In an age where we instinctively avoid most advertisements (‘Skip Ad’ on YouTube) and pay to avoid being marketed by (Spotify Premium), Instagram Stories are a welcome alternative.
It’s like a conveyor belt for consumption. You join it just by clicking an image of your pal’s dinner. In no time, you’ve scrolled through 30 of your friends’ Instagram Stories, watched five advertisements, swiped to look at links from your wardrobes’ influencers, and are uncertain where the last two hours of your time were.
The addictive nature of Instagram Stories has us stuck in the app for more time than we’d like. We’re unsure what’s coming next, and it’s simple to click through more than letting go. What can you do to make use of Instagram Stories to promote business? We will go over that below.
1. Announcement
Because of the instant speed of Instagram Stories, they’re an ideal option to promote company announcements like new products and staff members who are new and general updates!
These videos are a great chance to share behind-the-scenes videos of your company that might not necessarily get a place on your profile. The followers feel they have access to the most current information while also becoming acquainted with its employees. Adding multiple pictures on the Instagram Story to engage your followers is possible. Instagram Story, which makes it even more entertaining to your audience. – Comments from a social media specialist from InstGrow.com
Personal insights can range from packaging a new item or playing a joke on a coworker. They help to show the persona of your business and, consequently, increase brand recognition and engagement!
2. Story Highlights
Instagram Stories Highlights are proved to be an instant game-changer since they were launched in December of 2017. They serve as a private display of the best moments that regular customers can enjoy. However, for brands, add stories to the top of your profile. This is an additional bio.
As a company, Highlights can be used to inform visitors on your website about who you are, what you do, and why you’re doing it, in addition to showcasing your products or services! Create Stories to be Highlights. With a catchy cover, they’ll turn your Instagram page into an attractive brochure!
3. Polls
The days of tedious customer surveys. Utilizing polls on your Instagram Stories is a great method to increase engagement between your fans. They can be used to conduct customer feedback, market research, or even get to know your customers and have fun! You can get your answers by tapping!
The poll possibilities are endless and creating highly relevant, unique campaigns tailored to your company or segment is easy!
4. Questions
The question sticker allowed companies to allow their customers to inquire about their questions and ask their audience members questions on their own!
This is a fantastic option for creating communities and encouraging customer interaction. Being able to show that they are interested in the opinions of their customers and that they’re available to answer questions makes a brand appear trustworthy, personable, and helpful and builds customer trust!
5. Countdown
A new feature on Instagram Stories is the countdown stickers, a fantastic way for brands to announce sales, contests, or announcements.
Users can schedule reminders for the countdown date, and companies can use this data to precisely understand the number (and what percentage) of their most engaged users!
This is a fantastic feature to help to build community. We are likely to imagine Instagram developing these types of features throughout 2019.
6. Links
Unfortunately, the option is available only to accounts with 10k or more followers. If you’re part of the lucky group of businesses, you can include external links within Instagram Stories! Instagram Stories!
We all know that Instagram does not allow functioning links in any place other than within the bio (they’re trying to keep us using their platform, which is working). To include links in Stories is an incredible benefit. This link will direct users to a web browser within Instagram so that once you’ve crossed off the link, you’ll continue right where you had left off.
7. Story Templates
You may have noticed the rise of Story Templates used by influencers and brands trending using Instagram Stories last year. They are well-designed template templates that can easily be scanned and then completed by users for their followers to become acquainted with them.
It’s a fantastic chance for companies to get involved! Consider your audience and what they interact with. Make the Story Template in your company branding for them to fill in and share. Complete it yourself since it’s an ideal way to offer your customers more information about your company or business the culture.
8. Location Stickers
Instagram is about community and brings people together through a shared interest. Enhance the visibility of your Instagram Stories by always tagging places!
Who or what will then include the Stories in the area’s Official Story, so anyone who doesn’t follow your Story can view the stories. This simple and quick method will earn you more views on your stories.
9. Hashtag Stickers
In the same way, hashtags on Instagram Stories work to the same effect. This means Who or what can bring your Story into the larger Story that will be compiled with each Story using the hashtag (that was quite wordy).
Research the most popular hashtags by your intended audience and your competition, and then include them in your Stories! Please look at our comprehensive guide to Instagram Hashtags for more details on how to use hashtags!
10. Live
Instagram Live is a fantastic opportunity for companies to boost engagement! Make sure you are prepared to let your followers know when it will take place and advertise it elsewhere.
It’s important to ensure that you can as many people tune in to the live stream. The more views and engagement your Live video receives, the more likely it will be featured on “Top Live” on the Explore page. It will also give you and your team members time to think about what you’ll be doing and speaking about on the broadcast!
If you’re wondering what kind of things your business can benefit from, Live The possibilities are endless! Numerous brands utilize Live to showcase new features or products, document events, record interviews, host Q&A sessions with their fans, or provide limited-time discounts.
Instagram is attempting to push Live to be the next thing to watch which is why they promote it by informing those who follow you that you’ve begun the live stream. Live streams also have a good spot in the uppermost part of Instagram’s Stories bar! This means that your film will become the first that people will see when they arrive on the Story conveyor belt.
