One of the best ways to engage with followers on social media is through Instagram and Facebook Stories. These are pieces of content displayed directly at the top of the newsfeed that are only visible for 24 hours. The positioning of the stories is what makes them a great marketing tool – they are in a prime location to be seen by your followers. Your followers also can reply to these stories directly, further increasing engagement with you and your brand.
Mastering how to use Instagram and Facebook Stories is a great way to boost your digital marketing efforts. Here is a look at five dos and don’t to help you use this feature to its full potential.
DO get creative with your content
There are multiple features you can incorporate into your Instagram and Facebook Story designs, including stickers, GIFs, text, questions, polls, tags, countdowns, and more. Using a variety of creative tools can help your stories stand out from more boring and generic posts. However, be careful not to overload the story with too many elements. You should also stick with your branding colours and fonts so viewers immediately know this content is yours.
DON’T share irrelevant content
Just as you schedule main feed posts, it is great to get into a consistent schedule when it comes to posting Stories. However, don’t share irrelevant content. Your focus should always be on creating content that resonates with your audience – after all, engaging with your followers is the main goal here. The more insightful and inspiring the content, the more successful your Stories will be.
DO include calls to action
You want your viewers to engage with your Stories, and the best way to do this is by including a CTA. You could incorporate a “Swipe Up” option on your Instagram Stories that direct followers to your website or product pages. Prompting viewers to ask questions, or urging them to partake in a poll will also encourage viewers to get involved.
DON’T ignore your analytics
To truly master the use of Instagram and Facebook Stories, you need to know what works with your audience. One of the major benefits of using Stories is that your content isn’t there to stay, so use this opportunity to discover what your followers want to see. Story analytics provide you with these insights, so don’t ignore them. You can see how your followers are interacting and use this to shape your content for the future and formulate a posting schedule that works.
DO upload video content
One way to stand out from the crowd is by using videos on your Stories. With the rise of platforms like TikTok, video is the next big thing – with Instagram’s CEO going as far as to declare they are no longer a photo sharing app and are focused on video. Videos are also a great way to showcase the face behind the brand and build more personal connections with your audience. If you’re feeling brave, going live on Instagram Stories or Facebook can further connect with your followers. Plus, live stories as positioned at the centre of your feed for even better visibility.
