“Dude, have you heard of (insert cool new coffee shop here)!?” “You have to check out their Instagram!”
This is a conversation that we have all either heard or been a part of firsthand. Since the inception of Instagram in 2010, the social media platform has worked to find its place as a visual network with high potential to connect businesses and organizations with their target audiences. Historically, businesses would check the Instagram box by developing polished strategies to feed polished photos into their polished timelines. That was until Instagram introduced its Stories feature to forever change the platform.
Since the launch of the feature in 2016, Instagram Stories has become a staple of the social media marketer's toolbox, opening up the platform to a whole new way to deliver content. However, to be effective with Instagram Stories, it is critical to approach the process strategically. Let’s look at five things to consider when diving into the world of Instagram Story creation.
1. PLAN AHEAD!
Taking the time to sit down and develop your story before heading out into the field can make the difference between social gold and a flop. Consider the length of your story, the narrative you are looking to communicate and the creative ways you can do so. When you are in the moment, you will want to devote your focus to capturing the subject of your story rather than developing the story. Whenever possible, plan out each frame of your story as well as you can with what you know ahead of time.
Pro Tip: Be prepared to be flexible. This applies to all social media, but especially Instagram stories. Things may not always go as planned, and sometimes that can be for the best if you are prepared to work creatively.
2. KNOW THY AUDIENCE.
Who have you identified as your primary audience for Instagram? Who is engaging with your content most on the platform? Who might the lurkers be? When you are developing your Instagram Stories strategy, it is key to identify your audience. This will influence the stories you are telling and how you are telling them. We have identified current and prospective students as our primary audiences for Instagram Stories and therefore develop content with them in mind.
3. CONSIDER CANDID CONTENT.
Instagram Stories offers an opportunity to jump out of the feed and share content that lasts only 24 hours. For many marketers, this has been seen as a prime opportunity to share behind-the-scenes and IRL (in real life) content. For example, we often will feature students for takeovers and allow them to guide the experience. This is your chance to go deeper in your storytelling with Instagram.
Pro Tip: Incorporate user-generated content (UGC). There is no better way to connect with your audience than by sharing their own content. Instagram has made it easier than ever to add photos and stories you have been mentioned in to your story, so take advantage of it!
4. USE INSTAGRAM STORY HIGHLIGHTS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.
Story Highlights is a feature that can be easily overlooked and underutilized. There are many ways to use highlights to build the best experience for your audience. In the first screenshot below, we have highlighted links to our other owned social channels. Another way to use highlights is to compile similar content to easily be viewed by users landing on your profile page. This tactic is displayed by @theohiostatedesign in the screenshot below.
Pro Tip: If you are able to link out from your Stories (available to business profiles with over 10,000 followers), it is advantageous to create tracked links so that you can properly attribute traffic you are driving elsewhere from your Instagram page.
5. ANALYZE AND OPTIMIZE.
No two social audiences will ever be exactly the same. Therefore, each audience strategy will likely differ. The key to developing a bulletproof strategy is paying attention to what is working and fixing what is not. One thing to consider is the length of the story. How does changing the number of slides in your story affect your viewer retention rate? For example, we have found that stories with four to six slides allow for the highest viewer retention rate. Knowing this allows us to optimize our storytelling for the ideal length.
At the end of the day, do not be afraid to try new tools as they become available. Just be sure to pay attention to the results and make decisions based on the data. I look forward to seeing the stories you will tell through Instagram!
Cheers,
Derek