4 Ways to Use Instagram Stories for Your Business

Instagram is one of the rising social media apps. Are you using Instagram Stories for your business yet? Similarly, to Snapchat, Instagram has recently come out with a new feature where you can video your everyday activities to your followers which then the video disappears after 24 hours. The feature is called Instagram Stories – and is a popular essential for businesses to use to help you drive engagement, interact with customers, and show your products in action.

Though Instagram Stories are similar to Snapchat; Unlike Snapchat, which is a platform to be more personal and raw, this feature is meant to be more polished for businesses. To fully take advantage of this feature, make sure your stories enhance your brand. The more stories you post, the more likely you’ll appear at the top of someone’s Instagram feed while they’re on the platform.

With over 500 million daily active users on Instagram Stories, you better be on it! Why? Here are 4 ways to use Instagram Stories for your Business:

1. Inside Scoop:

Instagram Stories are a great way to take your followers behind the scenes and give them sneak peeks of what’s to come. It’s a great way to showcase what happens really behind the photo you just posted or will post. Some ideas to do: tour your photoshoot set, location and camera crew. Let them see a few changes to your new site or get to know the team in the office.

These small peaks give them an inside scoop of what really goes on to create that “picture-perfect photo” as your audience understands the hard work and patience that is put into the scene. It also helps to create a buzz for your campaigns. You can read a guide on Instagram to get a deep and better idea of an Instagram scoop.

2. Sign on for a Takeover:

Instagram Stories are a quick way to grow your account. Instagram Takeovers involves either taking over another Instagram account, generally for a 24-hour period, or having a person or business take over your account.

Instagram Takeovers can help draw special attention from your audience, as well as the existing built-in audience that the other person or business doing the takeover brings. Takeovers are also a great tactic to use because they act as a partnership to provide a mutually beneficial exchange of value and a key tactic for growing your audience.

3. Drive Traffic/Awareness of Other Campaigns:

Are you hosting a Facebook Live Video Session? Hosting a current giveaway? Or even posting new blog content on your website? No matter what social media campaign you’re running – Instagram Stories is a great tool to remind your audience you have something going on today and it’s their last chance to get there.

Create a short video or image to drive last-minute sign-ups, or get some added traffic on other social media channels and blog or website.

4. Extra Content:

With Instagram Stories you can now have the chance to not only create Instagram exclusive content but if you wish, you can download your Stories’ photos and videos and use them later. Some ideas for your business can be for some “throwback Thursday” or just “in case you missed it” posts to give followers on networks outside of Instagram an incentive to now follow you there.

Instagram is an amazing tool for businesses, it enables you to share more content with your audience without killing your feed. With Instagram Stories you can also use tags, hashtags and now locations to allow more users to interact, see and discover your Instagram Stories and feed. It is a great way for businesses to connect and build more trust with their audience, enhance contests and campaigns and drive more engagement.

Author Bio:

Usman Raza is the co-founder of Christian Marketing Experts and marketing strategist working with various brands online. Usman is the content marketing manager at SeedX Inc, PSDtoWPService, and Nano Hearing Aids. He is devoted to helping small businesses bridge success gaps by providing in-depth, actionable advice on digital marketing, SEO, and small business growth.