Want to use Instagram Stories to Promote your Business? Yes! Instagram Stories is where it’s at. We’ve all heard it. We are all experiencing it. Who am I kidding? I spent 90% of my time on Instagram on Instagram Stories really.
The best thing about Instagram Stories is that it’s addictive, it’s limited content (just the past 24 hours) so you are not competing with somebody else’s 5 day old promoted post, and it plays automatically. The user does not need to actively seek out people to watch their stories. If they are following you, your Stories will automatically appear for their consumption.
I have noticed that I get far more engagement on Instagram Stories than on Instagram posts. Now, that’s not to say that one should stop posting & focus solely on Stories. Both play an important part in brand development. However, in this post, I’ll be taking you through 5 ways that I like to use Instagram Stories to promote my business.
1. Take your followers behind the scenes with Instagram Stories
Since Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, you need not post stuff that is super polished or that you have spent hours creating. In fact I recommend not spending too much time creating content specifically for Stories because it is not reusable.
Take your audience behind the scenes with you by showing them a peek of your desktop. Show them blog post ideas that you are working on. Are you going out for a shoot? Snap a few extra shots on your phone to share quickly onto Stories.
Boomerang videos also work very well for this. Meeting a client for lunch? Why not snap a quick boomerang video? It takes under 2 minutes and is an excellent way to share your day with your audience without getting into too many details.
2. Share your latest blog post with a link to it
Published a new post? No point in only posting it to your main Instagram page – as many of your followers may not even see it.
However, most of your loyal followers will be watching your Instagram Stories. So, quickly share the same graphic over on stories. Don’t worry if the dimensions are not perfect – though it’s super easy to create stories graphics which are sized just right.
What’s important is that you’re popping by to quickly let your audience know that you have posted some fresh content which could be relevant to them! I love seeing such notifications from my favourite bloggers because I know I would’ve otherwise missed those super useful posts.
Many popular publishing houses like The Every Girl also use this strategy to update their followers on new content.
3. Share GIFs to keep your stories lighthearted & entertaining
Instagram now permits uploading GIFs as Stories. Any one who is a lover of GIFs (a.k.a. errrrbody) will know this is amazing news. GIFs can instantly add humour to your story without you actually creating any fresh content. You can simply use GIFs to convey your emotions.
I follow a blogger Duni Cheri who does this really well. Her Instagram Stories are interspersed with fun & entertaining GIFs which keep me totally hooked!
4. Repeat the same type of content every day – familiarity is good
There is no need to come up with new ideas every single day. In fact, it’s not a great idea to share too many different streams of information as that can leave your audience confused. Stick to the same kind of content every day.
Some of my favourite accounts which I go back to every day do this. For example, Laura Iz shares videos of her daughter eating every single day. It sounds really ridiculous and monotous but hundreds of thousands of people tune in to watch the same kind of content every day!
Similarity of content causes your audience to get really familiar with you and know what to expect from your feed. This is great because this is what brings them back to you everyday.
5. Quality over quantity within that 24 hour span
When you’re on a roll and are dishing out Instagram Stories all the time, it can be tempting to dish out lots of Stories in a single day.
While this approach works for some accounts, it need not work for all. That is because it can cause fatigue in your audience. It’s harmful when you are sharing some of your most important content later in the 24 hours your audience drops off after watching say 5 out of 30 stories :|
The key thing is to keep your Stories really engaging and with a sense of flow & suspense so that your audience doesn’t drop off.
It’s must easier to not lose your audience by posting less but high quality content (and serving your most relevant content upfront) than taking your audience for a long drawn ride.
Summary
In summary, you can use Instagram Stories to promote your business in such a way that it leads to more organic leads and traffic to your blog. Here are my 5 top tips on how to do that:
1. Take your followers behind the scenes with Instagram Stories
2. Share your latest blog post with a link to it
3. Share GIFs to keep your stories lighthearted & entertaining
4. Repeat the same type of content every day – familiarity is good
5. Quality over quantity within that 24 hour span
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