Since its launch in October 2010, this app has innovated the way we share our photos and videos. It is popular among artists and brands for the simplicity it has and the reach it has towards other sectors of the population.
In August 2016, Instagram added the ability to share images and videos for 24 hours in a section called Instagram Stories. These publications can now be accompanied by filters, stickers and gifs. In addition, there are several story formats, ranging from live broadcasts to the possibility of sharing fragments of a maximum of 15 seconds of a song with your followers buy instagram comments.
Currently, Instagram has positioned itself among the leading social networks. It is used by artists and companies to promote content based on images and little text. The function developed by this company has been a complete success, since the content shared in the stories reaches a larger audience compared to conventional publications.
That is why this time I will teach you how to take advantage of this Instagram feature that, update after update, adds features that make it more useful for marketing.
Step 1: Define the topic of your content
You must create a style specific to your brand. Your stories must be coherent and make them exclusive to your company. The visual content you manage must reflect the style of your brand. Let’s start with the basics when sharing an Instagram story:
Font choice
Background color
Filters
Think about what colors are most associated with your brand as well as the font style. All this will depend on the personality of your brand. Do you create female content? Certain aspects such as colors and fonts can be adapted better, it all revolves around your content or product.
In addition to creating content on Instagram, you have the option to share those stories where you are mentioned or tagged. But if you are rigorous, you can share only that content that suits your style. Likewise, you can edit those stories in which you are tagged according to your personality.
Step 2: Create planned content
Now that we know how to design our stories and make them look great, we’re ready to plan content ideas. It is important to keep in mind the objective for which we are going to use the stories function.
Are you looking to increase the number of followers?
Are you looking to generate more sales ?
Knowing why you use stories will ensure you create content that satisfies your followers and benefits your brand. You can include the well-known CTA ( Call To Action ) or Call to Action , which are phrases with which you ask your reader to do something. In fact, it is the essential piece for a good interaction with your community. Remember that CTAs should be brief, use appropriate language and always have the verb of the action you want to receive, for example: “ Tell me in the comments ”, “ Do you need help?” Send me a DM ”, “ Have you ever tried it?” ”. Calls to action increase interaction with your followers.
On the other hand, you must determine the frequency with which you publish stories on Instagram. What is recommended is that you plan your story schedule around your availability. You must be aware of your free time, the members you have for this activity and the resources you have to upload content.
Let’s talk about length and duration. Let’s be frank, we don’t always stop to see all the stories of those people who upload content every 5 minutes, we just touch the screen without even paying attention to be able to continue with the next profile. Most people lose interest after 7 posts. Likewise, it depends on the combination you use (video or image). The ideal number of stories to generate interest among your followers is 4 stories, no more.
Now let’s touch on another topic, deciding when to publish your stories. There is no exact time or day to share content. Remember, stories have a duration period on your profile of 24 hours. Sometimes it will reduce their reach, that is why you should consider the day and time you upload it. Sharing a story on Monday at noon when everyone is at work is not the same as uploading a story on a weekend at the same time, when the vast majority laze around and refresh their Instagram feed hoping to see new things.
Step 3: Stories are a blank canvas
Instagram is a blank canvas where new functions are added every day. In addition to this, the ability to create things that help promote your brand is increasing, to the point that you yourself can create your own themes. The only limit? Your imagination.
Photos, videos or text? When it comes to stories, there is no preferred type of content to create. It’s about producing quality content that conveys your message. Do you have a good finger for drawing and coloring on your Smartphone? Remember that Instagram allows you to draw freely. And if the default color palette doesn’t convince you, you can hold down a color with your finger and the perfect color range for your story will be displayed. There is no excuse not to make good stories!
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The public likes and attracts what is seen in excellent quality. That’s why if you want to be the master of Instagram Stories, you can get free software to design text or animations to add dimension and interest to your stories. Fast-moving videos tend to be effective on short attention spans. You can use external software to edit images and videos in addition to being able to create texts. If you want to get creative, I suggest you take a look at the New York Times Instagram ( @nytimes ), see what it says in its description? They have the concept of what they want to convey. Review their stories and analyze how they are structured.
Step 4: Optimize and get the most out of Instagram tools
It’s true that a high-definition image or a well-edited video can make the difference between a charming story and a boring one. However, that is not all that this platform offers us. As I have told you throughout the note, there are several options to interact with your audience, from doing surveys, questionnaires, Q&A sessions, countdowns and well… even sharing your favorite song!
You have to get the most out of all this. These opportunities maintain direct participation with your viewers, in addition, the interaction with the brand is what makes them feel pleased and willing to remain loyal to it. Without a doubt, the option that will achieve greater interaction with your brand is Q&A (Questions and Answers), since the client has the possibility of contacting you and being part of your content.
As you grow on Instagram , the same platform will integrate new tools so you can continue creating content. An example of this is the famous Swipe Up , which is a tool for those profiles that have more than 10 thousand followers or for verified accounts, which will give them the facility to attach an external link to complement the idea of a story.
Step 5: Reach more people!
What good would it be to have good content if there is little audience? Now that we’ve covered tactics and strategies, it’s time to think about how to get more people to see our stories. You can start by studying schedules and dates, what day and time it is when the audience increases. It is also important that you never neglect your followers, try to respond to people who send you DMs or through stickers.
Do you think the location tag is useless? Well, you are wrong. When you add a location, it may appear in search results for that location. Frequent popular places in your area, those places are top in Instagram searches. One tip is to always use the smallest location, as this increases the likelihood of appearing in broader searches.
You can also use hashtags , which are quite strong when it comes to reaching other people’s feeds . They are usually useful in any publication you make. Remember to use short, easy-to-remember hashtags . Just a warning, there is no guarantee that your post will appear through the hashtag since Instagram limits the number of stories within a single mention. So don’t blame the hashtag or your content, blame Instagram’s algorithms.
When relevant and there is opportunity, why not tag other users? That opens an opportunity for the mentioned user to share your story and you can attract new users. Take into account that not only can they share your content, there is also the possibility that your followers share your stories directly with other users.
Before finishing with this guide, remember that Instagram is a social network that constantly makes changes and adds or removes functions, you must be prepared for anything. And keep in mind that the only limit you have is your creativity. Content that is short-lived and well-made attracts people because it speaks well of your brand. Also remember that interaction with your followers is a key point for the growth of the page.