Instagram Stories has been created to directly compete with Snapchat. Instagram Stories has a lot of the same exact features, along with the entire goal of keeping its users directly on Instagram – to do a lot of the things that the users would have been doing with snapchat….
How does this affect your business????
Honestly, I think it is going to be a big deal! Many businesses (mine included) aren’t actively using Snapchat because our target clients aren’t yet on Snapchat. However, many of our target clients are already actively using Instagram.
If you do know your target client IS already on Instagram, this could be a fabulous opportunity to reach your audience in a more interactive way – and truly get people to engage with you more on the social media channel.
Instagram Stories allows you to build a “story” with a combination of photos, videos, and more! And just like snapchat, the story will be there for 24 hours!
Here are three great ways to try Instagram Stories this week to engage with your audience…
Showcase a Product or Service
Use a combination of photos and video to showcase one of your products or services. Take photos of the product, give a brief narration of the product, show videos or images of people using the product… Any number of combinations. But Instagram Stories will give you the opportunity to control the narrative on your product or service – and actually give a WHOLE lot more information on it than you would from just an image!
Build Your Instagram Following
Instagram is a really interesting marketing medium! On Facebook you seek out your friends and/or businesses you already like. Because of the interface of Instagram, the hashtags, and the algorithm, it is constantly showing your content to people you have never met! Have you ever noticed that when you post on instagram, you often gain a few followers (often that you’ve never heard of)? Instagram is constantly showing content to its users based on their interests. The more good, interesting, original content you can put out that will resonate with users, the more we can expect Instagram to show it! Also, rather than losing potential followers to Snapchat – this allows you to interact with your followers in a new, interesting way!
Create a Buzz… TEASE New Content
I once was talking to a launch strategist who described it as a “strip tease.” I don’t know that I’d use that particular term. However, as we discussed it further, it was apparent that she was TOTALLY right! People typically don’t opt in and buy a product directly from your thank you page! However, if you warm them up and give them a little bit of great information at a time, you can get them engaged and actually get them excited for the next piece of content!!! It’s the perfect way to get them used to looking for new content from you!
Instagram stories looks to me to be a PERFECT addition to a new product launch. It also looks like a great way to be gaining followers and prospects preparing for that launch!
I’m going to be trying it out this week! Hope to see you there!!