Instagram and Facebook Stories for Brand Growth
Written by: Ali Smith, Innovation Manager
Social media has become an indispensable tool for businesses to reach and engage with their target audience. Among the various platforms available, Instagram and Facebook stand out for their powerful storytelling features known as "Stories." These bite-sized content pieces have emerged as a game-changer, skyrocketing the growth of numerous brands. In this blog post, we'll explore why Instagram and Facebook Stories are so effective for brands.Authenticity and Human Connection
One of the main reasons Stories have gained immense popularity is their ability to foster authenticity and human connection. Unlike meticulously curated posts, Stories offer a more informal and spontaneous format, allowing brands to interact with followers with a more organic approach. By sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, live videos, or unpolished moments, brands can build genuine relationships with their audience, fostering trust and loyalty.Enhanced Visibility
Instagram and Facebook Stories occupy a prime position at the top of users' feeds, keeping them top-of-mind. This prime real estate ensures that brands have an opportunity to capture the attention of their followers and potential customers. Stories are displayed for a limited period, creating a sense of urgency and encouraging users to engage with the content promptly. As a result, brands can increase their visibility and remain at the forefront of their audience's minds.Interactive Engagement
Stories offer a wealth of interactive features that enable brands to engage with their audience in meaningful ways. Polls, quizzes, question stickers, and clickable links provide opportunities for active participation, encouraging users to become more involved with the brand's content in a simple and easy way. This interactive element not only boosts engagement but also offers valuable insights into customer preferences, allowing brands to refine their strategies and tailor their offerings accordingly.Storytelling Potential
Stories provide an ideal canvas for brand storytelling. With a combination of images, videos, text, and interactive elements, brands can craft compelling narratives that captivate their audience. Stories allow for sequential content delivery, enabling brands to share a series of posts that build upon one another, creating anticipation and driving engagement. By leveraging the power of storytelling, brands can evoke emotions, showcase their personality convey their brand values, introduce the people behind the brand, and leave a lasting impact on their audience.Amplified Reach
Instagram and Facebook Stories possess a unique advantage in terms of reach. Stories can be shared not only on the brand's profile but also in relevant hashtags or location-based Stories, exposing the content to a broader audience. Additionally, users can share posted content from other pages to their own Stories that they find interesting or meaningful for their own followers to see, further extending the brand's reach organically. The potential for sharing and discoverability ensures that Stories have a far-reaching impact, contributing significantly to brand growth.Best Practices for Posting Stories
Set the Hook
While Stories offer a more casual and spontaneous format, it's important to really capture your audience’s attention in the first few frames. Data Collected by RivalIQ shows that by your fourth frame, you’ve lost 20% of your audience. Ensure that your visuals are appealing, on-screen text is clear and engaging, and any interactive elements are thoughtfully placed. Incorporate Videos
If you don’t know this already, well here it is: videos often perform better on social in comparison to text graphics and even static photos. When it comes to stories, “A strong video can hold a viewer’s attention for the full duration of the video (up to 60 seconds), which helps keep them engaged and ready for your next frame,” (RivalIQ). Jumping on stories facetime style or showing behind-the-scenes of your day are easy ways to capture your audience’s attention.Don't be Afraid to use Text
Once you’ve captured your audience’s interest, give them a bit more information! One way to do this is by adding text blocks on to your story frame. This is an underrated technique because people may fear that their viewers either won’t have enough time to read the text or they will tap away. But Instagram and Facebook allow users to tap and hold the frame so the story doesn’t advance, keeping your viewers longer. When your followers do this, it increases the time the user is on your content, telling the app to push your content to a wider audience. Get and STAY Consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to posting Stories. Develop a content calendar or schedule that outlines when and what type of content you'll be sharing. This can consist of prepared graphics or even just a list of content ideas that you want to capture throughout the week or month. Aim to post Stories regularly to maintain a presence in your audience's feeds, but be mindful of overloading them with excessive content. Striking a balance is crucial, be sure to consider what works for your specific audience and industry. Keep in mind that posting too frequently may lead to content fatigue, while infrequent posting might cause your audience to lose interest. Analyze engagement metrics and adjust your posting frequency accordingly to maximize results.Instagram and Facebook Stories have revolutionized the way brands engage with their audience, offering a compelling platform for growth. By embracing the authenticity, enhanced visibility, interactive engagement, storytelling potential, and amplified reach that Stories provide, businesses can forge stronger connections with their target market, increase brand awareness, and drive measurable growth. Incorporating Stories into a comprehensive social media strategy has become imperative for brands aiming to stay relevant and thrive in today's digital age.We challenge you to focus on delivering high-quality content that aligns with your brand's aesthetics and values. Maintain a consistent posting schedule while being mindful of your audience's preferences and engagement patterns. These best practices will allow you to leverage Instagram and Facebook Stories to engage and grow your brand.