All right everyone, it’s “story” time – Instagram Stories to be precise. Many social media managers fail to recognize the raw power that Instagram Stories provide for increasing organic growth and visibility. The fun feature allows platform users to post photos and videos as a “story.” The story then appears in a bar at the top of the app’s feed. Unlike normal photos, an Instagram Story vanishes after 24 hours.
These stories appear more fun and light-hearted than regular posts. Moreover, many users noticed this feature led to higher engagement levels and more likes. With only 24 hours available, you must keep as many of your followers engaged as possible. Add these clever techniques on your social media strategy your own engagement levels skyrocket.
1) Consistent Posting Stories = Instagram Success
This may seem like a no-brainer, but even seasoned social media gurus overlook this Instagram strategy. As a result, their profile becomes lost amongst the crowd. Any time you post a new Instagram story, your post lands in the first spot at the top of your followers’ feed. But newer Instagram stories will soon take your story’s position. Your followers won’t spend their time scrolling through other stories to find one from your brand, especially if you failed to capture their attention in the first place.
On average, brands post Instagram Stories once every three days. Marketers should take this number with a grain of salt; what works for some may not work for others. Adhering to a posting schedule will keep your followers engaged and hungry for your next post.
2) Take Advantage of Every Feature In Your Instagram Toolbox
A successful Instagram Story must look aesthetically pleasing. In fact, your stories should look stunning! Your followers can get rid of your story with one tap, so you must ensure your Stories posts are always engaging. Fortunately, Instagram provided users with a myriad of tools to customize each story. From different caption fonts to filters, GIFs, and stickers, creating a story is so much fun! Wet their palate with a location sticker, follow up with a fun sticker or GIF, and keep them craving more with a carousel ad. The options are limitless, so test them out.
3) Let Your Followers Help Amplify Your Instagram Story
Instagram Stories grant you a massive opportunity to highlight your products and services. Don’t squander it with poor, irrelevant content. Instead, focus on creating Instagram Stories that give your followers insights into your brand and inspire them to take action. For example, running a Q&A session using question stickers will allow people to comment or message you any questions they may have about your products or services.
You can also stay involved with your followers by using some of the great story-specific features such as the poll and slider stickers, product tags, hashtags, and links. All are great ways to keep your followers active and committed to your brand.
4) Save Important or Popular Instagram Stories on Highlights
Instagram Stories aren’t without their drawbacks. The 24-hour time limit may seem too constrictive to reach all your followers. Instagram amends this problem by introducing the Highlights feature. Highlights become ‘pinned’ at the top of your profile, allowing users to revisit your past stories without a time limit. You can pick and choose Stories from different days to create a Highlight using posts that focus on the same topic. This is a great way for brands to organize and emphasize Instagram Stories on their profile, much like actual Instagram posts.
Launching Your Next Instagram Story
Instagram is a necessary social media network for showcasing your brand. If you need help launching an engaging and memorable Instagram campaign, Premiere Creative is here to help! We pride ourselves on always delivering authentic social media campaigns that ‘Highlight’ your business! Contact the social media experts at Premiere Creative to help reach new followers with Instagram Stories or feel free to give us a call at (973) 346-8100.