The audience was just getting hooked to the various filters & dynamics of Snapchat Stories that we got a sweet surprise from Instagram! Ever since its launch, it has spread like a wild fire. Whether its personal endorsements, daily routine updates or brand announcements, both the viewers & the uploader are equally in awe & love of this darling feature!

What is the BIG DEAL?

While, in the beginning Instagram received a lot of flak for copying “Snapchat”, it definitely has a lot more to offer. Honestly, the biggest difference is that unlike Snapchat, users can add text and stickers, draw on them, and even include a link or mention other users. It’s the last two features that help Instagram’s version stand out, though.

With the ability to add links and mention users Instagram creates a culture of inclusion, rather than secrecy and exclusion that is often the draw of Snapchat.

With the ability to add links and mention users Instagram creates a culture of inclusion, rather than secrecy and exclusion that is often the draw of Snapchat.

Instagram Stories are also searchable and appear publicly on a profile if a profile is set to public. This stands in contrast to Snapchat, which doesn’t have “profiles” for users to see previous content or view Stories. You must follow someone on Snapchat to discover his or her content.

That’s not all, more recently, Instagram moved Boomerang directly into the app. Now, users can create a Boomerang directly in a Story.

So, how do we LEVERAGE this?

One of the most important reasons for businesses to use Instagram Stories is relevancy in your followers’ feeds. Since Instagram updated the feed to be & algorithmic in June of 2016, having stories always appear at the top of a follower’s feed helps your brand remain top-of-mind. Popular Stories also appear at the top of the Explore page, helping gain an even wider reach.

The most common mistake that content creators or users make is missing out on opportunity of building a larger audience.

You’re creating Stories, but do you think that’s enough? Well sure, you can use relevant hashtags and tag as many people as regular images but that’s not the key.

Check out our recommended tactics and strategies below :

1. Repost or prepost content from your Stories to your feed

About to have an event? Post an announcement image to your regular feed letting users know to be on the lookout for the upcoming Stories that are sure to come.

Create a great Story? Before you post it, press the “save” button in the lower right and post it again as a regular image. You can save images after posting them by opening your Story and swiping up. If you’ve posted more than one image, it will save as a video slideshow.

2. Go live often

Alongside other popular trending Stories in the Explore page are the “Top Live” posts. Live video is becoming an arms race and Instagram is pushing it just as hard.

If you’re going live and providing great content, more people are going to tune in. These videos often rotate as more viewers tune in, and live videos end. So by going live often, you’re giving yourself a chance to appear and gain more followers.

Dr.Pradeep Gadge, diabetologist in Mumbai is often seen interacting with his audience LIVE on Instagram on various topic linked to #Diabetes.

3. Mention people

It’s no secret that people love attention, especially on social media. Give the people what they want by using the mention feature in your Instagram Stories. You can tag customers, followers, or those who inspire you with a personalized message. This sends a notification to the user who will more than likely see the content. Be careful with this one, though. You don’t want to wear out your welcome by over-tagging people.

IISM , India’s Pioneer in Sports Management Education, using the tag feature to promote the sponsors for their Life@IISM initiative :Junoon Sports Fet

4. Give out all the relevant information

Where was this picture taken? How beautiful was the location? Were you eating some amazing food or dancing to your favourite album? These little details can intrigue your audiences to know more & engage.

Softsens Baby, organic baby care product & apparel comapny using the LOCATION feature to promote its store at Banglore.

5. Gain more followers

This one seems pretty straightforward because it is. The more followers you have, the more potential your Instagram Stories have to be seen. Follow other users, use relevant hashtags on regular posts, and engage with the content of those you would like to follow you back.

6. Create great content

Again, not groundbreaking but still the best way to organically grow your following. The more accounts that are watching your Stories, sending messages, and engaging with them in other ways, the better chance your brand’s account has of appearing on the “Explore” page alongside other trending Stories.

Use interactive gifs, ask some cool poll questions, conduct a Q&A , just ensure your content is driving the user towards you & not pushing them away.

Binaryic, a digital marketing firm, interacting with their audience by using the POLL feature..

7. Sponsored Instagram Story Ads

This one is more indirect, but running ads is a good way to increase both followers and engagement on your account. Plus, it can provide a boost to your algorithmic score. In turn, this can make it more likely that your Stories will appear on the Explore page.

SoulTree- Organic beauty,skin & hair care provider promotes its festive offer with Sponsored Story Ads

What’s Next?

• Strategise :

Use this knowledge to develop a strategy for promoting your brand, inviting followers behind the scenes, and broadening your audience with high-quality live video and stories.

• Define A Goal :

There are many creative ways brands are using Instagram already. Ultimately, it comes down to what your campaign goals are for Instagram.

• Do you want to help a promotion gain a wider audience?

• Are you attempting to drive more traffic to a blog post, landing page, or video?

• Get, Set, Go!

Whether you’re a casual Instagram user or leading a social media team looking for more ways to engage your audience, Instagram Stories can benefit you and your company.

Now is the time to capitalize on a well-thought-out strategy before your competitors do. Engage your audience more with Instagram Stories and be sure to drive them to a relevant, dedicated landing page.

What’s your take on this? We’d love to know, share below!