{"id":18158,"date":"2019-04-17T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T12:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/honeybook.site.strattic.io\/?p=18158"},"modified":"2022-07-28T14:23:33","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T21:23:33","slug":"the-lowdown-on-instagram-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.honeybook.com\/blog\/the-lowdown-on-instagram-stories","title":{"rendered":"The Lowdown on Instagram Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We are now in a new era of communication.\nWith over 2.37 billion global smartphone users, visual communication has become\na part of our everyday lives. From instant photos to GIFs to emojis to\nshort-form video content, we now communicate with each other through imagery,\nand Instagram is at the forefront of this revolution. The platform has grown to\nover 800 million monthly active users and is expected to grow to 1 billion this\nyear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has spurred a change in the advertising\nindustry, as the platform now has 2 million advertisers spending monthly, up\nfrom one million advertisers only a year ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why is this platform so powerful for\nadvertisers? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagrammers use the platform to\ncreatively tell a story and share moments of their everyday lives, which allows\nbrands to humanize their content and engage with their audience. Brands are\nable to strengthen their relationship with consumers by evoking emotion through\nvisual expression and shared experiences. Because content that evokes emotion\nleads to action, not only does the platform increase awareness, but it also\ndrives purchases. And there’s proof: 60% of users say they learn about products\nand services on Instagram, and 75% say they\u2019ve taken action after being\ninspired by a post.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s no doubt about it\u2014Instagram is a\nkey channel for advertisers. The problem we now face is standing out from the\ncrowd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello,\nInstagram Stories. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 300 million accounts using Stories\nsince they launched (Instagram Internal Data, Nov 2017), vertical video is\nquickly becoming a favourite for content creators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vertical video gives users the freedom to\nbe creative\u2014they’re not limited by space and can direct a user’s eyes up and\ndown versus sideways as with landscape video. Plus, users are able to creatively\nmix text, imagery, and video to create an exciting and authentic story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brands\nare getting involved, too.<\/strong> For example, Misguided\nuses text, imagery, and video to showcase new and upcoming fashion trends\ndaily. They stand out from the crowd because of their bold and creative\nanimations that help them engage with their core audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stories provides brands with incremental\nreach to a highly engaged audience, which means that it\u2019s a format that everyone\nshould be testing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nare the three things you need to do to be successful with Instagram Stories:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. Tell a story. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Due to the personal and interactive nature\nof Stories, many brands and influencers are using the platform as a way to,\nwell, tell a story with a \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d look into the company or person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where users can take advantage of\nthe informal aspect of the format and keep audiences returning to their\nchannel. We typically see brands use this to outline a story throughout the day\u2014for\ninstance, Topshop posted key highlights from London Fashion Week, which\ngenerated high engagement and conversation with the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another great example is from Benefit, who\noffered a \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d look at a photo shoot. This immerses your\naudience into your world and makes them feel like they are a part of the\nexperience. If your behind-the-scenes footage is interesting and relevant,\nyou’ll likely see a spike in engagement and interest in those products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Be interactive. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By default, Stories is immersive. The\nformat is full-page and allows you to add text, imagery, animations, GIFs, and\npolls\u2014the sky is the limit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our experience, we have seen polls\nperform very well when brands and influencers are looking to drive further\nconversation and engagement with their audiences. Polls are a great way to\nengage with your audience in an authentic and personable environment\u2014the\ninteractive features humanizes your brand. Not to mention, this is a great tool\nfor receiving feedback from your customers, saving you time and money on\nresearch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another interactive feature that can help\ndrive engagement and sales is the swipe up and link feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the swipe up feature, brands are able\nto link consumers directly to a product page. This has proven to be successful\nin driving traffic to site and sales. There are many ways you can use this\nfeature to link to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n