Instagram Stories: The Secret Sauce

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At SoVerve, we believe that Instagram is an ideal platform that every business must utilize alongside Facebook! The social media platform has come a long way since it first launched in 2010, and it has only gained in popularity due to its photo (and video) sharing capabilities. Due to its diverse usage, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media networking sites worldwide. With a user base growing by millions over the past two years, Instagram marketing is one of the most popular outlets for digital marketing. This fact is even more evident in the density of large and small corporations that have taken full advantage of the platform.

With the help of platforms like Instagram, engagement and marketing have increased the ability for brands to reach users across the globe. Since releasing Instagram Stories, we can now consider the application one of the best PR tools your organization can utilize, and it is right at your fingertips. If you are a brand, the list of reasons you must start using Instagram Stories is endless, but we’ll get into that further in the article.

Instagram Stories take engagement to the next level, and it’s an innovative feature that helps increase excitement and initiates more user interaction. These “stories” are essentially 10-second mini slideshows that can include a mix of photos, graphics, and videos. These slides work as “creative” content you can share with your followers and are easy to consume via Stories rather than the Instagram Feed. An added feature that stories offer is the ability to apply image filters, text, hashtags, geotags, GIFs, music, and much more, all of which make this an essential marketing tool to expand your content reach on social media.

Unfortunately, these IG Stories (as many now refer to them as) are only available for 24 hours. Don’t be discouraged because you can bring something new and exciting to share daily with your audience. Stories are a great way to humanize any brand and show your audience there is a face and personality behind your words of wisdom. Below we are giving you three reasons to embrace this unique format.

Education With a Hint of Entertainment

Instagram’s users have chosen this platform for various reasons. They use it as a form of entertainment and as a place to connect with other like-minded individuals. As we already know, it’s a great way to share photos and videos, yet many consider it a place to learn and collaborate. Instagram Stories can be used formally or informally, making them more appealing to small business owners. Overall, Stories are a great way to strengthen your relationship with your audience. However, it goes beyond that because they are a great way to deliver valuable information and educate your followers. Incorporating fun and entertainment into your stories will always be a welcoming surprise.

This element of surprise is the best reason to use Instagram Stories for entertainment. The goal is to encourage your fan base to continue to watch your Stories daily. Let your brand’s personality shine, and start by using applications like Canva for Business to create eye-catching graphics. Moreover, you can utilize video snippets to break down the “screen barrier” and get more personal with your audience. If you’re feeling brave, hop on for a quick Instagram Live video chat to share your most valuable tips and tricks, or if you’re looking for specific answers to a question, try posting a survey. These surveys are a great way to get to know your audience a little better and have a little fun at the same time.

Providing Sufficient Behind The Scenes

Showing your followers what’s happening behind the scenes is a great way to show your audience what it’s like to work with or buy from you. By doing so, you are humanizing your brand and creating a powerful bond between you and those that follow you. We’re talking about showing your followers who you are as a brand. Did you have a kick-ass collaborating session with your team? How are you preparing for the new quarter? Did you go above and beyond for a client or project? Examples like these are what we mean by bringing your audience behind the scenes. To them, it opens up a new door of curiosity about your business.

Social media marketing goes way beyond putting money into ads and creating posts. If your audience doesn’t feel connected with your brand, they will not take the necessary steps to inquire more. Remember, you are humanizing your brand and business by showing personality. Getting your remote or in-house team involved will create an added layer that fits into your storyline beautifully. The more the audience knows about who they are doing business with, the better. Get creative and start delivering value today!

Creating an Intentional Posting Schedule

Creating an intentional posting schedule is the only guaranteed method for staying consistent. Social media waits for no one, and if you stop making consistency in your business, you will be vulnerable to allowing your competitors to move into your arena. If you miss the opportunity to engage with your audience because you are too busy creating content, you will fall deeper and deeper behind and lose valuable traction. While many popular applications like Buffer will guarantee your posts are published at the best possible times, these applications do not yet work with Instagram Stories.

A simple yet effective strategy is to look at your content calendar and create Instagram Stories content to reinforce the content you already provide in your feed. If you are running a segment on a specific content theme in your feed, then you can create additional – remember to remain fun and authentic – content for Stories. Think ahead and plan your content for the week or month. If you are out on the town, think of Instagram Stories-inspired posts that can help you reinforce the delivery of your message.

Level Up Your Social Media Game

We hope that you found these tips informative. We aim for you to take your Instagram profile to the next level. Instagram Stories is a game-changer, and with the release of Instagram TV, it’s even more apparent that you need to continue utilizing Instagram to your benefit! Bringing out the personality of your brand means you will not only gain the trust of the consumer but also their sales.

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