Over 400 million people upload Instagram stories each day. It is one of the biggest and most popular social networking sites in the world. Users now have another platform to promote their brands to a newer audience and this helps increase engagement. Your Instagram feed is important, however, Instagram stories are another impactful way to increase engagement for your brand.
Here are a few ways you can use stories to achieve this:
1. Questions, Polls & Swipe Meters
Instagram is constantly updated, putting out new features for stories like questions, polls, and swipe meters. Using the poll meter you can survey your audience and ask them for feedback. You can determine how many people enjoy using your products and what their favourite products are. You can also conduct a survey and ask your audiences what they feel about a certain product or issue, using the swipe meter. It can also be used to see how much the audiences like the product. The latest and most helpful update is the “ask me anything” feature. This allows users to interact with you, and provide suggestions and ideas for future products.2. The Swipe Up Feature
Many users talk about the “Swipe Up” feature on their Instagram stories. Instagram rewards users for growing in audience numbers through this feature. This is available for accounts that have above 10,000 followers. For accounts that have less than 10,000 followers, it gives them a goal to set for their Instagram following.3. Hashtags
Using #hashtags in your Instagram stories increases the chances of you achieving a higher rank. Consider using broader and more popular hashtag options relevant to your content for your stories. Many accounts find success and double their views by using hashtags for their stories.4. See Post
If you have posted a new photo, you can post it on your story as well, to help drive traffic to your feed. Click the “share” button on your post after you upload the photo. The option- “add to your story” will appear. Select that option and then add hashtags, polls, and GIFs like you would with any other story.5. Mentions
You can mention a brand if you are talking about them or if a person is tagged in your Instagram story. A new feature allows people to add the content they have been tagged in, into their own Instagram story. This will help increase your reach and engagement.6. Shopping
You will want to set up Instagram Shopping for all feeds and stories if you have an e-commerce site. This can easily be achieved by connecting all products with Instagram and applying for approval.7. Post Daily
A red circle shows up around the profile image when you upload an Instagram story. When people browse Instagram come across your story and seeing the red circle gives them a way to interact with you.8. Be Creative
New features like font types, background music, pinning text, and GIFs are constantly being added. Explore these new features. Keep your app updated at all times. This allows you to be the first to find out about new features and use them.9. Share Personal Stories
People are always curious. And you can tap that curiosity by posting stories of your products, customer experiences, and brand. The stories can also be centered on your employees or the process of creating your product. Post behind-the-scenes stories and personalize the experience of viewers. Humanize your brand and make every effort to connect with your audiences. Showcasing these things make your audience feel like they are part of the process and excitement. They feel a lot more connected with your brand. It is also a powerful method to build a larger audience base.10. Use Videos in Stories
Videos use is increasing at an astonishing rate. Statistics show that by 2021 around 80% of all traffic will be video-based. You can share recorded, as well as live videos on Instagram. The platform can get very crowded. Live videos are a way to make your brand stand out from the rest and gain more visibility. It will help distinguish your brand from the competition. In addition, to live videos, you can also post recorded ones that showcase your products. As mentioned earlier, the videos you post can also be about how your products are manufactured or you can show them in use. During product launches or promotions, using videos is a great way to help your audiences learn about these products and offerings. They can be posted to increase brand awareness as well. Applying these tips mentioned above will surely help increase engagement in your Instagram stories. For any information about our digital marketing services, feel free to contact us at YourSocialStrategy.com via this online form and we’ll get back to you shortly.
How to Use Instagram Stories to Engage Your Audience
