How To Use Instagram Stories For Business
The new ‘stories’ feature on Instagram is quite interesting. Simply explained, it is a loop of videos or images that you share with your followers and they disappear after 24 hours of posting. Don’t go crazy trying to come up with a big strategy. Since they only live for a day, try to have fun while acting professionally. Use the ‘real time’ feeling to your advantage.
Since you cannot schedule the story in advance, share fun updates or behind the scenes. Show shoppers your items in use. Things do not have to be perfect, keep it natural. Introduce yourself. Show your face so people know who is behind your business.
Utilize #Fridayintroductions on a regular post, ad redirect them to your story. Direct them somewhere. Show a sneak peak of; say, a new product, a new blog post or updated merchandise then maybe, tell them to get more information from the link on your bio. It will help keep your feed clean. Do not disorganize the look of your cohesive feed with an announcement or a sneaky peak.
Share it in the story instead. Have a routine or share consistently. Share whatever special ritual you have with your followers. No makeup, no problem. You are human, just like everyone else. Your makeup does not have to be perfect for you to talk about business or say hi. If you choose to share about your personal life, don’t go too far from your brand. So much content; use your time well.
Do not overwhelm your followers with tons of videos and images every single day, unless you are doing something exceptional for maybe a day or two. Your Instagram stories should supplement your brand and feed. Your story might be the first thing someone sees about your brand. You are not in control. You have no say when it comes to social media trends. Even as you try to keep up with social media, work towards building an email list—that will always be yours.
How To Create and Add an Instagram Story
Creating:
From your homepage on Instagram, click on the encircled + on the top left. Take a photo or press and hold for a video. Hit the check mark. Your story is shared. Alternatively, swipe right and the screen will show up. To add videos or photos that were taken previously, use any of the above steps but pull down to open your media.
To add:
Repeat the above steps; how are Instagram and Snapchat Stories Similar? Being able to draw or add text to a video or image, and the ability to download and save videos and photos to your phone. You can either run through all stories or just select an individual story.
On Instagram, you already have your audience. If your Instagram account is public, everyone can view your story. You can choose who replies to your story. You can take a story and post it on your regular feed. There are limited filters.
