If social media is becoming an important part of your small business, you might have been hearing a lot about why Facebook and Instagram Stories are the next big thing for your business social media strategy. With over 150 million active users every day on Facebook Stories, there’s no denying that it’s worth investing in this part of your business. But what are they? And why should you bother? Read on to discover the ins and outs of this new exciting technology:
What to post:
This could be the biggest problem you are facing when it comes to creating content for your Facebook and Instagram Stories. If you’re already posting regularly on all social networks, it can be hard to come up with even more unique content for your brand. If you’re looking for inspiration, it is worth doing some research into what your competitors are posting. This might give you some inspiration for coming up with some ideas about what to post, as well as being able to see what works and doesn’t work from an audience perspective. Here’s some other ideas for things to post on your company’s stories.
Behind the scenes: Facebook and Instagram Stories offer a great opportunity to give your customers and fans a behind the scenes look into your business. You can introduce your staff that run your business by hosting a Q&A session, or show your packing process from beginning to end, or even showcase an event that you’re at.
Offers and promos: Stories are designed to only last for 24 hours, so they’re great for advertising sales and short term offers for your business. If weekend or public holiday special offers are a core part of your retail business, then this is a great way to advertise these offers, as well as your other marketing strategies.
Engage your audience: Just one of the benefits of Facebook and Instagram Stories is being able to get real time engagement from your audience. From polls, to surveys and even the opportunity to receive questions in your inbox, Stories provide just another way for your fans and customers to engage with you on a more personal level.
When to post:
This totally depends on your audience! The best thing to do when you’re starting out with a new social media feature is to try a few different things and see what works best for your unique business situation. For the few weeks of test Facebook or Instagram Stories, try posting at different times of the day to see when you get the best engagement from your audience.
How much to post:
Again, this one depends on your audience! Most people use Stories as a quick and easy way to get information, so usually posting around 2-3 pieces of content a day is optimal. There are exceptions to this rule of course, so if you’re attending an exciting business event, or leading up to a new product launch, you may want to post more. To see how many people are watching your Stories every day, you can use the ‘Insights’ function on Instagram (only available for Business Profiles). Here, you’ll see a detailed breakdown of how many people watch your Stories, as well as how people engage with your content. You’ll also be able to see how many people skip your stories, which is a useful metric regarding how many people engage with your Stories.
Adding Facebook and Instagram Stories into your social media strategy can seem like an overwhelming task. However, Digital Freak is proud to offer bespoke social media packages to help! Our team of experts keeps up to date with all the latest trends to make sure that your business will stand out and be found online. Reach out today to get started on your journey.
Written by
Bianca Stephenson - Content Specialist
You know how they say content is King? Well, meet the Queen. Engaging and exciting content is what I’m here to create. Whether it’s websites, print, digital, or social graphics – I take your brand’s vision and industry trends and turn them into high-quality content.