Good day business owners! In a world where attention spans are shorter than ever, capturing your audience’s interest is important for the success of your business. That’s where Instagram Stories come in!
Why Creating Engaging Instagram Stories are important for new business owners?
Source: Freepik
Creating engaging Instagram Stories is super important for new business owners because it helps you connect with your audience in a fun and interactive way. Stories are a great way to show the human side of your brand. You can share behind-the-scenes moments, introduce your team, and give your audience a glimpse into your day-to-day operations. This helps build trust and authenticity with your followers. Moreover, Stories allow for more creativity and interactivity compared to regular posts. You can use features like polls, questions, and interactive stickers to engage with your audience and get valuable feedback. This not only helps you understand your customers better but also makes them feel involved and connected to your brand. Stories also have a higher visibility compared to regular posts. They appear at the top of the Instagram feed and are usually the first thing users see when they open the app. This means that your Stories have a better chance of grabbing attention and reaching a wider audience. So, by creating engaging Instagram Stories, you can build a stronger connection with your audience, showcase your brand’s personality, and ultimately drive more engagement and sales for your business. It’s a win-win!
Are you ready to take your Instagram game to the next level? Well, buckle up because we’re about to dive into the incredible world of Instagram Stories and their tips and tricks that can boost your business!
Tips and Tricks to boost your brand visibility through Instagram stories
1. Determine your visual identity
When we talk about determining visual identity, we’re essentially talking about creating a consistent and recognizable look and feel for your brand. It’s all about establishing a unique style that reflects your brand’s personality and values. This includes elements like your logo, color scheme, typography, and overall design aesthetics. By having a strong visual identity, you can make your brand easily identifiable and memorable to your audience. So, think about the colors, fonts, and design elements that best represent your brand and incorporate them consistently across your Instagram Stories to create a cohesive and visually appealing presence! This helps in building brand recognition and establishing a strong and professional presence across various platforms, including Instagram Stories. It’s like having a unique visual language that sets your brand apart from others. So, when creating your Instagram Stories, make sure to incorporate your brand’s visual elements consistently to reinforce your identity and make a lasting impression! Well, here are the examples of brands using the specific colors, fonts and design elements that represent their brand identity.
Source: @thebodyshopmalaysia and @alvakl
If you would like to know more about the importance of visual identity for your business, click here!
2. Create User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-Generated Content refers to any content, such as photos, videos, reviews, or testimonials, that is created and shared by users or customers of a brand. Instead of the business owners creating all the content themselves, UGC involves the active participation of the audience. It adds authenticity, engagement, and social proof to a brand’s marketing efforts. So, it’s all about real people creating content about a brand. UGC is important because it’s trustworthy, gets people engaged, and shows others that your brand is worth checking out. It also helps you reach more people, saves money, and builds a community. So, it’s a win-win situation!
There are few tips for you to create user-generated content for Instagram stories such as
- Encourage participation: Prompt your followers to share their experiences, opinions, or creative content related to your brand.
- Create branded hashtags: Come up with a unique branded hashtag that your audience can use when sharing content related to your brand. This makes it easier for you to discover and feature their posts in your Instagram Stories.
- Run contests or giveaways: Organize contests or giveaways that require participants to create and share content related to your brand. This can be done through Instagram Stories by asking them to tag your account or use a specific hashtag to enter.
- Collaborate with influencers or brand ambassadors: Partner with influencers or brand ambassadors who align with your brand and have an engaged following. They can create UGC through their Instagram Stories and encourage their audience to do the same.
- Engage with your audience: Respond and engage with the UGC that your audience creates. This shows appreciation for their contributions and encourages further participation.
- Share behind-the-scenes content: Give your audience a glimpse into your business by sharing behind-the-scenes content through Instagram Stories. This can include sneak peeks, product development processes, or employee spotlights. Encourage your audience to share their own behind-the-scenes moments as well.
Source: @vastravarnam, @thebodyshopmalaysia, @vastra_thelabel, and @tealiveasia
3. Post Time sensitive contents
Posting time-sensitive content refers to sharing or publishing content that is relevant and timely for a specific period. It could be related to current events, promotions, limited-time offers, or trending topics. The goal is to capture the attention of your audience by providing them with up-to-date and relevant information. By posting time-sensitive content, you can create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate engagement from your audience. When you post time-sensitive content, you’re taking advantage of the current moment to capture your audience’s attention.
