RIP, Snapchat.
Okay, so Snapchat isn’t officially dead, but in June 2018, Instagram reported having up to 400 million daily active users – more than twice that of Snapchat. While Snapchat is still appealing to teens, we’ve been steadily phasing it out of our clients’ strategic social media plans. Why post to Snapchat when you already have a great platform built up on Instagram?
If static Instagram posts are the sandcastles, Instagram Stories are the sandbox. You don’t have to worry as much about the content quality because that’s not what your audience is looking for. They want to see what you’re doing, right then in the moment. That awesome product shot you got of hats perfectly balanced on a railing that did so well on your page? Show what it took to get that shot – including the 49 outtakes where hats kept falling over or hands were still caught in the frame.
Here are four other ideas to show off your brand with behind the scenes (BTS) Instagram Stories.
Event Planning.
Those of us in PR know how much work goes into planning an event, whether it’s a press conference or an exclusive blogger sneak-peek. Those rows of chairs don’t set themselves up on their own – take a boomerang of setting the chairs up, tag your employees doing the heavy lifting, and take a moment to recognize all the work that’s going into the event before the official photo-ops.
Interviews.
One of my favorite things to do at Dittoe PR is to set up on-air interviews for my clients. Like event planning, there’s a lot of coordination that goes into these interviews – and some very early morning trips to the news station! Most people only see the final interview when it airs on TV, so take a moment to get a BTS shot of the studio (don’t forget to tag the station and reporters!).
Photo Shoots.
Professional photo and video shoots will bring your brand the best visual materials you can ask for. Behind those lenses are a lot of people, tools and coordination that your fans may not be aware of. The top-down shot of a desk with your products scattered on it? There’s a photographer standing on a chair, holding her camera out at a precarious angle, and snapping by feel rather than what’s in the viewfinder. And there may be one person talking in the video, but there’s usually three or four people holding cameras, microphones and interview questions who are outside of the frame helping to make sure it all goes smoothly. Sharing this effort may make your followers appreciate that perfect shot even more.
Company Culture.
Unless your company is run by robots (which would be kind of cool), you work with people who have different interests and hobbies, as well as different roles within your organization. Introduce them to the world – with their permission, of course! You may know that your engineer has a thriving succulent collection on their desk, or your receptionist is notorious for their food-themed earrings. Your fans want to know the people behind their favorite brands.
And this doesn’t have to be on an individual level, either. If your company caters in lunch, regularly participates in #WineWednesday, or has a team building event off-site, these are great opportunities to show off your company culture and the leaders behind your success.
There are countless ways to use Instagram Stories to show off your company. If you’re not sure what might work, just take some boomerangs and see what happens!
Want some more help planning an in-depth social media strategy to show off your brand? Contact Lauryn Gray at
la****@di******.com
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