When Instagram Stories launched in 2017, it had surpassed Snapchat in a huge way. Instagram itself is now reported to have 1 billion monthly active users and that the Stories feature was seeing people spend more time on the visual social media platform. For businesses, this means a fantastic marketing opportunity, but what do people want to see from businesses? Here are some ideas to get you going and to make the most out of your 24-hour post.
Behind the Scenes
Give your followers a sneak peek of what is happening behind the scenes. Whether it be a few pictures or a video, giving your followers a glimpse of the creative process that goes into your product or service can peak interest. This might be a look around the office and what makes your space unique or a look at the work that goes into making a particular product.
Run a Poll
Polls are fun and easy ways of getting your followers engaged. Just use a poll sticker for a two-answer question to ask your followers which they like the most. You will be able to view results afterwards and learn a bit more about your followers too, which can help with future marketing efforts. Polls can also be used as a little quiz with the answer revealed on the next slide.
Quiz Time!
Who doesn't love a good quiz? Host your own using the Quiz sticker about your business, the industry or your popular products or services to test your audience's knowledge. It is a great way to engage with your audience while telling them a bit more about what you offer.
Have Special Offers
Post a limited-time offer or voucher code that will expire within the 24-hours the post is up. It’s a fantastic way of rewarding your followers, drive traffic to your website and boost sales, as well as keeping people coming back to your Instagram feed. Updating this throughout the day to show how much of a certain product or bookings are left can also create a sense of urgency.
Give Tips and Advice
Pick a day where you can give tips using Instagram Stories, like #TuesdayTips. People will know to check your Story for some advice or to learn something new.
And don't forget these for your Instagram Stories too!:
Use Location Stickers
Location stickers are ideal if you’re targeting a local audience. Your story will show up in users’ Explore feeds and be part of a larger story for the area.
Use Hashtags and Mentions
This gives the potential for even more exposure. Hashtags aren’t just for normal posts, so use a relevant one in your Story, and now that people can follow hashtags, there is the potential for reaching a new audience.
Mentioning others in your Story is a great way of building relationships. They may even share your story to theirs, which again has the opportunity for more exposure.
You have 15 seconds to tell your story, so make sure it is eye-catching and engaging and sending a clear message to your audience!
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