8 Creative Ways to Promote Your Brand with Instagram Stories
Instagram has more than 500 million active monthly users who shared about 40 billion photos to date. What’s more, Instagram users post 95 million photos and videos each day. It comes as no wonder why this application is an important tool for every marketer. If you want to improve your business and help the company grow, strong Instagram presence can be of huge help. On August 2, 2016, Instagram stories were introduced and took the internet by storm. Believe it or not, this feature is a valuable addition to your marketing strategy. Here, we bring you eight useful ways to use Instagram stories for your brand.
Instagram beats Snapchat
Before Instagram released this feature, Snapchat was the most popular app for sharing stories i.e. photos and videos that disappear within 24 hours. However, Instagram overtook that throne just a few months after the new update.
In October, just two months after the release of this feature, Instagram stories had over 100 million daily active viewers, or two-thirds of the daily active user population of Snapchat. Other reports showed that Snapchat growth slowed by 82% after the Instagram stories were launched.
This feature has incredible statistics and gives you an amazing opportunity to improve your business. You just have to know how to do it properly. Fortunately, there are many ways to use Instagram stories for this purpose. It’s very simple. Here are a few ideas to try out.
1. Day in the Life of Your Business
Nowadays when we use different devices and spend most of our time checking different apps, social media marketing poses as the most important part of your marketing strategy. That said, you have to do more than posting announcements, photos, and updates. Always bear in mind the market is competitive you do have rivals. You have to stand out and Instagram stories give you a perfect opportunity. Use photographs, videos, or even boomerang option to show “day in the life” of your business. Photos or videos don’t have to be spectacular, customers appreciate realistic images. This gives current and potential customers a valuable glimpse into your brand and makes them feel a part of it.
2. Promote products in a subtle fashion
Instagram stories allow you to promote your products and services, but you should make sure you do it in a subtle fashion. While it is easy to publish photos or videos of your products and services all the time, your followers might consider it pushy. You don’t want current and potential customers to feel like they are swamped with constant product promotions. Instead, you can post photos (funny or something meaningful) associated with service or product you provide. You can easily find photos about any niche.
3. Takeover
Use the advantages of micro-influencer marketing to promote your brand through Instagram stores and get more views and followers. How? Announce the Instagram story take over where the influencer will post the content he/she wants throughout the day using this feature. Also, the blogger or vlogger you collaborate with can update their followers about the takeover and navigate more people to your profile. This will generate more followers, traffic, likes, and your brand will reach more people who are, now, potential customers.
4. Hold contests
Let’s face it; contests are always a good idea regardless of how or where you hold them. One major reason to hold contests through stories is that they tend to get lost on in the Instagram feed. Your followers are more likely to spot stories and announcements you make there as soon as they open the app.
5. Announce special offers
Arrange special offers or useful discounts and announce them through Instagram stories regularly. Make it a tradition i.e. announce special offers at least once a month or during holidays. This ensures customers will keep coming back and they will also check your Instagram profile and stories to see whether you posted some other offers as well.
6. Engage your followers
Customers don’t like when a brand is unfriendly and unapproachable. To promote your brand and build momentum with Instagram stories, engage your followers. It’s easy, post photos or videos and write down a question to which they can reply through DM. You can take it one step further and run polls or ask customers for a feedback regarding some product or service. In turn, you increase customer engagement, generate more traffic, and eventually, you also have more sales. At the same time, your followers feel involved and appreciate the fact you asked for their opinion. When it comes to brand promotion, strong relationship with customers or clients is a must.
7. Share tips and tricks
Although your followers do follow you because they like your products and services, it doesn’t mean everything you post should be strictly promotional, as stated above. When it comes to marketing, everything can be a promotion if you do it right. For example, you can use Instagram stories to share tips and tricks that will help your followers do or make something. Of course, these should be related to your niche. Subconsciously, they can link those tips to your products or services. For instance, a gym owner can publish stories with tips about proper execution of some exercise. It is needless to mention that his/her followers will appreciate those tips and they will want to exercise in that gym. Providing these valuable tips shows you care about your customers.
8. Turn stories in mini articles
Instagram stories allow you to write text and use emoticons. You can take advantage of these features and turn stories in mini articles associated with content from your official website. If your profile is verified, you can include a link to that post immediately. On the other hand, if your handle isn’t verified just upload the link to your bio and make sure you mention it in stories. That way, you won’t only promote your products, but your website will get a lot of traffic too.
Conclusion
Instagram stories are ideal for promotion of brand, products, and services. You can post photos, videos, give tips, hold contests, among other things. It’s all about being creative and since this feature proves to be a real success for Instagram, you should definitely use it.
