Use Stories to Tell Your Story
Stories are the New Black
Across my social media, my Tuesday Social Media Stat was about Instagram Stories because if you aren't talking about Influencers or Insta Stories you are so talking about old news! There are over 200 MILLION people who use Instagram Stories every day. That is a lot of customers using stories so using stories the right way can make a major difference. So here are some tips and tricks to using Instagram Stories!
Side Note
It is social media, none of us are sure we are doing it the right way because it is so new. This information is based on some research on what seems to be working for companies and some great campaigns I have personally seen work. I also mention some I have personally contributed to that have been successful. I would love to hear other tips tricks and ideas, because if you aren't innovating on social media- well- YOU ARE BORING!
What should I Use Stories For?
So what do I think you should be using your Instagram Stories for? I think it is a great opportunity to show the heart of your brand (your people, your values, your customer care, and your differentiators) in a manner that is perceived as less polished, and more unadulterated. Keep in mind that I said perceived… while it is okay to be less buttoned-up less spokesperson(y) in your stories you should still remain true to your brand as should anyone representing your brand in your stories! So here are five ways I suggest you go about it, a few extra tips and tricks to wrap up, and an example of a stellar use of stories from J. Crew that even includes a great way to measure ROI!
A Day in the Life
Get this… people like to shop at businesses that represent their values and that they can easily identify with,. A great way of promoting your brand via stories is by handing over your Instagram handle to an employee and let them post “A Day in the Life” story posts. Remember to keep them creative, and interactive. Some can even be quick and spontaneous. In my past life, we would post a snap from a store managers huddle showing what the team was working on. For these posts, I also recommend having a quick list of dos and don't for the person you are handing the handle over to! (Click for a FREE generic day in the life stories tool)
Use Stories to Tease
Tease an event, promotion, or something happening on another platform. It is okay to promote one of your platforms using another! Plus using stories to tease an event and/or promotion keeps your feed clean and curated the way Instagram is intended! But seriously you can post a 50% off sale creatively 2-3 times in a story and no clogged feed or posts to go back and archive later.
Go Live
Go Live and after done add it to your story! Yup, that's right your live video can be saved and used as a story for 24 hours now. So you went live, had an expert to discuss the wonderful new yoga pants that make you look up to 90 pounds slimmer and only five people joined in… now that's ok! Save the video to your story and more people will have access to that awesome information! And next time before you go live… promote it in your story, on Facebook, on Twitter and let people know you are throwing a party!
Celebrate
Celebrate a company milestone or a professional one that an employee has reached, it's a great way to highlight accomplishments, pat yourself on the back without looking too cocky and it engages employees! This is a win-win situation because we know that engaged employees are great employees and awesome brand ambassadors!
Support Blog Content
Have your blog and stories work together. Part of any businesses goal on social media is to establish themselves as experts in the field by providing useful tips and tricks and answering followers questions. Many accomplish this via an online blog so why not promote the blog while establishing yourself as an expert via a story. As a social media manager, I use my clients' blogs to create sometimes what feels like endless posts! A well-written blog post is chock full of bite size information perfect for stories and posts. Think of the blog as the Thanksgiving Turkey and the posts and stories as the turkey sandwiches and you'll be on the right track!
Your company probably has more EDUTAINING stories than you give it credit for and stories show the heart of your brand and heart equals engagement and engagement equal loyal customers which equals sales! That's the long way to get to what I used to preach as a retail manager when talking about customer service- STORIES SELL! Plain and simple!
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ HOW J. CREW SLAYED IT WITH INSTAGRAM STORIES AND SOLD OUT OF THE INSTAGRAM ONLY PRODUCT IN HOURS!
A few other things to try
Promote Limited time giveaways to your followers it's a great way to reward loyal followers who already engage the brand!
Remind people of events and promotions that are happening that you have already posted
Bring in an expert besides yourself to educate followers
Host Mini Book Discussions
Hot Topic Talks
Be playful and coy, keep your followers stimulated and guessing!
Don't forget you CTA!