You may have seen the Stories format being used across multiple social media platforms. It became popular when Instagram implemented the feature. Since then, many other social networks have followed Instagram’s lead, with Snapchat, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube now taking advantage of the stories format.
Statistics are now showing how important it is to be using it as part of your social media marketing strategy. 25% of Millennials and Gen Z-ers reportedly search for Instagram stories relating to products they want to purchase. As with any form of social media marketing, it’s vital that you utilize these free tools to help grow your business.
In this article, we’re going to cover why you should be using stories and how you can use them as part of an effective social media marketing strategy.
Why Are Stories Important?
Platforms that use the stories format, such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, each received over 500 million daily active users. These numbers alone show how important it is to be using it as part of your marketing strategy. Tools like Instagram’s Stories enables users who own a business account with over 10,000 followers to use the “Swipe Up” function. This feature allows you to insert links directly to your website or a specific product page.
The swipe up function is also shown to have high conversion rates, with statistics showing that 15–25% of Instagram users will swipe up to learn more about a product.
It’s evident that using stories is essential if you’re looking to improve your revenue. But how should you be using them to grow your business? There are many ways you can utilize it to help gain exposure for your business and increase your overall revenue.
Understanding Stories
First, it’s crucial that you fully understand why people tune in to the stories feature. Most people watch stories to gain real-life insights into what’s happening, either in someone else’s life or to gain a behind-the-scenes look at what products a business has to offer.
In other words, the majority of content being uploaded to social media stories platforms are authentic and unedited. This means that when you’re thinking of story content ideas, you want content that feels natural. There certainly is room for edited content that helps you promote your business. However, too much edited, inauthentic content can leave story viewers feeling disconnected. The bottom line is to keep your content as authentic as possible.
Types Of Content
Studies have found that certain types of content are more engaging than others. For example, Socialinsider found that videos used for Instagram stories outperform still images, with still images being skipped more frequently when compared to videos.
Videos aside, moving images such as Instagram’s “Boomerangs” and GIFs will work perfectly. Although videos receive the most engagement, we’d advise using a variety of different content types when curating your stories.
Post Frequency
You also need to consider how often you post. Research conducted by Block Party found that leading Instagram pages post stories 2.3 times per week — with many pages posting 8-piece stories, showing a collection of photo and video content.
Include Links
Including links that direct back to your product pages will be essential if you want to direct traffic from your social platforms to your website.
As we’ve discussed previously, you can include links using Instagram’s “Swipe Up” function — although you will need to have a business account with over 10,000 followers.
Bottom Line
The stories function is an extremely useful tool for boosting engagement with your brand. When used correctly, it can help to increase the overall revenue for your business significantly.
With 60% of millennials reportedly watching Instagram stories, this is a social media trend that shouldn’t be ignoring. Start by using the stories function on each platform to post a combination of promotional and authentic videos and still images to help engage your audience.
To learn more about how you can utilize social media content for your business, check out this blog here.
Written by Lewis James