How Brands can use Instagram Stories

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Laura Cooper

Instagram unashamedly copied Snapchat when it launched Instagram Stories. We were all thinking it; they didn’t even try and hide it with the name. They actually pretty much admitted it. And it’s a shrewd move for Instagram, which has been going from strength to strength with its big bro, Facebook nudging it along the way. Instagram Stories is the latest feature that allows brands to make their mark on the popular social media platform. It may have copied Snapchat, but Instagram is making itself a much more brand-friendly marketing tool with 300 million active daily users to play with. So, how can your brand use Instagram Stories?

Instagram Explore

Reactive

Sometimes marketing campaigns can take centuries to sign off and before you know it, your campaign isn’t relevant or on-trend anymore. Instagram reaches out to the all-important Generation Y and Z or an equally worse term ‘Millennials’, so having a platform that allows you to be flexible and fast-paced is great and appeals to the rapid pace social media users are used to. A quick Instagram story that’s reactive to current trends or news makes your brand look dynamic. Brands should be kept on their toes and Instagram certainly helps you do that.

Interaction

Give your customers and followers something to talk about. Instagram allows you to reach out to potential and existing customers and find out what they like and don’t like and what they’re sharing at the moment. You’ll be able to quickly tell whether your Instagram Stories have gone down well and crucially, they can help you to start a conversation with your followers.

Personality

No-one likes a boring brand, well maybe some people, but there are loads of people who like it when brands cast aside stuffy, corporate language and let their hair down. Instagram Stories lets your brand show its personality and in the long-run, it’ll look more authentic and like it doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is especially important when you’re trying to appeal to younger demographics who have been brought up in an entirely new marketing climate, where they eat hashtags for breakfast and Instagram a photo. Q&As, behind-the-scenes clips and product reviews are all ways to show your brand has a personality.

Authentic

Everyone is used to seeing prim and polished photos in catalogues of products that don’t look like they’ve ever been used or seen the light of day. Using Instagram Stories to show products being used, enjoyed and loved can bring a new authenticity to your brand. Customers want some realism.

Cost-effective

Creating Instagram Stories is a relatively cost-effective way to get creative with your marketing strategy and reach lots of users. It can supplement your overall marketing strategy really well and give another, fun, engaging dimension to your content generation.

Influencers

A recent addition to the digital marketing arsenal is getting social media influencers involved in creating content for your brand. Influencers come with their own ready-made army of followers who are already loyal and buy into an influencer’s authenticity. By working with influencers, you can appeal to their followers, access new markets and help to add an authentic face to your brand and show some personality.  For example, you could hand over your Instagram account to an influencer for the day and let them create their own stories and content.

User-generated

Similarly to influencers, you can reach out to people that have bought and enjoyed your products and let them create their own stories with user-generated content. They can get really creative with their stories and show them in action, so people can see real people who’ve gone out and bought something actually putting your products to use, instead of detached models who don’t look like they’d buy your product.

Instagram Stories lets you create fun, personality-driven content that can help you to appeal to new demographics, improve loyalty with existing customers and show off your brand’s character.

For a more in-depth guide on Social, check out our Social Media Tips for Business.

Instagram allows you to reach out to potential and existing customers and find out what they like/don’t like and what they’re sharing at the moment. You’ll be able to tell if your Instagram Stories have gone down well and, can help you to start a conversation with your followers.

This article How Brands can use Instagram Stories has been reviewed and verified by Laura Cooper - Copywriter on Feb 15, 2024.

Last updated on Mar 18, 2019.