Instagram Stories launched in August 2017. This Snapchat like feature had many Instagram users groaning, many refusing to use the feature at all. This all changed after Instagram switched from a chronological timeline to an algorithm based timeline. Businesses and celebrities found the usefulness of Instagram stories, especially after realizing the chronological based timeline was not coming back.
Many businesses are not taking advantage of the Story feature on Instagram. This is a grave mistake, especially when it is essentially another form of free advertising. The Instagram algorithm pulls content it believes users want to see first, and unless your business’s followers interact with the account often, it is unlikely your posts will be seen in a timely manner. Instagram stories give your business quicker visibility, which in turn will help generate more leads. Lost on how to get started with Instagram stories? Here are a few tips and tricks to begin using Instagram stories to generate leads.
Company Culture
Give followers a face with the name. Humanize the company, and buyers will feel a stronger connection to the brand. To do this, take advantage of the silly filters. Take videos and photos of office celebrations. Highlight employee achievements, special events, or volunteer efforts.
Behind the Scenes Look
Much like company culture, giving followers a behind the scenes look generates love and respect for the company. Show followers how products or made. Show them the journey the order takes from creation to delivery. Share photos of the giant shipment going out, or how delicately each and every item is hand wrapped before being put in mailers.
Demos
New products are perfect for demos. Post a video explaining how to use the product and the benefit of using the product. Finally, video someone using the product and talking about how great, easy, or fun it is to use.
“Check out newest post”
Draw attention to your new posts by posting information about it in you Instagram story. Use attention grabbing captions like, “A new surprise awaits in our newest post! Go there now!” or, “Exciting announcement in our newest post!” Create a call to action asking followers to like or comment on posts.
Links
Links are one of the fastest ways to generate leads. On Instagram, a profile must be a business account (or be verified) and have 10,000 followers to post links directly into Instagram stories. Using links in conjunction with demos will draw more viewers to look and purchase products.
If your business does not have 10,000 followers quite yet, put the link in the profile bio. Change the link based on the story, and caption, “Link in bio,” on demos. Each time the link is changed, mention it in the Instagram story. Be sure to only change the link once every 24 hours at the most. Instagram stories are available for a full 24 hours before disappearing, so changing the link multiple times will only confuse followers.
Coupons and Specials good for 24 hours
Sales, deals, and specials should be mentioned on Instagram stories. Since stories only stick around for 24 hours, this is a great way to generate fresh leads that may have not known about deals.
Use this method to mention sold out products that have been restocked. If a product is almost sold out, let followers know to grab one before it is gone.
Popular Stories can be featured in the Search and Explore section of Instagram. Try to get as many views as possible, so your company’s can be featured. If you are successful at this, the amount of new leads is infinite. Put yourself in the followers’ shoes. Post what they want to see. Use Instagram stories to target your target market even further, and you will find yourself generating more leads.