Instagram now boasts a monthly active user total of 1 billion (as of June 2020). Instagram Stories adds a new dimension of storytelling to users. Behind the scenes, snapshots like you’ve never seen before.
What do we like about Instagram?
We think this platform bridges the gap between Facebook and Twitter enabling users to post great images and gives businesses an opportunity to give a real personality to their brand. One of the more recent additions to Instagram is Instagram Stories. Launched in August 2016, it is a new and fun way to share the things that happen in your business each day.
What do we like about Instagram Stories?
We like the fact that they give us the opportunity to provide an insight into our personal lives and what goes on behind the scenes in our business. You can post photos, Boomerangs, 15-second videos or Go Live. None of the content you post into stories can be seen in your main profile grid unless you share it specifically, instead, it can be seen by clicking on the circles at the top of your Instagram feed. The stories disappear after 24 hours, which adds to the fun and gives a sense of urgency at not wanting to miss out.
What do we dislike about Instagram?
One of the most annoying things about Instagram is the inability to add a clickable link. For example, we would love to add a link to this blog post on our Instagram. However, you have just one opportunity to add a link, which is in your profile bio. We’ve recently discovered Link Tree, which allows you to create a landing page to several links. We are experimenting to see if it helps drive people to our website, take a look at ours HERE.
Top tips for using Instagram Stories
- Use a mixture of photos, Boomerangs and videos.
- Try to remember to always add your location and a hashtag, especially if you’re a local business.
- Check out your insights on a regular basis, review what is working so you can do more of that (you will need an Instagram business profile to look at your insights).
Have you got a creative block? Do you need someone to help with content creation for your social media? Our social media content creation prices start from £99 per platform. Complete social media management services are available on request.
If you are looking to plan your social media more effectively and you would like more ideas. Take a look at our downloads and templates package.