When it comes to utilizing Instagram stories for marketing promotion and increasing user engagement, many businesses find themselves facing the common question: What type of content is the best to post? It can be difficult to know the most effective ways to use Instagram stories to capture the attention of your target audience. In this article, we will discuss the different types of content that work best for Instagram stories and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
1. Understanding Instagram Story Content
- What is Instagram Story Content?
Instagram Stories is a feature on Instagram that allows users to post photos or videos that last for 24 hours. Typically, stories consist of photos, videos, boomerangs and reels. Story content allows users to post content quickly, as well as keep their followers regularly updated on what they’re up to.
- Viewing Story Content
Story content can be viewed by going to the user’s profile, clicking on their picture, and then scrolling through their stories. To view the stories of someone you are not following, go to the Explore tab and type their username in the search bar.
- Engaging with Story Content
Engaging with Story content is easy. If a user’s story contains a link or a “swipe up” option, you can click on the link to be directed to the post/page/site. Additionally, users can like and comment on stories, view interactive polls and questions, or send stories privately to other users.
2. Benefits of Using Interesting Content in Instagram Stories
Instagram stories can be powerful when set up with interesting content. Content for stories can include photos, text-based announcements, videos, interviews, audio clips and much more. Here are some of the benefits of using interesting content in your Instagram stories.
- Connects with potential customers. Instagram stories give you the chance to differentiate your brand from your competitors. Interesting content can engage potential customers, making them interested in your brand. It can help create a connection between them and your brand.
- Drives conversions. Interesting content can help you get more followers and generate leads. As you create content, you can use this platform to drive conversions. For example, you can add links to your website, blog or product page in stories. This can help bring more customers to your site.
- Improves engagement. The use of interesting content in stories can help improve engagement with existing customers. It can help maintain the interest of customers and attract new ones. Interesting content can also encourage customers to share your stories with their friends and followers, leading to even more engagement.
You can also use interesting content to get feedback from customers. Customers can leave comments and feedback on stories, which you can use to improve your products and services. Overall, using interesting content can help you build relationships with customers, drive conversions and improve engagement.
3. Types of Content Suitable For Instagram Stories
Highlighted Content – Instagram stories allow users to add high visibility to any post by highlighting them. This is a great way to draw attention to any post related to events, sales, or other content you want to draw particular attention to. This is a great tool to encourage people to look further into your stories.
Stories Highlight Reel – Instagram also has a special section for stories called the stories highlight reel. This feature was created specifically for content creators to highlight specific stories. It helps to create a more comprehensive portfolio of stories and designs them in a way which brings more attention to the post. This can be used to promote a range of content such as product launches, event promotions and more.
Interactive Content – Interactive content can be a great tool for engaging with your audience. People can send responses to your story, ask questions and give feedback on the content. This can be used to create a more personalised experience and build relationships with your followers. Interactive content can take the form of polls, quizzes, surveys and more.
- Highlighted content
- Stories highlight reel
- Interactive content
- Creative visual content
- Videos, GIFs, and images
4. Guidelines For Optimal Content Delivery On Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories offer a great opportunity to deliver content to your audience, yet there are some guidelines that should be taken into consideration to make sure it’s done in an effective manner. Here’s a list of tips and tricks that are important to keep in mind when creating content for Instagram Stories:
- Keep the content succinct and engaging. Instagram Stories only last for 24 hours, so it’s important to capture the user’s attention quickly, and to give them enough information to make them want to explore further.
- Highlight important information. Organize the content into segments, and use features such as bold, italics, and highlight to emphasize key elements and ensure that your message is received.
- Include interactive elements. Interactivity allows your audience to engage with your content, so use features such as polls, question stickers, and quizzes to capture the user’s interest and encourage them to interact.
These tips and tricks should be followed to ensure that your content is delivered optimally on Instagram Stories. Integrating these guidelines will help you to create more engaging and interactive content and to maximize the reach of your posts.
5. Evaluating Results of Posting Instagram Story Content
Identifying Engagement
Understanding the success of your Instagram story posts can be done through analyzing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that help to measure engagement:
- Number of views against number of followers
- Average story completion rate
- Time spent engaged on your Story before swiping away
- Mentions, profile visits and shares
- Clicks that direct to a website or other platform
Making use of Instagram analytics or an existing third party analytics platform to collect data on user engagement can provide you with valuable insights into how your content performs.
Comparing Content Types
Analyzing your post performance across different pieces of content can help you to understand which types are more effective in driving engagement. Content type could mean subject matter, such as product promotions, or it could be in terms of the type of content, such as photos, polls or videos.
It is important to compare content types in order to gain a deeper understanding of what causes users to engage with story content. This data can be used to improve future posts, as well as to recognize good practices to replicate.
Evaluating Interactions
As well as measuring the overall engagement of your story posts, it is also important to evaluate the interactions, such as likes and comments. Making use of surveys and competitions can help to drive interactions and can provide you with valuable data on how receptive users are to your content.
The number of quality interactions, such as comments asking for more information and question responses, is also important in measuring the success of your story post and gaining a better understanding of how users are engaging with your content. In conclusion, creating content for Instagram Stories takes a bit of finesse. Figure out which type of content is best for the message you want to communicate, and you’ll engage your followers and get the results you want from your Instagram account.