Have you noticed a drop in views on your Instagram Stories recently? Do you want to get more views on your Instagram Stories so you can reach more people?
With more than 70% of businesses in the US using Instagram, engaging your audience is extremely important. Brands are constantly competing for users’ attention. Instagram Stories can be one of the best ways to increase engagement with your content.
But since Stories already get fewer views than feed posts, how can you make sure your content gets noticed?
And how do you ensure that viewers keep watching until the end of each story?
Read more. In this article, you will learn why Instagram Stories are essential for brands, and 3 examples of brands with almost perfect Instagram Stories.
Let’s go.
What are Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories ensure that content that lasts 24 hours disappears. If you want your story to last longer than 24 hours, add it to the Featured section of your profile. You can share multiple photos and videos per day, up to a maximum of 100.
Instagram Stories were based on Snapchat and quickly became a staple on Instagram. In January 2019, it was reported that 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day:
In a survey commissioned by Facebook, 58% of respondents said Stories increased their interest in the brand.
Why are Instagram Stories important?
Given the number of people interacting with Stories every day, your business should integrate Instagram Stories into its social media strategy. The naked truth is that a third of the most viewed Instagram stories come from businesses or brands.
Even though news feed posts have a wider reach, stories are still important to your business. For example, they help you:
1. Keep your audience engaged
There’s no better way to understand your audience’s feelings than to ask them directly. Stories allow you to connect with your audience without compromise.
With engaging features like polls, questions, and quizzes, you can ensure you’re always aware of your audience’s sentiments.
2. Get instant feedback
If you have an idea for a new series, product, or anything else that needs audience input, you don’t have to wait until publication to hear their response.
With Instagram Stories, you can share a clip with them and get instant feedback to confirm your idea and clarify the next steps.
3. Become more accessible and transparent
Brands often struggle to reach their target group. However, with regular interaction, people feel more comfortable contacting you with questions than contacting your competitors.
The more engaging you are, the more famous and accessible your brand becomes.
You can also use Stories to make your audience feel involved in your workflow. Give them a sneak peek or behind-the-scenes look to increase brand transparency and build trust.
4. Increase overall engagement
Every Instagram user has a different feed because it is very personal and they can see their ‘favorite’ creators first. Instagram recently added a “Most Viewed in Feed” metric that confirms this speculation.
User interactions are considered “signals.” And Instagram classifies content based on these ‘signals’.
If you have an engaged audience, the reach of your posts and videos will likely increase. According to a study, posting more content leads to greater reach and views.
Examples of brands using Instagram Stories
Many brands have discovered how to use Stories to increase their audience’s loyalty. Here are three:
1. Brilliant
Glossier is a makeup and skincare brand that originated on social media and has 2.7 million active and engaged followers on Instagram. According to founder Emily Weiss, 70% of their online sales and traffic come from peer-to-peer recommendations, demonstrating the strong community they have created.
To maintain such a large and engaged community, they learned how to manage Instagram Stories. With creative and interactive posts they ensure that you are the center of the customer’s attention. From utilizing unique stickers to publishing playlists, they use their Instagram stories to link to their main website, where they publish more detailed content.
2. The New York Times
The New York Times shows how brands in every niche can use Instagram. They implement the concept of “go where your customer is” perfectly.
Creatives connected by a common concept link to popular articles in Stories. They also use sturdy stickers and hooks to keep the audience reading until the end.
3. Starbucks
The third example is not surprising, as Starbucks has already been successful with its Instagram strategy. With more than 17 million followers, they have a large audience to captivate.
They use Instagram Stories to introduce new products, raise awareness about a specific topic, or simply share content posted by their customers (e.g. volume, reposting user-generated content). With a well-organized story in each story, they play quizzes and use foil stickers with basic questions like: “How important is coffee to you?” »
By paying attention to their customers and asking questions about them, they ensure high involvement.
Increase your Instagram stories Views
Instagram Stories keeps your brand connected to your audience. They increase your overall Instagram engagement by giving you more visibility and direct feedback from your customers.
Avoid shady tactics like bots or engagement pods as they risk getting banned from Instagram. Instead, nurture your community by creating and publishing stories the right way.
If you’re not sure what to post, check out our Instagram Story Ideas post for inspiration.
And if you found this post helpful, be sure to check out our guide on how to get more views on TikTok.