The number one way that Instagram stories can benefit your business is by giving your followers the digest of what you are up to, right now! In an era of nosey gossips, where we all want to know what everyone else is doing, sharing your story satisfies the hunger in a sense and brings you relevance to your audience if done right. So how can you leverage your Instagram stories to improve your business? Here is the summary.
1. Stories provide quick, concise info that is important to your audience.
IF and only IF, you are already doing a good job with your online presence, you will find that sharing your stories are an excellent way to communicate your message in 15 seconds, through audio, images and why not text? In the form of flashcards or if you are willing to invest in professionally made videos that will have an even larger impact. Of course, visibility and engagement are two different ball games; if you are active on social media and get followers that are into what you are selling or into what you do, you will not have problems with engagement you are after.
2. It provides the opportunity to be spontaneous, and your followers will love you for it.
Let’s admit it; we could all use a little break from the routine. Instagram stories can give you that spark to say what’s on your mind, share something funny with your audience, record an event that is taking place, and that is full of energy. People want to engage where there is life and adding the element of surprise is a great way to add personality to your Instagram feed, even if it is a business channel. As we are in the age where millennials rule the world, we need to be open to enjoy life, one post at a time. It is how influencers do their thing, getting out there, and giving the people what they want.
3. Stories are a great way to promote your products and offers.
The whole testimonials thing isn’t a fad. Sorry to break it to you, people will be much more likely to buy a product or purchase a service if a friend or respected peer vouches for it first. It opens up a tremendous opportunity not only to plug your product but hopefully, you will have caught on by now. People will be looking at you as an industry leader and will come to value your opinion. But to do that, you need to be willing to give it. That means taking the time to find out about a product, service or company within the interest of your audience and start a conversation. It will make it easier for you to have an already established rapport and when the time comes to talk about your “baby,” your audience will be ready to listen. Once you have them where you want them, you can promote, hold contests, offer discounts and guess what? They will eat it up.
4. It provides the opportunity to offer something different.
We know Instagram started as a place to post images, but no one was ready for the impact it has had on social media. Breaking out of the rut of a photo – hashtag, picture – hashtag; Instagram stories (at least for now) offers us the possibility to cut through some of this static with moving images. While it is a long reach from being SnapChat, thankfully, we know how overwhelming that can be; it gets the users attention, which at the end of the day is what you want.
With all this in mind, try it! Worst-case scenario – your Instagram story will be gone in 24 hours and you won’t be able to get it back. So go for it, after all, you only live once!
