Using Instagram Stories To Boost Your Engagement
Instagram is oversaturated. We've all put hours into editing content to make sure it's awesome, only for it to be ignored under a pile of other content. To engage with your followers, without the disappointment, focus on Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories is a disappearing photo and video timeline that's very similar to Snapchat. Instagram Stories allow you to connect and engage with your followers through a series of photos and videos that don't necessarily fit into your feeds, and are generally less formal. Find out how you can make the most out of Instagram Stories below!
Showcase user uploaded photos
One thing I love about Instagram Stories is the lack of permanence as photos and videos are automatically deleted after 24 hours, unless otherwise saved as a Highlight. Since photos and videos that are uploaded to Instagram Stories automatically disappear after 24 hours, we have more room to play around with the content we put out. They're just not that serious.
Instagram Stories is the perfect place to share user-uploaded photos and videos from followers and fans. Moon and Lola is an accessories brand that knows how to make their loyal customers feel special through their Instagram Stories. They regularly publish user-uploaded content in their stories that show their products in action – through the eyes of their brand evangelists. Some of those lucky followers even get turned into regular Instagram posts:
Sharing user-uploaded photos and videos featuring your products or services can be helpful in building a more reputable impression to the thousands of consumers watching. If you're not a brand, it's a chance to build a friendship with another influencer.
Host exclusive sales
Instagram Stories is also a great place to host giveaways and announce irresistible deals for a limited time. Consumers rarely pass up on discounts and offering them for a limited time can drive them to purchase sooner – which is always good for business.
Brands can utilize Instagram Stories to add urgency to their offerings. This can help drive sales up tremendously and help you reach your target according to your desired time span. Individuals are free to give things away as well, and it will add value to your account as people know to pay attention to you in the future.
J Crew is a large apparel brand who knows how to make some social media noise during their product launches. They started a contest through Stories, and then announced the winner in the post above. To make it worth their followers' while, they make sure to throw in an exclusive deal that is too good to pass up on. Launching sales, exclusive deals, and personal giveaways are all great ways to increase attention for your account, and strengthen relationships with existing followers.
Instagram Takeover
An Instagram takeover is an emerging trend where an influencer takes control of an account for 24 hours. During those 24 hours, the influencer will post content to the Instagram Story of the account, or even create new posts. Getting an influencer to take over your Instagram account even for just a day is a great way to share a whole new perspective on your brand story. From this image you can tell that this Story takeover was EPIC:
Big brands with unlimited marketing budgets work with popular influencers for their Instagram takeovers. If you want to recreate their success without spending a fortune, work with micro-influencers with just the right audience for your content. With all eyes on you, this would be a perfect time to review the Instagram likes providers here and choose one that will bring you even more attention at this crucial moment.
Take Everyone Behind The Scenes
Instagram Stories is designed to prioritize engagement over aesthetics, which is a juxtaposition to the native Instagram feed. Because Instagram Stories are less visually demanding, you can easily post photos and videos from behind the scenes of your business, or outtakes from your best photoshoots.
Give them sneak peeks of new products before you launch them, a tour of your office, a fun moment in your life, or thoughts on recent news events. Instead of pushing the thousands of properties on their listing, Airbnb chooses to highlight the travel experience to their users. They do this in both their Stories and regular posts:
They use Instagram Stories to give everyone a glimpse of what really happens when you rent a room or a home through their app – putting great importance on the experience and the connection you can gain from like-minded travellers. Think of Stories as being a chance to tell the stories behind your main content!
Use Hashtags To Your Advantage
Hashtags are age-old Instagram tools that drive engagement and increase discoverability. Since Instagram announced that they are indexing photo and video stories into their Discover page, hashtags have become more important to any campaign. For example, everyone loves #TBT. You don't have to create new content, and it can get people talking about nostalgic moments in the comments, which is easy to do when your photo has a young Zoe Saldana and Britney Spears:
Using the right hashtag can help you find the right audience on Instagram, but you have to do your research to reach the right audience, at the right time, with the right content. Using irrelevant hashtags for the sake of growth can damage your reputation and drive useless traffic to your account.
Tell Your Brand Story Through Instagram
Instagram is a fast-changing game, and solely posting photos or videos on your native feed isn't going to cut it anymore. Instagram Stories are a great way to keep your campaigns relevant and fresh in the eyes of your followers. Integrating them into your current strategy can help you stay on everyone's radar and start a conversation with your followers.
If you're looking for creative ways to drive engagement among your followers, you can put Instagram Stories to good use. Learn from some of the brightest brands on Instagram who've mastered the art of uploading Stories that drive traction.
Date: April 23, 2018 / Categories: Engagement, Marketing, / Author: Alex
