For as fleeting as they may seem, Instagram Stories can be a much more personable way to interact with your followers, leading to increased engagement, awareness, and (hopefully) sales. Stories afford you a multitude of options that a regular post in your feed just doesn’t allow, including quizzes, filters, polls, outbound links, and a whole lot more. Consumers want an authentic connection, and a fun lighthearted story post is much more personable than a somewhat dull post in your feed.
But how does one go about using Instagram Stories successfully? Here are a few tips:
Interactive Stickers
This is sort of a catch-all one, but with the sheer number of these that Instagram stories offer, we could be here for a while! Stickers are an inventive and eye-catching way to engage your followers directly with your content instead of simply watching it. Just as stories tell you who watched them, stickers tell you who responded, giving a direct metric of how the content may be performing. Some popular stickers include polls, which present two options for your followers. Pair this up with a photo showing two products-which outfits is better. Which stereo is nicer? Etc.,-and see a clear result of which way your followers are leaning. Likewise, Question Stickers are also a popular option. Prompt your followers to ask you something about the content in the story or ask a question and let them provide their answers, which you can share in your story and use to foster your community. Instagram also features a bevy of gifs and stickers to search for further customization of your content. Met the goal of a successful sale? Throw on some pop culture sticker of someone everyone loves celebrating. Overcome with tears of joy? Toss in a weeping smiley face. Make it yours!Product Stickers
Product stickers are exactly what they sound like- when touched, they will provide a link/tag to the product being displayed. Got a great product shot that you’re sure your followers will want to grab? Throw a product sticker directing them to where they can do just that.Links
If you have over 10K followers, you’ll be able to add direct links to your Instagram stories. These will appear as the embedded “swipe up” that you often see in the stories of brand accounts, musicians, influencers, or anyone trying to direct you somewhere. This can be further touched up on your end by adding a personalized “swipe up” sticker or gif that is a bit more enticing than the somewhat cold “Learn More.” If you’re not quite to 10K yet, you can always use your story for advertising that a link is in your bio.Getting a bit more personal
As we’ve said, the more personal nature of Instagram stories can provide the viewer with a degree of familiarity that a standard post in the feed may not. Use your story to show something that you wouldn’t otherwise see on your account-what is the day-to-day at your workplace, what your coworkers are doing, giving a tour, showing what you’re doing outside of work in the evening; all of these are viable options that can help to present and solidify the idea of the person that is “behind” your company, and help to establish a rapport that may eventually pay off.Filters
There seem to be about a million filters in Instagram stories, be that one that alters your face/background or helps you determine “Which X are you.” They’re fun, informal, and a good way to participate in a wider ‘moment’ that may be happening online. If you’re tech-savvy enough, why not generate and implement a branded one of your own? Selling plants? Do one of the filters that cycles through many options before showing the user which one they are. Selling eyeglasses? Generate a filter that puts virtual glasses on your community’s faces. The options here are, frankly, limitless! And there you have it! Five great ideas and things to get started with for enhancing and improving your brand’s Instagram stories. Show everyone what you can do, and have fun with it. As always, we’re here to help!
Making Instagram Stories Work For You
