform and not the need to create a new one. community on Snapchat. New features were coming in every few months, they interested brands – advertising potential, integration of CTA in the stories and possibility to mention other brands and users directly from the video. When live video came on the scene, Instagram had truly defined and implemented its strategy, which targeted brands in touch with their followers.
As a brand, you might be wondering how to get the most out of your Instagram stories, raising awareness and greater interest in your online business.
Here are 5 ways to get the most out of your Instagram stories.
1. Create the highlights of the Instagram story
Let's say you have an epic series of videos for your latest Instagram story. Before Instagram Story Highlights is available, you can save it, of course, and maybe reuse the content later. If you do not save it, the content will disappear after 24 hours and will never be seen again. Epic videos are gone in the blink of an eye!
Instagram Story Highlights was released last December and is an archive of your favorite clips. It appears as a pin in your profile, in the "Highlights" panel located under your story board and your Instagram bio.
To create a selection of stories, you can do the following:
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Head to your Instagram profile, where you'll see a "Highlights" section under your Instagram bio
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The first circle in Highlights should read "New". Click on it.
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You will be directed to your archived stories where you can choose the elements to include in your first group of story highlights.
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Click on "Next" and give a name to your highlight.
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Click on "Done" and then "Add"
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That's it, you're done!
A tip when creating highlights – make sure the theme is clear and concise. From the user's point of view, it would be unfortunate to scroll through many of the highlights to find an interesting one.
If you are a retail brand, consider creating a highlight "New merchandise!". If you are a restaurant, you can include a highlight "A day in the life of our chef".
2. Tutorials, education and knowledge will engage your audience
Using your social accounts to educate your audience is not only helpful but also attractive and can help you grow your networks. Tutorials, tips and tricks can be a great way to do this.
Consider how you choose to track your favorite accounts. Chances are, you have an affinity for these brands or you get the value of their Instagram profiles. Tutorials, education and knowledge can not only position your brand as a leader in your industry, but also help increase the number of your readers.
3. Link to other accounts – such as partners or influencers
Especially if you work with influencers or brand ambassadors, links to other accounts can help you increase your visibility on Instagram.
Users browsing Instagram stories frequently jump to other stories in their account. Remember the statistics we provided when creating this blog: users under 25 spend more than 32 minutes each day on Instagram. Sharing other accounts within your stories is not just an act of strategic goodwill, it can also help you as other accounts do the same.
4. Enjoy all the features
Instagram Stories has so many features that you can use – filters to text, from pen tool to locations, through polls.
Engage your audience by using the features available. We particularly like the inclusion of surveys in your articles because it's a great way to engage others. Ask a question, measure your feelings and use the data to inform your marketing decisions.
5. End with a CTA
If you invest time in your Instagram account, it means you are investing money – time is money! On Instagram, like any other network, it's important to generate revenue and return on investment with your investment in time (and money!).
CTAs are a great way to generate traffic and to market your services or products. For example, you can drive website traffic by inviting users to swipe up (if you have at least 10,000 subscribers). If you do not have 10,000 yet, you can change the link in your Instagram bio to act as CTA in the meantime. Consider encouraging your Instagram Story viewers to check out the link in your Instagram biography to get more information about your services or products.
CTAs offer a huge opportunity to invite users to interact with your brand. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Conclusion
Instagram Stories offers many opportunities to involve your subscribers in your daily activities related to your business. This can not only engage your audience more meaningfully, but also generate greater interest and connection with your subscribers. When creating your next Instagram story, ask yourself this question: Will it engage my audience while impacting my business goals?
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