For example, if you’re running a limited-time promotion or sale, you would want to share that information with your audience in a timely manner. By creating a sense of urgency, you can encourage your audience to take immediate action, whether it’s making a purchase, attending an event, or participating in a time-limited opportunity. You can also use language and visuals that convey the limited time or exclusive nature of your offer or promotion. Phrases like “limited time only,” “last chance,” or “exclusive offer” can encourage your audience to take action. Time-sensitive content helps you leverage the current trends and events to engage your audience effectively. It’s a great way to stay relevant and keep your content fresh!
Source: @vastraempire and @zus.coffee
4. Use Interactive Elements
When we take a look at the interactive elements that are available in Instagram Stories, we discover that they are important because they promote interaction, offer crucial insights into the audience, assist in the development of interactions, drive action, and differentiate your content from others. By encouraging your audience to actively participate and interact with your Stories, you can boost your reach, strengthen connections with your followers, and drive desired actions such as website visits or purchases.
Let me give you an example of how utilizing interactive elements in Instagram Stories can work. Let’s say you’re a fashion brand owner and you want to engage with your audience. You can use the poll feature to ask them which outfit they prefer for a specific occasion. You can showcase two different outfits in your Story and ask your followers to vote for their favorite. This not only encourages engagement but also gives you insights into their fashion preferences. Based on the poll results, you can then create more content tailored to their interests. It’s a fun and interactive way to connect with your audience and make them feel involved in your brand! So, don’t forget to add polls, questions, swipe-up links, quizzes, mascots and other interactive features to make your Stories more fun and engaging!
Source: @lemon8.malaysia and @mcdsg
Gen Z consumers are more attracted by interactive components in Instagram stories compared to consumers of other generations. Thus, you can visit here to learn more about Generation Z consumers for future branding.
5. Utilize Instagram ads
Utilizing Instagram ads is important for business owners because it allows them to reach a wider audience and promote their products or services effectively. With the targeting options available, you can reach specific demographics, interests, and locations, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people. Instagram ads also offer various ad formats like photo ads, video ads, carousel ads, and stories ads, giving you creative flexibility to showcase your brand. Additionally, Instagram’s visual nature makes it a great platform for businesses in industries like fashion, beauty, food, and travel to visually engage with potential customers.
For example, you own a travel company and you want to promote a vacation package to a tropical destination. You can create a Stories ad by showcasing stunning images or videos of the destination, highlighting the beautiful beaches, adventurous activities, and luxurious accommodations. You can also add a captivating caption or call-to-action to entice viewers to learn more. As users watch their friends’ stories, your ad will appear, capturing their attention and sparking their wanderlust. They can swipe up on your ad to explore more details about the vacation package, view itineraries, and even book their trip directly from the ad. It’s a fantastic way to inspire potential travelers and drive bookings for your travel company! So, by utilizing Instagram ads, business owners can increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, and ultimately boost sales!
Source: @bathandbodyworks.my and @mykiehls
6. Being consistent
Being consistent with posting Instagram Stories is important for business owners because it helps to maintain brand visibility and engagement with your audience. When you regularly share Stories, your followers become accustomed to seeing your content and are more likely to engage with it. Consistency also helps to build trust and credibility with your audience, as they see that you are actively present and invested in sharing valuable content. Additionally, the Instagram algorithm tends to favor accounts that consistently post high-quality content, which can result in increased visibility and reach for your Stories.
Let’s say you own a bakery and you want to showcase your delicious treats on Instagram. By consistently posting Stories, you can share mouthwatering photos and videos of your freshly baked goods, behind-the-scenes footage of your baking process, or even customer testimonials. By doing this regularly, your followers will start to anticipate your Stories and look forward to seeing what delectable treats you have in store. This consistent presence helps to keep your bakery top of mind and encourages your audience to engage with your content, whether it’s by replying to your Stories, sharing them with their friends, or even visiting your shop to try your creations. So, by being consistent with your Instagram Stories, you can effectively build a loyal following and boost your bakery’s visibility and sales!
