Earlier this year, Tech Crunch reported that there are about 500 million daily users of Instagram Stories, which is half of the platform’s 1 billion active users. Instagram Stories quickly surpassed Snapchat’s daily user count of 150 million back in 2017, who are the original creators of real-time, story-type posts. Mark Zuckerberg even called Stories the “last big game-changing feature” of the platform, so it’s likely that they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. If your brand isn’t already using Stories, here’s why you should consider adding them to your social media strategy:
Visibility To Your Followers & Non-Followers
One of the main reasons you should be posting Stories is because of Instagram’s algorithm, and how it reduces the organic reach of business pages’ posts on the newsfeed. Whenever you publish a story on your Instagram profile, it immediately appears at the top of the feed of users who are most likely to engage with you. So if you’re consistently engaging with your community, then your Stories will pop up first and your followers will always be able to see your post. Your Stories are also discoverable to people who don’t follow you, if you tag a location or use a hashtag!
Creative & Engaging Content
Stories allow you to experiment with different types of content. You can add stickers, text, colors, filters, gifs, music and more to your photos and videos. Instagram currently has over 70 augmented reality filters, also known as “face-filters.” Celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Ariana Grande and Rihanna have created their own AR filters for Instagram, which have become extremely popular for users. Brands like Adidas, Disney, Buzzfeed, Gucci, Dior and Chanel have done the same. Other than using filters on Stories, you can create polls, boomerangs, ask questions and even re-post your own content (along with others as well). Using polls and questions on Stories creates more engagement with your followers because it allows them to quickly and easily respond to your posts without having to put in too much effort.
Connecting with your Audience
Stories allow you to truly connect with your audience since this content is raw, organic and relevant to the moment. Real-time, “in the moment” posts can generate a lot of engagement within your community because they allow users to relate to your business. Save the more polished posts for your feed, and have fun with your Stories!
Real-Time Marketing
Stories promote real-time marketing, which has been proven to be more effective than ever in reaching your target audience at the right moment. Since they disappear after 24 hours, they’re perfect for promoting a current event, sale or product. When you post live during an event or sale, it creates a sense of urgency and encourages people to take action. It can also make your customers who aren’t at the event feel a part of the experience, which is another great way to engage with them.
If we’ve convinced you it’s time to implement Instagram Stories into your social media strategy and you’d like some support in getting started, shoot us a message at info@olivecreativestrategies.com.