Instagram Stories have become increasingly more popular over the last few months for members of the public and brands alike, but how could it help in the world of business?
With the introduction of Snapchat, the world went crazy for twenty-four-hour content, where people could push something in your face for a day, then it would disappear like leaves on a tree in Winter. However, Instagram quickly latched onto the trend and made their own version of the allusive content, which swiftly took off on the social media platform. Eventually, companies also began taking advantage of the new way to promote their services and products and Stories has now become a new tool in advertising a brand.
Why Instagram Stories?
According to an interview with Instagram’s CEO Kevin Systrom back in 2016, the social media site had 500 million users a month, with 100 million of them actively viewing the Stories feature on a daily basis. Due to Instagram’s staggering success, the app had around 500,000 advertisers using the platform a month back in 2016, so we can only imagine how much it’s grown in the last two years.
What Can Instagram Stories Do for My Business?
It makes your business fun, current and modern. It also puts your brand at the top of users’ Instagram feeds, so for twenty-four hours your post will be visible right in front of your audience’s eyes. You can also experiment with little effort and see how much engagement you receive from the polls and questions. As the post won’t stay on your Instagram profile forever, you can have a little fun and step outside your comfort zone. It also means you won’t have to have a professional photograph, an amazing filter or a flawless finish – you can share the backstory to your business, your team and employees and show a side to your company that the rest of your social media hasn’t seen before.
What Are The Features?
Instagram Stories is a great way to promote an item you sell or your brand with a less serious approach. It’s a far more interactive way to engage with your audience and makes your company seem more personal and human. For example, when sharing an Instagram Story you can add text, GIFs, music, emojis and cool features like polls and sliders. You can also get your audience to ask you questions, which aids in customer feedback and reviews. The Questions feature is an amazing way to test a new product or service and carry out an audience audit, without even leaving your front door.
You can also mention your collaborators and partners in a Story and get them involved in the conversation. Stories work well with mentioning others as it won’t take away from your traffic and may help get more interest when they interact with you in return. You can drive people through to your website and tag your products as well.
The Story tool can aid in competitions and giveaways and help spread the word of any events you’re holding or news you’re sharing. It’s a quicker way to get people involved and get noticed as a brand on Instagram.
