A large portion of an effective digital marketing strategy is a business’s social media strategy. A subset of that social media strategy is the use of Instagram Stories. The unfortunate thing? Many businesses choose to ignore Instagram Stories, having the false presumption that they’re ineffective and useless.
But why do many businesses have this false presumption? While there are many reasons why one might not believe in the value of Instagram Stories, it’s likely due to the fact that they’re temporary in nature, lasting for only 24-hours then disappearing forever.
The good news? While Instagram Stories do only last for 24 hours, you do have the option to create a “highlight” and save the story forever! This is of great benefit for those who value their stories enough to capture them in time.
With this presumption, however, why put so much time and effort into them if they’re just going to disappear after a day?! It’s a reasonable thought to have…
However, Instagram Stories offer more value than meets the eye. Sure, on the surface, they’re just a temporary posting mechanism, secondary to the more important “feed” of Instagram. However, after a deeper analysis, you’ll realize that Instagram Stories provide businesses with several benefits.
What follows will be a discussion of the several benefits of Instagram Stories for businesses, as well as a guide to how your business can use Instagram Stories for continued success.
Let’s get into it!
Benefits of Instagram Stories for Businesses
Before discussing how businesses can use Instagram Stories, it’s important to discuss why…
In short, there are several benefits and advantages to Instagram Stories. Not only does it allow for more creative freedom with respect to content, but it also allows businesses to more readily communicate with their audience, boost engagement, and remain atop of mind, among other benefits.
If you and your business aren’t taking full advantage of Instagram Stories, you’re missing out.
Below are the benefits of Instagram Stories for Businesses:
- Boosts Social Engagement through Interaction
- Helps Drive Sales
- Improves Brand/Company Visibility
- Helps Businesses Stay Relevant & Top of Mind
- Provides a 24-Hour Customer Support & Feedback Mechanism
- Promotes the Generation of Leads
- Allows Secondary Content Creation Outlet
- Immediate Communication Tool
Adding more freedom and flexibility to your marketing strategy, and more specifically, your social media strategy, Instagram Stories, though temporary, are worth the time and effort.
The benefits of this Instagram tool are endless. If you’re not yet convinced, see for yourself!
How to Use Instagram Stories
If you’re struggling to gain traction online, building out a long-term social media strategy will likely be of major benefit to your business, not only from a brand awareness standpoint but from an overall growth standpoint. As mentioned, one subset of that social media strategy is Instagram Stories.
We’ve discussed the many benefits of implementing Instagram Stories. Now, it’s time to discuss how your business can utilize it.
In the world of online advertising and social presence being somewhat of a currency, Instagram Stories are a great tool to use in tandem.
Not only are Instagram Stories a frequently used feature by consumers, but they’ve been shown to result in larger conversions for businesses who use it properly. If you come from a traditional marketing background, think of them as an infographic of sorts. The difference? They’re extremely addictive to the consumer consuming them, thus resulting in higher retention rates, greater engagement, and as a result, growth in all forms and facets of the business.
So, how can your business begin to take advantage of this Instagram feature? Continue reading to find out!
Below are several ways businesses can use Instagram Stories to their benefit:
- Making an Announcement
A quick, efficient, and effective way to make an announcement and get it in front of as many eyes as possible. - Engaging With Your Audience via a Questionnaire or Poll
Have you struggled in the past to gather feedback on any given business inquiry? With Instagram Stories, you can do it with the tap of a button, making it easy for both you and the consumer to engage in open and honest feedback. - Informing Your Audience About a New Post
Similar to making an announcement, Instagram Stories allow you to share to the masses when you’ve made a new Instagram Feed post. This is beneficial for several reasons, but it primarily helps increase post engagement. - Going Live to Interact, Engage, and Humanize Your Brand
In today’s digital ecosystem, consumers value transparency and relatability more than ever. One way to provide that to your consumers is to humanize your brand; to show face. Going live and interacting with your audience is a great way to achieve that. - Spread Awareness Surrounding a Cause via Story Hashtags & Stickers
With social justice issues at the forefront of many businesses’ agenda, there’s no better way to spread awareness than through a quick and effective hashtag of Instagram Sticker. Tell your audience what you stand for and engage with them on the issue!
- Save Notable Stories to Your “Highlights”
While a major downfall of Instagram Stories is its temporary nature, you can now save it in time via the Instagram Highlights feature! Now, not only can you curate permanent stories, but you can display them on your page for all to see at their convenience. - Promote Your Offerings via a Link
An extremely effective way to upsell your products or services and generate leads is via link sharing on your Instagram Stories. One simple click and you’ve just acquired a potential lead! - Increase Website Traffic via the “Swipe Up” Feature
Similar to link sharing, you can also implement a swipe up on your story. When a consumer takes action on the swipe up, it immediately redirects them to the link you’ve attached. Yet another incredibly efficient and effective way to gather leads. - Feature a Countdown to a Business Launch of Sorts
Want to generate some buzz and excitement surrounding a launch or event of sorts? Visit the stickers feature via your Instagram Stories tab and find the countdown feature! - Build Brand Reputation Through High-Quality Content
Last but certainly not least, while many view Instagram Stories as a quick hitting version of your primary content, others opt to give it the same level of attention and quality control to one-up their competitors. As mentioned, today’s digital consumers value transparency and relatability. In the same breath, they also know quality and true effort when they see it. So consider investing some time and attention into Instagram Stories and let the results speak for themselves!
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are endless ways that businesses can use Instagram Stories to their benefit. The best part? It benefits their consumers just as much!
With hundreds of millions (if not billions!) of Instagram users, many which use the Instagram Story feature regularly, it would be a mistake NOT to take advantage of it from a business standpoint, even if you’re not yet fully convinced of its value.
Instagram Stories are easy to use, require far less time than what’s necessary for Instagram Feed content, and they provide arguably the greatest value of any Instagram feature.
Good luck!
Contact us today about getting started with Instagram Stories for your business.
