Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. Many of us start and end our days catching up on our friends’ posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Instagram in particular has recently added a new feature to its app – Instagram Stories. By giving users the tools to create short posts, Instagram Stories have become a popular way to share and express day-to-day events. With Instagram Stories now being used more than Snapchat, we will discuss the various benefits Instagram Stories have to offer.
1. What Are Instagram Stories?
Instagram stories let users share multiple photos and videos as part of a visual story to all of their followers. Once posted, stories only remain visible for 24 hours, after which they disappear. They are an excellent way for users to share multiple moments of their day with their followers and also serve as a great marketing tool for businesses.
You can access stories from the top of the app, where story bars of followers are featured or by going to a user’s profile. Features of stories are:
- photos and videos can be hidden or shown in the story
- multiple parts can be uploaded meaning any number of photos and videos can be shared in one go
- users can follow hashtags to get updates
- entertain and engage with polls, GIFs, slideshows, and other fun add-ons
Once stories are posted, they can be shared by users in their own stories and also messages can be sent to another public user in a direct message. Readers can also easily swipe up to visit websites and profiles or shop products that are tagged in photos or videos. Furthermore, it’s also possible for businesses to add customer support links for customer service and setting up Ads Manager accounts for their stories.
2. What Are The Benefits Of Using Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories lets you share moments of your life with your followers. You can post a photo or video that vanishes after 24 hours. This lets you be creative, capture moments, show off your products and services, and announce special offers. Followers can easily view and interact with your stories, giving you an opportunity to engage with them.
Instagram Stories provides a powerful marketing tool. You can add links to stories, directing viewers to purchase pages, watch videos, and read articles. Story features, such as polls, questions, and photos with clickable links, adds attention and engagement from viewers.
Here are some benefits of using Instagram Stories for your business:
- Maximize Reach – get the most out of your content by reaching a wider audience.
- Exploring options – experiment with formats, like polls and questions, to make your stories interactive.
- Reaching outside of followers – with story ads, promote your stories to non-followers.
- Highlight special events – share special events, announcements, and offers in a visually interesting way.
By using Instagram Stories, you can get better engagement, maximize reach, and expand your marketing efforts. It’s a great tool to showcase your business’ products and services, and create social media campaigns that stand out.
3. How Can Instagram Stories Help With Brand Awareness?
Instagram Stories are a great way to keep your brand in front of your audience and stay top-of-mind. It provides a platform for you to authentically connect and interact with your customers, increasing brand loyalty and visibility. Here are some of the key advantages of using Instagram Stories for brand awareness:
- You can share your brand’s story in a more creative and engaging way, by using text, images, polls, GIFs and video.
- You can gain traction and reach more followers by adding relevant hashtags and geotags.
- You can leverage influencers who will spread the word about your brand.
Consumers are more likely to respond to Stories content that has authenticity, creativity and personality. It’s important to plan ahead, create content that’s relevant to your audience and that resonates with your brand. Don’t forget to measure your efforts by analysing the data available on your posts. Instagram Stories can be an excellent tool for increasing brand awareness and customer engagement.
4. What Types Of Creative Content Should You Add To Instagram Stories?
Videos
Videos are great for storytelling, letting followers take a peek behind the scenes and engaging with them in a more interactive way. Instagram Stories allows for up to 15 seconds of video content, so use this time to create something more memorable than an image. Try to give an insight into the scene or emotion you’d like to convey.
GIFs
GIFs are a great way to add personality and humour to your Stories. Pick a tiny animation to bring some extra life to your posts, or take advantage of the questions sticker to get instant feedback. Have fun and make sure the GIF reflects your brand’s style or the topic you’re tackling.
Images
While they’re less engaging than videos and GIFs, images can still be very effective at catching the eye of your followers. Try to keep the styling consistent, for example by using the same color palette for your posts. Mix and match imagery – you can use stock photos, screenshots, and even draw your own images.
5. How Can You Measure The Success Of Your Instagram Stories?
One of the great advantages of Instagram Stories is that they can be tracked and analyzed. Use the data you collect from your Stories to understand what’s working and what’s not. This can help you to create better stories and to optimize your strategy for maximum engagement.
Below are 5 ways to measure the success of your Instagram Stories:
- Comments: Check the number of comments to get an idea of how well your story was received. It’s also a good way to measure how engaged your followers are.
- Reach: It’s important to understand the reach of your stories. Check the Insights panel to see how many accounts have seen the story.
- Views: This is similar to reach, but it goes a step further in showing you how many viewers watched your story all the way through.
- Impressions: This metric helps you determine how many people have seen your story and how long they watched it.
- Sticker analytics: Sticker analytics tell you what kind of interaction is happening on your stories. Each sticker has its own count, too.
By keeping track of these key metrics, you will be better equipped to create stories that help you reach your goals and increase engagement. This is the best way to measure the success of your Instagram Stories.
In conclusion, it is clear that Instagram Stories provide businesses with a unique and effective platform to be creative, engaging and reach customers. They offer numerous advantages that businesses simply cannot miss out on, from higher visibility and reach, to easy-to-use content production, targeting and analytics tools, to increased engagement from customers. So what are you waiting for? Start taking advantage of Instagram Stories today and take your business to the next level.
