Originally released back in 2016, Instagram stories are nothing new, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be a central part of your social media strategy. If used correctly, they can be a powerful tool to connect with your audience!
For those new to the game, Instagram stories are full screen visual content that disappear from the app after 24 hours. Rather than appearing in the new feed, stories appear at the very top of the Instagram app. Notable stories can be saved to your profile as highlights that can be viewed after 24 hours.
While Instagram reels pull people to your page and encourage them to follow you, stories are a direct communication tool to your followers. With engagement tools like polls and questions, businesses are able to use their audience’s responses as valuable feedback to help define their content strategy. This is your chance to not only get to know your audience, but for your audience to get to know you, your practice, and your message.
Each story you post also comes with the ability to see insights behind the scenes. This allows you to see who sees your story, who answered your questions, and who voted in your polls. It also gives your audience the option to send a message directly to you on each of your stories. Talk about opportunities.
Still think that stories aren’t for businesses? Instagram has actually come out and said that stories published by brands and businesses are actually getting MORE views than stories from regular profiles.
What are you waiting for?