Instagram remains one of the topmost effective social media platforms to market your business. Humans are visual in nature. They consume with their eyes before anything else. Instagram is a great site to take advantage of that. While its first and foremost use is for posting photos, the inclusion of its feature, Instagram stories, has given creators and marketers a new method for increasing engagement and follower count.
Yet not everyone is noticing as steep as an increase as others. To help ensure you improve your Instagram stories engagement to its utmost potential, here are a few tactics to consider.
Using Stickers and Gifs
If you want to increase your engagement on your Instagram stories, then you need to utilize every feature that the app gives you. One of those is stickers and gifs. These are fun gimmicks that actually let you engage with your audience.
Based on the algorithm that the app uses, the more people you have engaging in a single post, the higher you'll rank. Higher rankings mean you're likely to trend and accumulate more followers.
There are various stickers from which to choose. One of them is a quiz sticker. This is a great way to engage with your followers because it lets them share their opinion. Everyone has an opinion.
The question sticker is another great way to extend your reach. You post a question to your followers, and they answer. You can then respond to them individually or as a group.
Unleash Creativity
Even though you're using Instagram for a marketing strategy, you have to remember that it's a social media platform. Allow yourself to be creative. This might mean that you try out different fonts, background music, graphical stickers.
It also means that you need to stay creative with your Instagram stories. If you're showing the same thing every day, people will understandably become bored.
Stimulate Private Conversation
Another great way to expand your reach and get the algorithm working in your favor is by encouraging your followers to speak with you privately. The DM option should always be available for your followers. Being able to speak with you directly can encourage loyalty to your brand.
Social media means that there's a sharing between two individuals or many individuals. For your marketing strategy to be successful, they need to feel like they're talking to a real person.
Add Prompts
Do you have a lot to say? Then make sure you add prompts to your stories. Otherwise, your followers may not realize that they can read everything you have posted. Prompts can also intrigue a follower or potential follower to stay on your Instagram profile a little bit longer.
Each of your prompts should include action words. This can intrigue your followers and encourage them to explore your profile and posts more closely.
Include Screenshottable Stories
To keep your follower count on your Instagram profile increasing, you can also make posts that encourage followers to screenshot them. One example might be creating a story contest. Place one of your own as an example, then encourage your followers to post a similar story of their own experience. The winner can receive something special from your brand.
Another option is to use the 'Fill in the Blank' option. Not only does this encourage followers to participate, but they're also more likely to screenshot it and share it with their friends.
Tell Stories
Want to reach people? Then tell them stories they haven't heard yet. With so many profiles, no one has time for monotony. Be different. Tell engaging stories that offer help.