How to Use Instagram Stories as a Small Business
Instagram Stories are a great way to engage with your customers. They let you tell a story and offer a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in your business, but they also give viewers an opportunity to be more casual and have fun with the content they're consuming. Here are some tips for using Instagram Stories as a small business:
1. Engage with your audience in real-time.
Instagram Stories are the perfect way to connect with your audience on a more personal level. Try responding to comments and questions, or using polls to get feedback from your followers. It's also a great place for taking quick polls of your followers' opinions about specific topics related to your business or industry, which can help you better tailor future content for them.
2. Be casual
One of the most compelling reasons to use Instagram Stories is that they give you an opportunity to be more casual than traditional posts. This goes back to the point about how they're in real-time: it's as though you're talking directly with your followers and customers, instead of dropping a static image or text on their feeds. Rather than having to spend minutes or even hours curating content to form a seamless grid, you can simply hop on and share with your followers off the cuff and breathe more life into the photos and Reels you post. Plus, it only lasts 24 hours!
3. Bring your products to life.
In addition to showing your product in a variety of settings, you can also use video to show the product being used by a real person. This allows your potential customers to see what it feels like to physically interact with your products and gives them a better idea of how they might be able to incorporate them into their own lives. As with the previous tip, this is an excellent way of bringing your products to life so that they come across as more than just objects on a screen or paper—they become something that people can imagine using themselves!
4. Add Links.
You can use your Instagram story to link to products, blog posts, and other information that you think may interest your viewers. For example, if you have a new drop from your company coming out soon (whether it’s an item of clothing, a class, or a webinar), consider adding an Instagram story with some details about the product and then linking directly to the page on your website. You could also create an Instagram story with links to blog posts that you write to drive more traffic to your site.
5. Give a Behind-the-Scenes Look.
You can use Instagram Stories to show your customers what goes on behind the scenes at your business. Use them to share the process of how you create or make products, why it's important to use local materials, and/or how you work with clients. You can also add these stories to your highlights, so the viewer can go back and see the process of how your vision came to life.
Instagram Stories are a fun and easy way to engage with your customers, so don't be shy! They are a great way to showcase your products and services. This platform allows you to show off a new item you're releasing or an event that is taking place at your store. It's also a great way to interact with other users and share content they may like. If you're feeling stuck on how to use Instagram Stories as a small business, we hope these tips will help you get started. These are just some ideas to get you going. The best thing about Instagram Stories is that they don't have to be perfect! So feel free to experiment and find what works best for your business—and try not to stress out too much over it. To read about some marketing trends you’ll see on Instagram in 2022, click here.
