If you’re an Instagram user, you’ve probably noticed Instagram Stories of people and brands that you follow in a bar at the top of your feed.
So what are Instagram Stories? Do you mind? How and why can companies use it? And what does that mean for your regular Instagram posts?
What are Instagram Stories?
Instagram has recently launched the following products Instagram Stories-a feature that allows you to publish ephemeral content that lasts only 24 hours. It appears in a separate stream to regular posts at the top of the mobile browser and contains a variety of playful features to keep things light-hearted.
HOW DO STORIES DIFFER FROM STANDARD POSTS?
The stories differ in several ways:
They only last 24 hours.
They have a number of one-touch graphics and annotations that are not available for normal posts.
There’s a lighter tone than standard posts…the quality limit is lower.
There are no public preferences or comments (only the poster can see who has seen its story).
Stories are not displayed in your followers’ Instagram feed; they must tap your highlighted profile icon to see your story. However, Instagram has begun to promote stories in the feed as a category.
What should you publish in Instagram Stories?
In Instagram’s own words, “With Instagram Stories, you don’t have to worry about overbooking. Instead, you can share as much as you want throughout the day – with as much creativity as you want. With text and drawing tools, you can bring your story to life in new ways.”
It’s a frivolous, funny atmosphere that seems to work intuitively against business use. But that’s not necessarily the case. Some rewarding applications for your business are:
Candid snapshots of everyday events in your company – things you might overly share when they’re on your regular feed.
Behind the scenes, insights into how products are made or prepared for the day.
Stupid and spongy stuff. The drawing and animation features make stories fun.
Extremely current news and offers that will soon expire.
Why bother at all?
Social media can be fun, and buy Instagram impressions are definitely that. But at the end of the day, your social media must influence the results for your business.
So Instagram Stories can work for you:
Test ideas as a story before placing a standing order.
By gaining reach and attracting new followers through the use of hash tags and location tags. This way, even non-followers can discover your content.
Show another page: By taking an authentic look at your daily activities, you humanize your brand (and keep wobbly, dark and questionably funny things away from your timeline).
Use temporary content that may be more appropriate than a permanent post. For example, promoting runout inventory on the last day of a release.
Should you omit the usual instagram posts in favor of stories?
No!! Your Instagram account should contain a feed of what you are about, so new users can see your previous posts when they follow you. Also, some followers use Instagram regularly and may miss your stories if they don’t check the app at least every 24 hours. If you want to use stories, do it. in addition to regular posts.
Using with Digital Stack
You can use Digital Stack templates to post to Instagram Stories, similar to a normal Instagram post, with a few slight adjustments.
First select your template in Build and Schedule, edit any variable fields if necessary, and then select Instagram. A notification will be sent to the Digital Stack App of the nominated users that the post is ready.
When you receive your app notification reminder from Digital Stack, click the link to copy the caption and save the image, and then go through to the Instagram app.
Now, if you tap your profile photo in Instagram, you can set your story. Select the Digital Stack image stored on your device. Then press the “Aa” icon to add any copy; you can insert your caption here.
Getting Started
First, you see what an Instagram Story is if you haven’t done it before. Read about the steps of Instagram under How to See Someone’s Story. Now you can try it yourself: Read this step-by-step guide under How to Share a Photo or Video of My Instagram Story.
