Despite being at the receiving end of many jokes about copying Snapchat and featuring in thousands of memes all over the internet, Instagram is pulling off Stories and is pulling it off quite well. Facebook recently shared that it now has over 250 million daily active users which is almost 80 million higher than Snapchat already and is growing faster than ever. While Instagram was already an important piece in the marketing puzzle for travel brands, we observed some interesting use cases for Stories when it rolled out last year.
It has evolved significantly since then and now brings new features including various video formats and live streaming. For brands that have recently started using the feature or are looking to gain more value out of it, we have some interesting tips for Instagram stories:
Keep it coherent
While the audience won’t expect stories to be as perfect as the Instagram posts, it is important to make sure the content under stories is related. Follow daily/weekly/ hourly themes but make sure you are not jumping the sequence with disconnected posts. This will ensure that they audience isn’t dropping out without watching all the screens of the story.
Use the formats
While a photo only story isn’t a bad idea, there is no harm in getting a bit more experimental with Stories. A boomerang or a reverse video can add a dash of humour or create an interesting perspective to keep people hooked.
The video rule
Top video marketers suggest that while the whole video needs powerful content, the first few seconds are particularly important to capture the attention. The same holds true for stories as well. If you see audience dropping out after the first few screens, maybe you need a better beginning.
Don’t overdo it
What is a good number of posts per day for stories? I am afraid we don’t have a number yet. However, you have to account for the fact that even if you spread out your posts throughout the day, there will be many who will be catching up on them together at the end of the day. 15-18 posts from one account and the user would either skip through them or move to next account in stories.
Use links judiciously
Yes, you can put links in your stories. Yes, it can drive a fraction of the viewers to your website. No, you shouldn’t try to place a link everytime you post. To gain real value out of a link in stories, use the posts as a funnel to drive audience. Tell a tale with the posts with the link positioned as the final piece of that tale and make it clear how the link can be opened (swiping up might not be obvious when stories are flowing sideways).
Brands and influencers are finding great value in Instagram Stories as it continues to grow rapidly. If you have any interesting ideas to add here, do share with us.
