Every day, millions of users open Instagram to share their happy moments and influence people following them. They want to create a community of like-minded people who take pleasure in watching their activities.
But, did you know, there is a feature on Instagram that lets you scale up your popularity without doing anything extraordinary?
Yes, you are right! We are talking about that fascinating feature of Instagram – Instagram Stories. The popularity of Instagram stories has prompted top brands and organizations like ADIDAS, CNN, Everlane, Glossier, Google Maps, The New York Times, and the likes to use Instagram Stories regularly.
So, what drives the popularity of Instagram Stories, and what does it mean for you? Read on to discover the reasons and get some fascinating, designed-for-success Instagram story ideas.
Top Reasons Driving The Popularity of Instagram Stories and What it Means For You
Instagram Stories took its idea from a similar feature on Snapchat. This feature allows Instagram users to share photos or videos with a shelf-life of 24 hours. These pictures and videos automatically vanish after 24 hours.
Soon after Instagram launched this feature in August 2016, it was lapped up by the public, and by April 2017, this feature was being used by 200 million Instagram users daily. And presently, 86.6% of Instagram users use Stories to share their feelings. Moreover, 50% of businesses use Instagram Stories to promote their products or services. Additionally, Stories constitute 24.92% of all Instagram content.
The following are the top reasons why Instagram Stories is so popular and essential. The following sections also contain tips you need to boost your/ your brand’s visibility:
Stories Improve Visibility
Unlike posts, Instagram stories appear at the topmost part of users’ feeds. Users can see it inside a colorful ring. Naturally, they are more attractive and distinct than ordinary posts.
Every time you publish a new Instagram Story, your followers get a notification. Hence, the chances of missing an Instagram Story are lesser than posts.
So, share as many Stories as you want in a day and stay connected to your followers. These stories do not clutter your Instagram post feed since they automatically vanish after 24 hours.
Ask Questions and Engage With Your Followers
You can use the Instagram Stories feature to ask questions to your followers or encourage them to participate in polls. Top brands use this method to understand the customers’ pulse and tweak their marketing strategies to make them more relevant.
Hence, Instagram Stories allow you to engage with your audience in real-time and use their feedback to tidy up your campaigns. You can communicate with followers, share their posts in your Story, comment on their Stories, and build solid relationships.
Expand Your Audience Base
You can use Instagram Stories to reach all followers and unfollowers. While your followers would receive notifications every time you post, the non-followers can also access your stories. Since Instagram Stories is the first thing users see when they open Instagram, your visibility shoots up automatically.
Top brands use Instagram Stories to grow their audience base and generate leads by showcasing their products in a unique, fun way.
Be Creative With The Story Ideas
People create social media profiles to entertain themselves. Instagram is a place for displaying your creativity. You need to rise above the ordinary and create a niche for yourself/ your brand.
If your followers get something uniquely exciting every time they visit your profile, you can vouch for their loyalty. While the initial days might be lackluster, you can rev up the oomph factor by staying put to the theme.
You may like to check some fascinating Instagram story ideas and find what makes the top social media influencers different from ordinary Instagram users.
Scale Up The Engagement
The more active you are on Instagram, the better your visibility will be. Instagram is one of the best places to find like-minded people and create a community to grow your business. The cost of making yourself popular on Instagram is much lesser than conventional brand promotion activities on television or radio.
The first step to creating a good profile is to add an exciting Instagram bio. You can create a schedule and post some content every day at the same time. Also, whenever someone messages you, ensure to respond to their queries.
Adding the location to your stories can also go a long way in bringing people close to your Instagram account. Analyze the free analytics provided by Instagram and use it to your advantage. You can also use Story Ads to target the appropriate audience.
Target the Gen-Z and Millenials
If you want to hook followers from the Gen-Z and millennial category, Instagram is undoubtedly the place to be. A survey found that 59% of millennials regularly watch Instagram stories. And, 25% of Gen-Z and millennials look at Instagram Stories to discover products or services.
Another survey shows that more than 30% of all Instagram users are in the 25 to 34 age group, of which 16.9% are males, and 16.1% are females. The 25-34 age group is closely followed by the 18-24 age group with 29.8% users. And, 16% of all Instagram users belong to the 35 to 44 age bracket.
Hence, if you want to boost your/ your brand’s visibility, you need to be a little more attentive about Instagram Stories. Show how your products or services can add value to the users’ lives. An excellent way to achieve perfection in Instagram Stories is by roping in an influencer for marketing. Influencers can take your brand to places you have never expected and increase your reach organically.
Conclusion
Besides the tips mentioned above, some brands also use shoppable stories, meaning stories which lead users to the brand’s products or services. You can tag the product to your story and allow users to visit them directly.
Instagram story ideas are all the rage in 2021, and the trend is here to stay. With the number of Instagram users steadily increasing, this is the best time to rev up your promotional activities. And since Instagram is a proven destination for organic traffic, you must have a well-devised strategy to tap into this market.