Instagram stories are one of the most powerful tools to connect with your community in an authentic way giving them an opportunity to really get to know you and see you un-staged and imperfect. This is really what we are all looking for, aren't we? So here's your chance! We have the opportunity to show up for one another, share encouragement, expertise, and just laugh at the crazy things life throws our way. Others will want to be a part of your community because of YOU, so give them the chance to get to know you.
Here are the 3 reasons we think you should be incorporating Instagram stories into your business:
1) IT'S LESS CURATED - you have more of an opportunity to share the real life moments as they are happening. People want to connect with you on a human level and see everyday tidbits and this is a great way to do it! The beauty is... it doesn't have to be perfect and it shouldn't be! Allow your audience to get a glimpse into your real life and share it with them.
2) IT'S A GREAT TOOL FOR MARKET RESEARCH - It's vital that you are listening to your audience and producing more content that they will find value in, engage with, and keep coming back for. The Polls and Questions features are great ways to ask specific questions and gain insight from your community.
3) IT'S A GREAT WAY TO DIRECT YOUR COMMUNITY - with Instagram's algorithm your posts may not always show up in your audience's feed, so stories are a great way to share that you posted something new and encourage them to check it out. You can share a piece of your post with a little mystery to spark their interest to go to your feed to see or engage. You can also share a specific call to action to guide your audience to a new blog post, video, or a special offer. If you have 10,000+ followers, are a verified account, or are using Instagram Ads you can use the "swipe up" feature with a direct link or you can direct them to your link in profile.
So what might be holding you back from showing up on Instagram Stories?
FEAR
That's right people! The "f" word. It keeps us distant from connection and feeling incapable of being present for our community in any real capacity. Listen up, it's a lie. Your audience wants YOU to show up. They want to see what your real life moments are, hear what your real thoughts are, and they are not going to care if you have mascara on or not. The important thing is that you are showing up consistently and listening to your community. You got this!
Here are some of our favorite apps to help along the way!
STORY ART - Provides you with beautiful templates that you can customize for your story.
WORD SWAG - Allows you to put text over their free images and backgrounds or your own images for quotes or other creative stories.
CUTSTORY - Allows you to cut long videos into clips for your stories or make slideshows.
RESIZE - Resize images and video to fit in your story and customize the background.
Drop a comment if this was helpful!