With just over a billion users, Instagram has become a platform that most businesses just can't afford to overlook as far as their marketing strategy goes. In terms of Instagram for business, most entrepreneurs do understand how to take advantage of captions and posts but have more difficulty when it comes to utilizing the story feature. So we thought we'd provide a few tips regarding how to best capitalize on Instagram stories as far as promoting your business venture.
Use it to Augment Your Posts
When trying to figure out what to put in a post versus what to include in your Insta story, many have trouble trying to differentiate between the two types of content. As with any social media posting—a story or not—it definitely has to align with your brand overall. That said, let's say for instance your post shows a finished product, ready to go. Now, your story might supplement this and for example, show the behind the scenes efforts that went into creating the said product.
Stories are also good for promoting short term deals or discounts. This way your posts don't get jammed up with promotions that are only on for a short period of time.
Use a Variety of Media
With stories, you can do both photos and videos. And while certainly doing simple images is easier—it always makes sense to change up your media. Videos tend to resonate better with users; they enable you to create more of a fundamental connection and thus, truly tell your story.
Use it to Get People Talking
Instagram and any social media platform are really all about engaging. If all you're doing is promoting products and thereby having a one-sided conversation, this isn't doing much to boost sales. Rather, you want to strategically post stories that will get people talking. You can ask questions, post surveys, even have contests if you so choose. You can then, for example, create a video post that demonstrates the results of your poll or contest.
If you need to enhance your company's social media presence and/or launch a brand new marketing campaign in the process, First Union Lending can certainly help! Our business loan programs are designed with the small business owner in mind. Call today!