If you haven’t entered into the world of Instagram stories yet, then it’s about time. This addition to the Instagram platform has blown up over the last several months and will continue to reign supreme in the coming year.
Here’s a little background…
In 2012, Facebook bought out Instagram and has been running it ever since. It tried to do the same with Snapchat, but Snapchat said, “no thanks.” Well, Mark Zuckerberg and friends understood the power of Snapchat, so they decided to make their own version of it by creating Instagram Stories.
Here’s why…
Millennials are all about authentic, real life connection. They are over polished Instagram feeds and aren’t all that active on Facebook any longer. But, they love raw, behind the scenes pics and videos that make them feel like they truly know the people they’re following. Instagram stories is all about giving them access to your life in a completely genuine way.
How to use Instagram stories…
If you’re running a business, Instagram stories are a fantastic way to give your clients and customers a peek into your life. Let followers in on your process, chat about what’s coming their way and let them see a bit of your personal life. Need some examples for how to engage your audience on IG stories?
- If you’re a photographer, you can share prints as they come in or share pictures of your editing process. You can even tag your clients in your story as you are working on their photos.
- If you make jewelry, share some videos while you are making your product, and then take some pics of your packages getting ready to be sent out, tagging some people they are going to.
- If you’re a coach, share a shot of your computer screen while you are skyping with a client, or snap a pic of some professional development books you are reading.
- If you are a personal trainer, share your own workouts, your clients working out, or a shot of your actual lunch and breakfast (not all prettied up).
Anyone in any business can share their daily life on IG stories: pics of you and your friends, your kids, your shopping outings, your adventures and your messes. People love to see what’s going on in your world, so show them!
The key to using Instagram stories well is that you want to weave your personal life in with your business life. Millennials are all about the real and the raw, so you can’t make your stories all business pitches. But, you can link to your site through IG stories, so use those links wisely. Keep in mind, you can also tag other businesses, influencers and your clients and followers in your stories, so be sure to give some shoutouts where you can.
Whether you love it or hate it, this quick, raw, live behind the scenes footage is what this generation is all about. If you want to effectively engage them you need be utilizing this strategy.