Even if you are a social media-savvy small business, there’s a good chance you haven’t taken the plunge into Instagram stories yet. These short-lived photos and videos are an awesome way to engage with your current followers and grow your Instagram following. One-third of the most popular Instagram stories are from businesses, so if you aren’t publishing in your story, you’re missing out!
The Benefits of Instagram Stories for Businesses
Over 250 million Instagram users publish or view stories every day. A whopping 20% of stories posted by businesses led to at least one direct message. Your customers are on Instagram, so you should be too.
How to Make a Great Instagram Story
Before you start posting, you should plan out what you are going to do. Are you going to showcase your new holiday cupcake flavors or show behind-the-scenes at your manufacturing plant? Sketch out what you want to include in your story and whether you’ll be using photos, a video or a combination of the two. Instagram users are most active on Mondays and Thursdays between 7-9 PM, so make sure that your story is live around then. With each of your story posts, ensure that you capture the viewer in the first 4 seconds. If viewers aren’t engaged by then, they will skip the rest of the story.
Quick Instagram Story Tips
To get the most out of your Instagram stories:
- Use a geotag in your hashtag to increase your engagement and get your post in front of new eyes with the Story ring feature.
- Include a link in your post so that viewers can immediately act or react to what you posted. For example, if you post a photo of a new shirt in stock, include the link to the shirt in the story.
- Include a call to action in your Instagram story.
- Invite an influencer or employee to do a “takeover” of your story for the day. This can increase engagement 20% or more during the takeover duration.
- Make offers that are exclusive to your Instagram story (and make it clear that the offer is just for your followers, so they feel recognized for their loyalty).
Partner with My Content Co. for Your Small Business Marketing
My Content Co. knows great small business marketing, just like you know your small business. Partner with us to see how effective your social media marketing can be. Visit us online or contact us today at 410324-3934 to get started.