Using Instagram Stories For Your Small Business
As a business owner, you may already have your promotions and events planned for the upcoming year, but what if there is a temporary store update or a last-minute promotion you’ve decided to run? What can you do to promote the message?
Well, you may not have room to add additional ad dollars to your budget, and by the time the ad is created and running, it may take too long. That’s where Instagram Stories come into play.
What Is It?
An Instagram story is a feature within the Instagram app that publishes your video, image, or text post that lasts only 24-hours. It differs from your Instagram posts because it does not publish to your feed, as it lives within your business’ profile image. Picture a virtual bulletin board.
Tip: You have probably seen stories from other brands and users, as they live in those tiny picture bubbles at the top of your Instagram feed!
Stories are an excellent way to engage and share information with your followers, and the best part is that it’s free.
Will Instagram stories reach new followers?
No, paid Instagram ads bring in your new followers while stories are mainly for your current ones.
But, it is still important to have appealing stories since your paid ads are attracting potential customers to your page, so having an attractive profile will gain you followers which then leads to sales. Think of your Instagram profile as your storefront, you will want it to be attractive and inviting.
Who can view my Stories?
Your followers along with any Instagram user that has found your public page.
Between Instagram ads, posts, and stories, it may be hard to keep track of which you should do. As mentioned above, stories are mainly for your current followership but your paid ads can direct potential customers to your page, which you will then want your current promotions and updates to educate the newcomers. So, when should you post a story?
Here are a few examples of when to use Instagram Story:
Reminding your customers about a new policy such as COVID-19 safety protocols
Promoting a surprise sale or promotion
Tagging your Instagram contest winner
Showcasing products for an upcoming event or promotion
Revealing the inside of your store
Asking your followers a question about your product/service using polls
Tip: If you want your stories to last longer than 24 hours - add your story to your highlights reel!
Is it worth my time?
500 million people use Instagram Stories every day according to Hootsuite so if your customers are on Instagram - it is!
And don’t just take my word for it - check out some examples:
Social Media Examiner has a great YouTube video, filled with tips and recommendations for Instagram Stories, and I’ve created my own list based on theirs.
Here are some tips for using Instagram Stories as a business owner:
Quality over quantity.
Don’t post the same image every day and expect your engagement and followers to increase. You want to make sure your photos are clean, crisp (no blurriness) and easy to read. Avoid too much text as it isn’t pleasing to the eye.
Tip: Take a step back before posting your story and think of yourself as a customer. Would this appeal to you? If not, what would?
Get creative.
Keep it interesting by using different features, images, filters, and content to keep your followers engaged and interested. Use the story features such as polls, gifs, boomerangs, countdowns, and more to showcase your inventory, promote your events, or ask people which item they like best.
Talk to your customer.
Share your story. Get personal with your customers. Are you a small or local business? Are you involved in your community? Creating an emotional attachment with customers will create a connection and a forever follower of your brand.
Review your story insights.
See the days and times in which your stories performed best, are they all similar looking creative? Try to follow the creative that your customers enjoy most.
Ask for help.
Digital marketing is constantly evolving, and it may be difficult to keep up with it all. Encourage your staff to present ideas or lend a helping hand, or ask your marketing company for recommendations.
Overall while Instagram stories won’t sell-out your store’s product, it can help with promoting your brand, sharing updates, and engaging with your customers. If you want to re-look at your Instagram as a whole, be sure to check out our Instagram audit article on the blog!
