Instagram Stories have become an indispensable tool for businesses looking to connect with their audience in a more personal and immediate way. With their prime placement at the top of everyone’s feed and a range of interactive features, Stories offer a unique opportunity to increase visibility and engagement on the platform. But how do you use them effectively to truly expand your reach?
Why Instagram Stories Are Crucial for Brand Growth
- Prime Real Estate: Stories occupy the most prominent spot in the Instagram app, getting maximum eyeballs on your content.
- Enhanced Engagement: Interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and questions encourage active participation, which can signal to the algorithm that your content is worth showing to more people.
- Expand Your Audience: Location tags, hashtags, and the Explore tab make your Stories discoverable by users even outside your existing follower base.
- Authentic Connection: Stories give you space to offer a less polished, behind-the-scenes look at your brand, fostering a deeper connection with your audience.
Reposting Posts vs. Creating Unique Story Content
A common misconception is that simply re-sharing an existing feed post to your Instagram Stories will give your original post a significant boost. While this is a convenient option, it doesn’t tap into the full potential of Stories to increase reach. Why? Because users may have already seen the post in their feed, and the static format doesn’t translate well into the more dynamic Stories environment. Instead, aim to repurpose elements of your feed content into engaging, Stories-specific formats. Here are a few ways to do this
- Tease Your Feed Post: Share the main visual from your post, but with a text overlay like “Want to know more? Check out my latest post!” This creates intrigue and drives traffic.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Did you have any outtakes or extra photos from your post’s photoshoot? Share those in Stories for exclusive looks.
- Go Live: If your post sparks discussion, host a quick Instagram Live related to the topic. Promote it in your Stories to drive viewership.
- Create a Poll: Turn your post’s caption into a poll question in Stories. This gets audiences involved and provides valuable insights.
By repurposing your feed content strategically, you give it new life and increase the chances of a wider audience discovering it.
Strategies to Maximize Reach with Instagram Stories
- Focus on Visual Storytelling: Utilize a mix of photos, videos, text overlays, and graphics to craft visually appealing Stories that capture attention.
- Leverage Interactive Features: Polls, questions, quizzes, countdowns, and the “Ask Me Anything” sticker keep viewers interested and encourage them to engage directly with your brand.
- Don’t Forget CTAs: Explicitly include calls-to-action like “Swipe Up” (if you have the feature), “Visit our Profile,” “Check out our website,” etc., to guide viewers towards a specific goal.
- Be Consistent: Post to Stories regularly to stay top-of-mind with your audience. Develop a rhythm and stick to it.
- Utilize Highlights: Curate your best Stories into themed Highlights on your profile, making them viewable even after the 24-hour expiry.
Instagram Stories: Dos and Don’ts
- DO:
- Keep it interesting and visually appealing.
- Experiment with different content formats and features.
- Include relevant hashtags and location tags for discoverability.
- Respond to Story mentions and DMs to foster engagement.
- DON’T:
- Be overly promotional. Provide value, not constant sales pitches.
- Neglect the visual quality of your Stories.
- Post too infrequently, but also don’t bombard followers with too much.
13 Instagram Story Ideas to Get You Started
- Behind-the-scenes peeks at your team or process
- Product demos or how-to videos
- Quick Q&A sessions with team members or industry figures
- Polls to get audience feedback or preferences
- “Day in the life” style Stories showcasing your company culture
- Re-sharing user-generated content (with permission)
- Exclusive promotions or sneak peeks for Stories viewers
- Collaborations with micro-influencers for cross-promotion
- Repurposing snippets from blog posts into bite-sized visual Stories
- Teasers or trailers for upcoming video content
- Contests or giveaways exclusive to Instagram Stories
- Customer testimonials or success stories
- Sharing industry news or trends relevant to your audience… [and more!]
Boost Reach, Use Instagram Stories Well
Instagram Stories offer a dynamic and creative space to boost your brand’s reach, deepen engagement with your existing followers, and attract a wider audience. By embracing the unique format, staying consistent, and focusing on value-driven content, you’ll unlock the power of Stories to achieve your Instagram marketing goals.
Ready to Transform Your Instagram Presence?
GrowTally’s social media experts can help you develop a winning Instagram Stories strategy. Contact us today and let’s start creating Stories that get you noticed!
