Instagram stories are the fast-paced social media avenues for the younger generations. As the internet speeds get fasters and attention spans shrink — Instagram has found the perfect way to make this a business. Stories have become an integral part of Instagram marketing and will continue to grow.
All businesses, small and big, use Instagram stories to communicate with their followers and maximize their reach. This technique is only possible with careful planning and catering to all the guidelines of the Instagram algorithm.
If you are looking to grow your business using the power of stories, these simple tips will get you one step close to your goal:
1. Always Add The Locations Tag
The locations sticker on Instagram stories is more than just for tagging places. They have a deep science that provides better reach to your Story. If you were to tap on the sticker, it would open a page containing all of the posts linked to that geo-location.
This process will enable more users to see stories and posts based on the neighborhood. If you add a location to your post, you do not just reach your following, but also intercept all the people in the area.
Geo-tagging is a great way to get discovered and find followers who are region-specific. This policy works perfectly to promote local restaurants and stores.
2. Start a Conversation.
If you notice the trend in Instagram stories, the profiles you interact with more often appear earlier than others. This is a way for Instagram to feed you the content that you like more often.
The best way to get your business to the top of your user’s list is by encouraging them to interact with your profile. This action is possible by using the communication features of the Story. Asking people to visit your profile or send you a direct message is an effective way.
Other features like Polls and Questions help to get more organic follow-ups to your Story. These are built-in features, and this takes little effort to add to the post. Use them wisely to derive the most engagement for each update.
3. Use Free Templates
Although Instagram stories can be posted instantly by clicking a photo, there is no rule against using well-designed creatives. Use online tools like a free video editing software or a template provider to make stunning Instagram posters.
Plan your posts a day, or even weeks ahead of time, and create them with an attention to detail. The advantage of these free tools is that they come with presets to ensure your stories are the right size and do not crop inaccurately when you update them.
4. Highlights
Instagram Highlights is a very understated tool that many fail to leverage. The Highlights feature allows you to make an archive or a collection of stories and save them on your profile. This segment will enable users to re-visit your profile and see stores long after they vanish.
This feature is also a great way to insert images that you wish to showcase for a longer time. Items like portfolios, menu cards, contact details, etc. can be added to a story, and then placed in the Highlights tab.
Take the time to add custom thumbnails to each tab to improve the charm of your profile. These icons can also make it easier for users to navigate your page and find their information.
5. Reels
A great feature; recently added to Instagram stories is IG-Reels. Reels is a content creation tool that lets you make fast and snappy fifteen-second videos. If you are looking to leverage this feature correctly, you must post often.
The consumption of reels is gradually increasing, and getting on the bandwagon earlier will do wonders for your business. Instagram has also added a separate section to explore Reels, making it easier for people to discover your content.
6. Collaborations and Sharing
Tagging users, influencers, and consumers in your Story is an incredible idea. This tag helps them use the “story-repost” feature and add it to their profiles. Eventually, it gives a higher reach to your Story without any paid promotions.
Keep in mind that adding random usernames in the hunt for getting a share will only flag your account as spam and reduce your reach.
You can also share posts from the feed on your Story using the share option. If your fans, followers, or users tag you in a post or Story, take this opportunity to share the post with a creative caption.
This exercise will help build a community and encourage more people to tag you on posts proactively.
7. Run Contests
An old marketing trick recreated for the social-media generations. Contests are the best way to increase the traffic to your page. When you hold content on your page, it will prompt people to message you, share your work, or tag their friends.
These actions will promote your Story to more people, and provide your page with a large volume of organic traffic. Ensure the contest is relevant to your business domain. For example, a company that makes car accessories should not hold a quiz about t-shirts.
Few brands keep the competitions as simple as sharing their profile, or tagging friends in the comments in return for a give-away. This kind of contest will need a small spending budget and a few months of planning.
Final Thoughts,
An Instagram story has a life of only twenty-four hours. After which it can be added to highlights, but will not appear on the home screen. This short shelf life has made the applications highly addictive, as there is a constant need to update and stay updated.
As a marketer, you must leverage this quality and showcase the most quality posts and content. Keep in mind that posting more often is not a bad thing. As long as your stories are engaging and non-repetitive — it will drive the maximum traffic and a vast fan-following.
Lastly, make a plan and stick to it. Ensure you are creating content that is relevant to your target audience. Don’t chase trends for its sake — all actions on the Instagram Story should be meaningful and valuable to the end-user.
My name is Sardar Ayaz a professional content writer and SEO expert having Proven record of excellent writing demonstrated in a professional portfolio Impeccable grasp of the English language, including idioms and current trends in slang and expressions. I have ability to work independently with little or no daily supervision with strong interpersonal skills and willingness to communicate with clients, colleagues, and management.
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