Did you know more than half of Instagram’s 1 billion+ monthly active users are using Instagram Stories daily?
For brands, it’s no longer just a matter of if you’re using Stories, it’s how. The combination of quality, consistency and style is the key to your Stories being successful. There are hundreds – even thousands – of brands on the platform competing for the attention and dollars of your target audience. So, how do you cut through the noise from the competition and engage with your followers in a meaningful way?
According to Sprout Social, brands should “think of Stories as a sort of secondary, exclusive feed of content for your most dedicated followers. Creative touches such as unique captions and overlays make Stories totally different from traditional posts.”
Below are a few other things to keep in mind when it comes to posting on your brand’s Instagram Story.
Get to Know Your Audience
First and foremost, you should always have your target audience in mind when creating content. After all, they’re the ones who will decide if it’s worth engaging with. Ask yourself the following:
- Who are you trying to reach?
- What type of content do they engage with?
- When are they most active on the platform?
- Who else are they following?
The answers to these questions will help you better understand the types of content you should be creating and when you should be sharing it on your Story.
Remember Your Brand Bible
Next up, think about your brand standards and/or guidelines. How can you translate them to Instagram and, more specifically, your Instagram Story? Everything from creating branded gif stickers to using a signature video sign-off and picking a uniform font style and color scheme will help reinforce your brand and give your posts a more refined style.
Remember: Just because something is trending doesn’t necessarily mean you should jump on the bandwagon! Only tap into trends that make sense for your brand and will provide value to your audience.
Achieve Your Goals With CTAs
Consider why you’re posting a Story. Are you hoping to increase awareness of a new product or service? Or are you focused on growing your follower base and earning more engagements? Knowing why you’re posting will help you tailor your content to achieve those goals, and, including a call to action (CTA) will help encourage viewers to take the next step! Luckily, Instagram offers several unique in-app features for brands to make use of, including polls, questions and swipe meters. When creating content, keep in mind how you can make use of these interactive features to foster more engagement with your audience.
Get Outside Help With Design
There are countless tools available to help you easily step up your game when it comes to the quality of your Instagram Stories. Sites like Canva and Easil allow brands to create Story content with templates and leverage elements of graphic design and stock images to give posts a more professional feel. Apps like Over, CutStory and Untold make it easy to edit photo and video content on the go, so you can post in real time like a pro!
Share Feed Posts for More Views
We all know Instagram’s algorithm is… frustrating. eMarketer predicts Instagram users will spend an average of 28 minutes per day on the platform in 2020, so it’s important to get your content in front of them by any means possible. Occasionally sharing your feed posts to your story can help to increase visibility, engagement and value-add for your audience. But, be careful not to overdo it. You can share user-generated content (UGC) to your Story to strengthen relationships and inspire other followers to tag you in their future posts.
Save Story Content With Highlights
Remember when Story content expired after 24 hours? Well, now there’s a loophole. Story Highlights allow you to save specific content permanently at the top of your Instagram profile. Think of these as curated collections of your top Story content that followers, both new and old, can click into and rewatch over and over again!
Pro tip: Create branded Highlight covers to keep your business profile looking sleek and “on brand.”
Implementing a strategy for your Story content is just as important as the strategy you have in place for the Instagram feed or any other social media platform. With these tips, posting a few times a week should be a breeze! But, if you need some extra help with social media management, let us know!
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