Deep Patel — December 21, 2016 Follow @realdeeppatel
Over the years, Snapchat has developed from being a simple photo sharing app to a full social experience complete with snap stories and snap news. The iconic snapchat story transformed the app from a private sharing experience to a complete social platform.
Likewise, Instagram’s foundation is rooted in allowing users to exhibit their content to as many people as they would like. But now Instagram has expanded on that and taken a few tricks from Snapchat, the most prominent being Instagram stories.
The recent update to Instagram incorporated their own version of the Snapchat trademark, and they can utilized as great marketing tools. Instagram stories have greater potential for marketing than Snapchat stories because of Snapchat’s usage as a sharing app between friends, while Instagram users are accustomed to following profiles for products they like.
Instagram stories are a potential goldmine for your brand, but you must know how to maximize this potential that Instagram possesses.
1. Daily samples of the product in use.
The best way to keep followers and potential consumers aware of your product is to show it in daily use. Advertising the lifestyle that your product brings will show users how the product fits into their own lives.
Fitness account users, such as Bradley Martyn, usually post stories several times a day of them using a certain brand of protein or wearing a certain clothing brand while they work out. After posting several pictures/videos of them working out in the apparel, they will post stories of them casually sitting at home and mixing a nice health shake with the protein.
The most essential point is that you don’t need a massive event or promotion to generate sales. Target potential consumers simply by showing them just how well your product fits into their day to day. By this time, the viewers won’t want it because they’ll have realized that they need it.
2. Keep audience updated on upcoming events.
According to Dan Simon, founder of Founding Farmers, using promotions and events are effective ways to reengage consumer bases and spark up interest in the brand as a whole. However, the only way a promotion is effective is if the word reaches enough people.
Initiating promotion campaigns on Facebook are sometimes acceptable, but so much depends on who your target audience is. A promotional campaign on Instagram is much more effective for Millennial and Gen Z markets.
Instagram’s layout for stories are beneficial for making sure users are aware of promotions because all story notifications appear at the top of the Instagram loading bar. All posted stories are visual for twenty-four hours, and a simple post to followers every few days before the event should generate enough awareness.
3. Connect followers to your website/content.
Instagram stories can be quite useful for increasing traffic on your company website, and it is a convenient way to advertise new articles or content on your website.
Although Instagram is great for building a fanbase for your brand, you don’t make money from the number of followers you have. You have to find a way to influence your audience to buy your product, using your website as the medium for profit. Unlike Snapchat, Instagram stories have the ability to link to other websites.
For example, Total Frat Move is an account on Instagram that has perfected connecting their followers to their website and merchandise vendors from their story. Everyday, there are a couple of advertisements on their story about a new article that was posted on the Total Frat Move website and app.
Their profile is filled with frat antics and attractive women in swimsuits, and they understand how to get returns off of their following.
4. Maintain and increase social following.
One of the hardest things about running an Instagram account is maintaining an active follower base. Oftentimes, posts can be overlooked for certain accounts or completely ignored. A good way to maintain relevance on a follower’s timeline is posting stories.
The best way to use a story for this situation is to suggest to users that they check out a new post on your profile. A simple and welcoming reminder could lead a bored, scrolling user to check out your page.
However, a common mistake that profiles make is annoying users with constant suggestions for their posts. Find a unique way to attract users to your profile so that you can offer entertainment/information for someone in exchange for more traffic on your page.
5. Day in the life.
Content is commonly a limiting factor for many accounts, and it is not always for a lack of good content. Accounts sometimes just dry up on creative juices and run out content. There is a simple way to solve this issue: record your experiences at work.
This doesn’t mean you should post a boring video of you buying coffee. That would not be entertaining for anyone, and it will grow irksome quickly.
Rather, record yourself at a fun event or a promotional event or show yourself hanging out with friends while working on a project. Whatever you do, you just need to post content that is engaging. Since stories delete after a full day, you do not have to litter your account with vlogs of your experiences.
Instagram stories have immense potential for profit that can be utilized by anyone who is able to understand how to make their story appealing and effective.
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