With 500 million active daily users, Instagram Stories is now a social media force to be reckoned with. So, what are Instagram stories and why do you need to use them?
In the ? literally ? picture-perfect world of Instagram, there is pressure to post only carefully curated, top-notch content onto your feed. But, Instagram Stories are different. They offer a chance to share the human side of your organisation, encouraging content that is less sleek and more playful, unfiltered and fun.
Instagram stories are the mayfly of social media, living for just one day. This super-short lifespan gives you the chance to experiment. If something works you can keep it, if it does not it will vanish 24 hours later.
Unsure of where to begin? Here are six suggestions for making the most out of Instagram Stories.
1.Quiz
From the weekly pub trivia night to the never-ending cycle of TV game shows, we all love a quiz! On Instagram these are a great way to encourage engagement with your brand. You can ask questions relevant to your company or product, or, you can simply use quizzes to show a bit more of your personality to your followers.
- Poll
Anything interactive gets people?s attention. Whether you want to find out what your clients are interested in, or you just want to entertain them, polls are a great way to gain followers and drive traffic back to your website.
- Interviews with Staff Members
Instagram stories are a great way to show the day-to-day life of your company. A fantastic way to do this is to have members of staff give a quick interview ? this can be a quick ?how-to? session about their area of expertise, a ?day in the life of?, or just a few fun ?ice-breakers? that give followers a flavour of your business.
- Answer Questions
You want your followers to engage with your business, and a great way to do that is to host a Q&A session. You can kick-off with a quick story asking for questions, and then use follow up stories to give answers. Or, if you are feeling brave, you can use Instagram Live to answer questions in real-time.
- Use a Countdown Sticker
If you are launching a new product, website, or counting down to a big event, then create suspense by adding a countdown sticker to your stories. This will allow your followers to share in your excitement.
- Share Customer Testimonials
Building trust in your business is essential and having users share their experience of your product or service is great way to do this. If your organisation provides services, then ? where appropriate ? ask your service users to share their experiences.
