The effective ways to use Instagram stories for your business
Millions of Instagram users spend most of their time on the platform watching Instagram stories. These are fun and give brands a chance to promote their businesses online. Though Instagram stories are short, they can help you gain more engagement if you use them effectively.
Most businesses on Instagram nowadays use stories to build brand awareness. You can even start increasing sales using this feature. Instagram stories help you reach out to many potential customers. Read on to learn more about Instagram stories and how to use them to promote your brand.
What are Instagram stories?
People like sharing different aspects of their lives on Instagram. Both individuals and brands nowadays use Instagram stories to achieve a specific purpose. Instagram stories allow one to share videos or photos that disappear after 24 hours.
These are visible to people who follow your account if you have a private account. However, if you have a public Instagram account, the stories are visible to any user. Once you come up with an Instagram story, you can see the users that viewed it.
Viewers can also respond to your story by sending you a direct message. Many brands use Instagram stories since they are interactive and can help one influence followers to make purchases.
How to make Instagram stories work for your business
Use poll stickers
You can gain more engagement by using poll stickers that followers can get more involved in. If, for instance, you are trying to promote a particular brand on Instagram, you can use Instagram stories to ask your followers which products they prefer using for different scenarios. You can even ask them the colors they prefer.
Using poll stickers on your Instagram can help you assess whether followers engage in your content. Most users that come across Instagram polls find it hard to swipe past them without leaving feedback. Using poll stickers can also help you learn more about your audience, including their pain points and preferences.
Add hashtags to Instagram stories
If you wish to reach out to new followers on the social media platform, you should add hashtags to your stories. Doing comprehensive research can help you identify good hashtags that you can include in your Instagram stories. This can make it easy for your stories to get in front of the right audience.
Be a storyteller
Rather than posting promotional content on Instagram stories, you should focus on original content. Being a storyteller can help you trigger emotions in your followers and help you form deeper connections with your audience.
Since many Instagram users love storytellers, you may start getting more likes if you develop unique content on Instagram stories. If you want to get more engagement on Instagram, you can also buy real Instagram likes online.
Promote timely news
Are you offering new products or discounts on certain products? If yes, you can share such news with your followers through Instagram stories. Promoting timely news through this feature can help you build excitement among your followers.
You can use attention-grabbing GIFs, emojis, or vibrant photos on your Instagram story. Include a call to action to compel your viewers to purchase the product. Feel free to add a link to your story that they can click on to learn more about the product or offer.
Go live on Instagram stories
This can also help you boost engagement quickly since it helps grab your audience attention. It also gives you a chance to encourage feedback since viewers can give their comments or ask questions. Ensure you go live when most of your followers are online so that they can get notified.
Curate some of your stories as highlights
These refer to folders where some of your Instagram stories are saved. When you save your Instagram story to highlights, a user can tap on the folders and rewatch the story even after it expires. If you have a story that offers valuable information regarding your brand or a specific offer, you should save it to highlights.
Conclusion
Though Instagram stories only take a few seconds, they give brands a chance to explore different possibilities. You should use them to capture viewers’ attention and promote your brand.
Passionate Writer, Blogger and Amazon Affiliate Expert since 2014.
