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digital marketing - social media
Are Instagram stories part of your strategy? Here’s why they should be.
Snapchat’s rampant popularity with younger generations has prompted Instagram to leverage self-destructing visual content for further user engagement. The result is Instagram Stories. Stories contribute to Instagram’s 2.2%—and rising—average engagement rate, and brands and marketers should consider using it more.1
Millennials and Gen Z now make up nearly 30 percent of the total population and 71% of Instagram users. They spend an average of 53 minutes on the platform daily, presenting a massive target opportunity for marketers.1,3
Why Instagram Stories?
Their chronological nature and convenient placement at the top of the app make Instagram Stories an ideal choice to engage users. It’s easy to swipe through and tap to view, then once you watch one you can continue swiping, or sit back while they autoplay.
In addition to increased exposure over the classic feed, here are six reasons why Instagram Stories are a win:
- Video has the highest potential for engagement
- It’s easier to communicate with a video and images than with text.
- Stories are impermanent, which prompts users to engage so they don’t miss out!
- Stories offer a more personal, intimate exchange with consumers
- Stories channel users to brands’ accounts where they can engage with their existing content.
- Stories offer a more realistic social experience.
Create engaging Stories.
We know that Stories are the bees knees, but now what? Here are some handy tips for creating Instagram Stories to delight and engage your followers.
Include sound: 60% of all video Stories are viewed with sound on, so make sure there’s something worth listening to. If there’s no voice in the video, then music makes a good sound overlay.
Use text overlay: Text overlay encourages engagement when users must have sound off. They can read-watch, which will hold their interest longer.
Keep if friendly: Make your Story look like a shared experience from a close friend, rather than a business. Add emojis or symbols to endear your brand with users.
Break it down: Since stories are consumed faster than newsfeed posts and attention spans continue to shorten, consider short scenes of a few seconds each for more complex Stories.
Create interest: Engaging subject matter, coupled with filters or graphic overlays can boost appeal.
Be interactive: Elevate the user experience by adding clickable links to employ the swipe function to engage actions. Links are possible with Stories — a feature that’s absent from organic posts. (Note: the feature requires a verified account or a minimum of 10,000 followers)
Examples:
We’re excited! With an ever-growing digitally-embedded audience, demand for expiring content keeps growing. Instagram Stories hold massive potential for engagement and a personalized brand experience. We can’t wait to see how our clients’ digital communications will improve through this fun feature.
- Source: Hootesuite
- Source: Hootesuite & We Are Social – Digital 2019 Report
- Source: Mobile Marketer
- Source: Sprout Social