Instagram Stories is an amazing tool to use for your business. It is a great avenue for showcasing your business’ fun and creative side, and at the same time, growing your engagement. Not only that, Instagram Stories can be used to drive traffic to your website, build brand awareness, and even make ecommerce sales. If you’re wondering how to make the most out of Instagram Stories, this guide will help you out.

What are Instagram Stories?

Back in August 2016, Instagram launched a quick and engaging feature within its app called Instagram Stories. Through this feature, users are able to post images and videos in a slideshow format that disappears after 24 hours. Each story allows the addition of drawings, emoticons, and text; which makes the whole experience fun and creative.

As a brand, you should use this feature to show the authentic and human voice of your company. Because of how it’s built, it’s no surprise that a third of the most-viewed content on Instagram Stories is from businesses.

Who does a great design + planning job on their Instagram Stories? @NikeRunning, just take a look! They are so committed to the purpose OF MOVEMENT.

How to Use Instagram Stories

Actually, Instagram Stories help brands gain attention from their followers. This platform can be used to post a combination of promotional content, fun, and light-hearted material. There are also some tools that can help make a story as creative and fun as you like.

However, there are some things to include when using this platform as part of a social media strategy. For starters, when you’re creating content for Instagram Stories, always remember that it should stay in line with the brand goals. This is why you need to identify your marketing goals to create content that fits those goals.

Here we have a freaking good example: @NathanWPyleStrangePlanet is an amazing account, so full of creativity. His Instagram Stories are delightful:

Pro tips

Another option: Instagram Stories can be used by your business to make use of location and hashtag stickers. By using these two, your discoverability can be increased – since these allows other people to find your account when they search for the hashtag or location. It also opens up your story for everyone to see.

Instagram also allows verified accounts with more than 10 000 followers, to add links in a story. This way, Instagram users can visit your website directly. Whenever they see your story with a URL, they can swipe up on the content to be redirected to the website. This is an excellent way to get more website traffic.

Related:good news: you can have the Blue Badge!

Finally, a good practice: tag other users and business accounts in an Instagram story. This is an effective way to drive engagement and gain new followers in your account. You can also tag other accounts if you are doing an influencer campaign or a takeover strategy.

Related: find out 2019 best practices to build an amazing Instagram Feed here.

Remember that stories disappear after 24 hours. A good rule of thumb is to keep an archive of your past content to see how well they worked with your audience. Another option is to add successful stories to your profile under Highlighted Stories. The good news is that you can highlight up to 100 photos or videos. Even better, there’s no limited to the number of Highlighted Stories you can include on your profile.

What Type of Content to Publish on Instagram Stories?

As a business owner, the type of content you post on Instagram Stories should stay true to your branding. Here are some of the best ideas for businesses to use on Instagram Stories:

Behind-the-scenes Footage

It’s always good to let your followers see that your brand is human too. You can do this by sharing behind-the-scenes footage when you conduct a product shoot or the process behind making a particular product. This makes your followers feel like they have connected with your brand and that they are insiders.

Related: tell more deep stories with IGTV strategies.

New Product Teasers

If you have an upcoming product to launch soon, you can build hype about the product by doing an Instagram Story post on it. Your biggest followers will be intrigued about the product you teased and will share the news to their own followers as well. And, when you’re ready to launch the product, it will already be something that people are looking forward to.

Coupons and Limited Offers

Instagram Stories can also be used as a way to reward your dedicated followers. Use this platform to share flash sales, coupon codes, and other limited offers that your followers will enjoy. If your followers end up missing the offer, they’ll be sure to keep an eye out for the next story you post.

Live Event Snippets

You can also use Instagram Stories to let your followers see what’s happening in an event you are hosting. This will entice non-attendees to see what’s happening behind-the-scenes. They might even want to join the next event you host.

Product Demonstration and How-to Guides

Instagram Stories can also be an excellent tool to showcase your products and teach followers how best to use them. This is particularly helpful if you are launching a new product that they know nothing about.

There are plenty of ways you Instagram Stories can be utilized for your brand’s benefit. By knowing how best to use this platform, you’ll be able to publish fresh and valuable content that your followers will always keep an eye out for.

Revamp Your Instagram Feed!

Follow the best practices above to make your Instagram feed look gorgeous and attract more followers. Remember to be creative and add your own flare to each post!

Did you find any of these tips helpful? We’d love to know! Let us know your comments and feedback below.