Why and How You Should be using IG Stories for Your Business
They may only last for 24 hours, but Instagram Stories can have a big impact on growing your social media audience—and ultimately, your business. With so many features to use, it’s easy to get overwhelmed on how to show up, when to show up, and what information you should share. Today, we’re going to dive into why you should be showing up on Instagram Stories, how you can increase your views, and how to use Stories to grow your audience.
It’s important to remember that your Instagram Stories’ content can (and should!) be significantly different from your Instagram feed posts—this is your opportunity to be conversational, and lift the veil on behind-the-scenes life for you and your business.
The WHY
According to Hootsuite, “500 million people use Instagram Stories every day!” We’re big advocates for meeting your consumer where they are—and the numbers don’t lie, if they’re on Instagram Stories then you should be, too!
With Instagram Stories, you have the opportunity to share A LOT of content throughout the day, rather than bombarding your audience’s Instagram feed with constant content. Instagram stories also give you an opportunity to get more creative, have more fun with your content, and offer more personalized content.
Giving your audience a behind-the-scenes look at your business, and more importantly who you are, builds loyalty, trust, and a more invested interest from them!
Interestingly, Hootsuite also shared that “1/3 of the most viewed Instagram Stories are from businesses.” If you’re not taking up space in that 1/3, you’re passing up valuable online space where your competitors are showing up!
The HOW
Truly, you can show up as often as you’d like on Instagram Stories, but how you show up—i.e. what you share and what you do to encourage engagement with your audience, is what’s really going to make a difference.
Here are 6 tips on how to optimize your Instagram Stories:
Always use hashtags
Instagram Stories allow up to 10 hashtags per story and we suggest ALWAYS using 10 that are on-brand for your business and your target audience. Using hashtags will help to increase your reach!
Use a location tag
This will ensure that your content will also show up within the tagged location’s Instagram Story. The more opportunities you have to get more eyes on your content, the better!
DON’T just post the same content you have on your feed
Your Instagram Stories are an opportunity to post *unique* content that’s different from your static posts. Don’t be afraid to mix it up. If your feed is predominantly images/graphics, show up on video!
DO stick with your brand aesthetic
If you’ve got specific colors (like purple and pink, or orange and yellow) find a way to incorporate them into your stories to increase brand recognition.
Encourage engagement
Direct your audience to your DMs every chance you get. This 1-on-1 time will help you to build a relationship and establish a connection and trust. (For more information on how your business should be using their Instagram DMs, click here).
Use Instagram Story Features
Polls, questions, quizzes, etc. These features will all help to increase engagement. The more your audience engages with your content, the more it will show up on their feed.
If you want to start using Instagram Stories, but need a bit more insight or guidance, reach out to us today! We want to help your business grow through the use of this valuable Instagram feature!
Written By: Maggie Peikon, AMR Digital Marketing, Content Creator