Instagram Stories launched as direct competition for Snapchat in August 2016. While Snapchat was never widely used by businesses as much as it was used by millennials, Instagram Stories have taken over and can be successfully used as a marketing tool for your brand. Over 400 million Instagram users are active on the Stories feature each day. That’s a lot of potential customers.
When a Story is published on your Instagram, the algorithm is currently set to show Stories that users are most likely to engage with first. Stories are found on the top of the newsfeed, and are typically where users check for updates first. Making use of Instagram Stories on a regular basis can help keep you in users’ feeds and can increase your brand’s chances of being seen.
Real-Time Marketing Opportunities
Instagram Stories are a great way to take advantage of real-time marketing and can get the attention of your target audience immediately. Stories give your audience a chance to see what you’re working on behind the scenes or a sneak peek of upcoming new products or promotion. It lets them have something to look forward to with your brand. This can also be used to create fomo (fear of missing out) among your following if they are being shown what’s happening now or a live event they should be attending. By being given the chance to watch your stories, they will know what they are missing and can make plans to attend or be part of it next time.
Maintain a Polished Business Profile
Unlike the photos published on your Instagram profile that show up in the newsfeed, photos and videos published to your Story disappear after 24 hours. This is beneficial because while posting live and in real time, your Story photos may not always be the highest quality photos. While high-quality photos are important for your brand, the ability to post and engage constantly is also just as important. The photos used in Stories are meant to be relevant and raw reflecting the particular moment. The reason businesses use this type of content is because it allows transparency and gives a personalized feel to the brand. It allows your target audience to become familiar on a more personal level, while saving your high-quality photos for your profile keeping it clean and polished — more like a portfolio that’s always available for reference.
Instagram Stories are Discoverable
The Discovery feature on Instagram is a great way to gain new followers who are interested in your content. ‘Discoverable’ means that people who don’t follow you can see your posts too. Your Stories last for 24hrs, but by using geotags and hashtags in your stories, you’re making your brand available to anyone who searches the area or particular tags.
If you’re looking to get your brand on the minds and in the hands of a bigger audience, consider using Instagram Stories to add that extra touch. Digital Marketing agencies, like Miss Ink, are ideal for those brands who are looking to expand on their audience but don’t have the time to maintain their own social media pages. Give us a call today for a consultation to see if we can help your brand be the best it can be – (305) 537-6465.
