Instagram is one of the most potent tools available for targeted marketing. The visual social media platform has evolved from its days of being a glimpse into an individual’s camera roll. Nowadays, your Instagram profile can portray everything from company culture to product galleries. Built-in integrations allow for paid advertising, direct sales, and extensive sharing. We say all of this to say then this: you must use Instagram correctly if you want your social media marketing campaign to succeed.
Engagement is essential to building a good following! As we mentioned, Instagram isn’t just a gallery anymore. You have the opportunity to use tools, such as Instagram Stories, to connect with a vast network of potential customers. In particular, stories are an incredible way to provide meaningful content in easily digestible content. You need to know how to do it correctly! Our social media experts have written our ‘do’s and don’ts’ of Instagram Stories to help you out!
Table of Contents
The Basic Do’s Of Instagram
Be Consistent with Both Content and Timing
Stories are addictive. People like to continuously check-in and see what you’re doing. The more your followers look at your Stories, the more those Stories show up on their feed. Because of this, you want to stay in front of them consistently. Try to post Stories regularly, such as every two or three times a day.
The content should be consistent as well. It doesn’t mean you should do the same thing every post! Instead, keep your branding elements the same throughout each story. Place your logo in the same corner each time, or use a particular border to fit your brand. This consistency gives your Stories a healthy identity that people will associate with your brand.
Give Them Information
Many companies fail to provide even necessary information in their profile, so even the most engaging stories don’t convert because people don’t know how to get in touch with you (besides sliding into the DMs).
Avoid this by having your company’s name and slogan (if you have one), a link to your website, and phone number or email for direct contact in your bio. Once you fill out your biography, you can add ‘link in bio’ hints in your Stories for people to connect with you!
Highlight Your Culture
Instagram is a very visual platform, but you need to show the right content. Gone are the days of picture-perfect Instagram profiles, and in are the real, behind-the-scenes stories. People turn to Instagram Stories specifically to get a snippet of a life that’s not theirs, so make sure you show off your company’s culture and habits for all to see!
Don’t Ever Do These!
Neglecting Your DMs
Engagement is much more than simply throwing up a post and hoping people will look at it. Like in real life, you need to talk with people to like you! Any comments or DMs you get should be responded to or reacted with. Failing to have a conversation with followers who try to reach out is a surefire way to show everyone you don’t care about them.
Not Highlighting Certain Stories
When a new follower comes to your page, they’re looking for a reason to follow you. You may be able to entice them to click that follow button with just your gallery, but one of the best ways to promote yourself is by creating highlights. Highlights are Stories that you’ve chosen to live on your page. Instead of vanishing after 24 hours, they’re able to be clicked at any point. Highlights are a great way to say, ‘hey, this is who we are!’, and consumers have come to expect them.
Being Repetitive With Content
Yes, you should post regularly, but those posts need to be unique! There’s a big difference between consistently posting and repeatedly posting the same thing. Followers do not want to see the same message blasted at them three times a day.
Try to come up with some things you would be interested in seeing from a brand you like. Do you think it would be fun to see how, for example, your favorite soft drink cans their beverages? Why not try to find something similar with your own company? Those peek-behind-the-curtain snippets at how a company works are why Stories were invented! Just try to keep each post fresh and different from the previous one.
Remember, we’re always here to help! For more social media marketing, please contact Success City Online.