Utilizing Instagram Stories is a game changer in the social media world. Companies are using Instagram Stories to build brand awareness, engage with their audience on a more personal level, and create a unique user experience.
For those of you who are new to Stories, it’s a feature on Instagram where you share photos and videos that only last about 10 seconds and are only viewable for 24 hours.
Instagram Stories are important to use because they keep your account at the top of your audience’s Instagram News Feed (you’ll find them at the top of the app) and they often trigger a push notification to your followers that you added a Story. Plus, social media platforms like Instagram want you to utilize all of their features – so when you use Stories, they reward you by showing your posts to more people and suggesting your account for others to follow.
If you are interested in implementing Instagram Stories to your marketing tactic, here are some quick and easy ways to become a pro at Insta Stories.
1. Just like any type of story, there should be a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Keeping the audience engaged is what it’s all about. You want your audience to be with you from the beginning to the end. So for example, if you are introducing a new item to your menu, you can do a recipe Story.
For this French toast example, the Beginning would be your ingredients, the middle would be the egg mixture and the end would be your ready-to-eat dish. Voila!
You want to take the audience on a journey with you! This will help with keeping them engaged and provide them with a quick glimpse into your kitchens.
2. Create a sense of community with “Behind the Scenes” content.
I touched a little bit on this in the story telling part. It’s true – everyone loves a behind the scenes look! When taking your audience behind the scenes, it makes them feel as if they are part of the community instead of just another customer.
An example of this would be to involve a member of the team. They could share some of their favorite meals, favorite fruit, or favorite school meal promotion. It’s even more effective to involve a team member that your audience might not see every day.
In turn, this creates credibility as well as transparency between the your program and your audience. Plus, it’s a simple concept but a proven one – many parents want to see who is feeding their children.
3. Everyone loves a weekly series. Keep your audience coming back for more!
#ThrowbackThursdays, #MotivationMondays, and #TacoTuesdays are still popular trending hashtags in the social media world. Create a weekly series of your own. #MeatlessMondays continues to be a popular hashtag as well, but don’t be afraid to create your own like #TurnipTuesdays to share some fun veggie facts and nutrition education. This will keep your audience coming back for more and grow curiosity as to what’s coming up next!
4. Not everyone is listening. Caption your videos to ensure everyone can “hear” your message.
To help keep your audience engaged and to keep them from sliding past your Story, it’s best to caption videos . With that being said, don’t get too wordy with the captions. It should be a quick glance as to what the audio is in the video. Social media users might have their volume turned town, but if you make an interesting caption they are more than likely going to turn up the volume.
Fun Tip: StoryArt is an app that has pre-loaded layouts for Stories. You can add eye-catching frames, different fonts, and unique filters that Instagram does not offer. All you have to do is select the layout you want, upload your video or photo, and add the caption. Bam! Your story looks like you’re an Insta editing pro!
5. Have fun!
This is a creative way to step outside the lunchbox and show a fun, personal side of your program. Storytelling is key in any marketing campaign to build your audience, and Instagram Stories makes it so easy.
Leave your Instagram handle or link in the comments below so that we can follow you and see how you are utilizing Instagram Stories!