Instagram stories are much like Snapchat. It’s a type of ephemeral messaging, meaning the messages are brief and have a short lifespan.
With the brand analytics, Instagram offers, stories might just be a game changer for your next campaign.
Unlike Snapchat, Instagram stories are more focused on inclusion, rather than exclusion. If your profile is set to public, anyone can access your videos on your profile page. In contrast,
Snapchat doesn’t have profiles with saved content, and your followers must follow you already to see your content. Stories on Instagram will stay on your profile for 24 hours.
More similar to Snapchat is Instagram’s “live feed” feature, with which you can upload videos that disappear from the feed once the video ends.
You get that Snapchat experience of the messages immediately disappearing and this feature could be used similarly. Instagram stories, on the other hand, have a different capacity to influence your campaign.
Using stories for an upcoming event…
Stories are a great way to advocate for an upcoming event. There are a few things you can do to increase the views on your story during its 24-hour run.
1. Get their attention with images that announce the upcoming stories.
Post an image first to announce your upcoming event. This is where you can get all your hashtags in, and let people know about the upcoming stories they should be watching for.
2. Create attention-grabbing content.
Get creative when you’re thinking about what to send out to your followers.
Of course, you don’t just want to be spammy with your messaging and end up getting ignored. Put out content, but do it with your followers in mind.
3. Add links!
You can add links to your images, which means you don’t have to fit all the information into your story. Take advantage of this and link to your page with the event details.
4. Create a sense of urgency.
If your event requires a signup or tickets, you can make the timing announcements in your story. Boost awareness of the event this way, encouraging people to sign up and attend.
5. Give people a look into your messy planning process.
You know that the process leading up to your event isn’t going to be perfect. Many parts of that process won’t look anywhere near the finished perfection you present to consumers.
While you want that perfect event, letting people look behind the scenes can make them feel like a more integral part of the team.
It also gives them a context to appreciate the event that much more, and lets them know you’re pouring time and resources into making the event just right.
A lot of brands are experimenting with Instagram Stories, as well as other innovative avenues of social media.
There are all kinds of fun ways to tweak these outlets to get your message out there. These are some tried and true suggestions, but taking risks can often be what pays off and gets you noticed.
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