Source: @petitebakerystudio
When should you post IG stories to reach a wider audience?
1. Check IG Insights
Checking IG insights before posting Instagram stories is crucial for business owners. It helps you to analyze your audience’s activity patterns, such as when they are most active. When you check Instagram insights, you can see metrics like impressions, reach, and engagement, which help you to understand which stories are performing well and which ones need improvement. By analyzing this data, you can make informed decisions about the best time to post, the type of content to create, and how to optimize their storytelling strategy. This way, you can maximize engagement and reach more people. It’s like having a secret weapon for targeted storytelling!
Let me give you an example! Let’s say you’re a business owner who sells handmade jewelry. By checking IG insights before posting your Insta stories, you notice that your audience is most active between 6-8 PM on weekdays. Armed with this knowledge, you can schedule your story posts during that time to maximize visibility and engagement. You might also discover that your audience loves behind-the-scenes videos of your creative process. So, you can create more social media content like that to keep them engaged and excited about your brand. It’s all about understanding your audience and tailoring your content to their preferences!
2. Peak Activity Periods
Posting Insta stories during peak activity periods is important for business owners because it allows them to reach a larger audience and maximize engagement. By analyzing when their audience is most active, such as in the morning, evening, or during lunch breaks, business owners can strategically plan their story posts to capture the attention of their followers. It’s all about getting the right content in front of the right people at the right time!
Imagine you’re a business owner who runs a fitness studio. You check your IG insights and notice that most of your audience is active in the mornings before work and during lunch breaks. With this knowledge in hand, you can schedule your Insta stories to go live during those peak activity periods. For example, you might share a quick workout routine or a healthy recipe in the morning to inspire your followers to start their day off right. Then, during lunch breaks, you might showcase some behind-the-scenes footage of your studio or offer a special promotion to encourage people to come in for a midday workout. By posting during these peak periods, you’re more likely to reach and engage with your target audience effectively. It’s all about timing and giving your audience what they want when they’re most likely to see it!
Source: Instagram Insights
3. Consider Event Timing
Considering event timing means taking into account the specific time and date of an event when planning and scheduling your Insta stories. It involves being aware of important events, holidays, or occasions that are relevant to your business or target audience. By aligning your story posts with these events, you can create content that is timely, relevant, and resonates with your audience. This can help you maximize engagement, generate interest, drive action from your followers and overall it will help you to boost your brand identity. Moreover, by aligning your story posts with relevant events, you can create a sense of urgency and encourage immediate action from their audience.
For example, let’s say you’re a fashion boutique owner and you’re having a flash sale event for a limited time. By scheduling your story posts to coincide with the event’s timing, you can create a buzz and generate excitement among your followers. This sense of urgency can prompt them to take immediate action, such as visiting your store or making a purchase online. It’s all about leveraging the power of time-sensitive content to drive engagement and boost sales!
4. Captivate your audience with timely content
It’s important for business owners to post relevant content at the right timing because it helps you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. When you promote your business in social media where you are able to engage and grab the attention of your large group of targeted audience, you should know when to post your content relevantly. When you post stories that are relevant to the current time, weather, or season, it shows that you’re in touch with what’s happening in the world and that you understand your audience’s interests and needs.
For example, if you’re a coffee shop owner and it’s a rainy day, you can post a cozy picture of a latte with a caption like “Rainy days call for warm drinks”. This not only resonates with your audience who may be seeking comfort during the rain, but it also showcases your understanding of their desires. By posting relevant stories, you can capture attention, spark engagement, and build a stronger connection with your followers. It’s all about being in the moment and providing content that adds value to their lives!
As a Conclusion
Creating engaging Instagram stories for business owners is absolutely essential! It’s a fantastic way to capture the attention of your audience, showcase your brand’s personality, and drive meaningful engagement. Remember to mix up your content, experiment with different formats, and stay consistent with your brand’s tone and style. The more engaging your stories are, the more likely your audience will be to remember and interact with your brand.
Well, are you ready to make your mark in the Instagram universe? Take your Instagram stories to the next level with CR8 Consultancy. Contact us today, to be creative, have fun, and watch your Instagram stories work wonders for your business!