Instagram Stories first came to prominence in August 2016, and they’ve been hugely popular ever since. In fact, they are so popular that 500 million people use them daily! This is a huge market to tap into. The main reason to use Instagram stories is to foster an authentic connection with followers and get them involved in your brand.
So let’s take an Instagram tour of some of their features and why you should use them!
Polls
Have you ever wanted to know which meal your customers prefer or which colour scheme they like best? Polls are a fantastic way of getting feedback from your audience and also engaging with them at the same time.
All you need to do is ask a simple question and then watch the responses roll in.
Question stickers
Question stickers are an amazing way of getting personal engagements with your followers. How it works is you pose a question, and people will answer. Or alternately, you can ask your followers what they want to know about you/your brand. These question stickers are a fantastic tool because you can ask people about their favourite products, improvement/feedback, and you can also you can make your brand seem more approachable by answering questions. Pop quiz, I like it!
Quiz stickers
Similar to polls and questions, quiz stickers are a question with multiple answers your followers can select. These are great when you want to know which product is your audience’s favourite, or see how much people know from following your Instagram site.
Going live
Break the fourth wall by going live with your followers. This is a great way to put a face behind the brand, encourage loyalty, questions, and further engagement with your content. I don’t know about you, but I’m more likely to buy once I know the face behind the brand.
Product stickers
Drive sales directly from your Instagram by posting a picture of a product with a product sticker on it. These can be added to both videos and posts and will directly link your customers with your products. Easy peasy!
GIFS and stickers
Who doesn’t love adding fun and hilarious stickers to their Instagram stories. Our favourite has got to be excited Jonah Hill! This is such a fun and youthful way to make your Instagram stories pop!
Hashtag stickers
Same as hashtags, hashtag stickers help your content be seen by others searching this hashtag. Try to be more specific with your hashtag/s because you’ll get seen by a more specific audience, and your content will stay in view for longer.
Location tag
Add your location to your stories so people know where you’re based. I mean who doesn’t love shopping local?
Countdown sticker
Launching a new product or line? Build up suspense with a countdown clock. This way you can countdown the clock with your followers. 3, 2, 1, go!
Emoji slider
Slide your way to success with the slider emoji. These sliders can be personalised in many different ways due to the wide variety of emojis. They provide a quick engagement with your followers, and they can tell you how much they love the topic of your story. Sliders can also be used in more creative ways.
So there you have it, whether you’re an Instagram newbie or have the Instagram skills of Kimmy K, these are some useful tools that any business can benefit from. So it looks like now’s the perfect time to create a story!
