Launched about five years ago, the Instagram Stories feature has quickly become one of the most popular components of this social media app. It is fantastic for creating spontaneous and quirky content and used correctly can immediately supercharge your brands reach and following. Here are some super simple ways to use Instagram stories right away.
Promote
A simple trick is to use the conventional “swipe up” feature to link your Instagram story to an external website. Or you can just use product stickers to make your purchase page more accessible to buyers.
Poll or Quiz
Interacting your viewers with a multiple-choice question allows them to engage with your post with just a touch or a click instead of having to type a response. Easy as pie, and you get lots of engagement with new and existing viewers. You can also try a sliding ‘react’ with the heart-eyes emoji. This is by far one of the most successful Insta story techniques.
Sneak peek
Viewers love this kind of promotion as it gives them early access to a product launch or event and creates an excitement that should give them an additional reason to hit the follow button.
Run a countdown
A countdown sticker over your video instantly creates a sense of anticipation amongst your audience. As the big day gets closer, the hype will only increase, getting your followers all the more excited. Use this for the launch of a new product, an upcoming event or perhaps to count down towards a special holiday.
Live event
Users love tuning in to live events for a sense of excitement. This is the perfect way to promote either a new product, a contest or even covering an event.
Answer and/or ask a question
Letting your audience interact with you directly is a sure-fire way to increase views, engagement and followers. You can either make it an open forum for your audience to ask you anything related to yourself or your brand, or ask your audience questions by adding an answer sticker to your stories, and your audience can submit their replies there.
Series idea story
Let your imagination run wild here with a content series. This could be a step-by-step tutorial related to your business for example. You can then add bite-sized chunks of stories as a permanent highlight on your Instagram page so that they are visible beyond the 24-hour window.
Host a contest Contests are one of the best ways to drive engagement, and consequently, take your brand to the next level. Get your followers to comment, share within their own story and tag 3 friends. Then just keep an eye on your notifications and pick a winner within 24 hours. Limited offer By offering exclusive, limited-time deals, you are really making the most of the 24-hour lifespan of an Instagram Story. This will both drive views and increase your follower count. Win-win. Now you have read through these awesome ideas, it is time for you to let your Insta Stories do the talking. Prepare to see huge uplifts in engagement, followers and you never know, your brand might become a household name!