When you think about social media marketing, there’s one buzzword that’s very important—engagement. You see, on Instagram particularly, success is more than just about the views or the likes.
It’s about how many people are taking action when they see your stories. Instagram Stories engagement is about the collective number of likes, views, messages, comments, and conversions (if you’re selling products).
While there are so many popular and effective social media platforms nowadays, there’s no denying how Instagram reigns supreme. People love graphics and videos, which are the primary content of Instagram stories.
Its impermanent nature doesn’t hamper its effectiveness in capturing the attention of an audience, making it one of the most effective and budget-friendly marketing strategies you can ever use.
There are all sorts of tools that can help you view Instagram content; you can check out Glassagram reviews for starters. On the other hand, here are four strategies that could help you make your Instagram stories more engaging:
1. Promote New Blog Posts
This first technique is best for users with at least 10,000 Instagram followers. Since the swipe-up feature is now available on Instagram stories, use that to your advantage.
If you have a website for blogging or for e-commerce purposes, you can link your posts to your Instagram stories. Post those links whenever you have new blog posts, new product releases, or promotions, so you can build hype within the Instagram community.
When you promote your blog posts on Insta stories, it becomes a lot easier for your followers to simply swipe up and get redirected to your website. This is more convenient than having them go back to your main profile to click the link on your bio. Your followers might even use tools like an Instagram downloader, for instance, to save your content and read up on them later.
2. Ask Questions And Polls On Instagram Stories
Take the time to go through influencers’ Instagram stories and you’ll find that they post questions and polls from time to time. There’s a good reason for this, followers love engaging through answering those polls and questions!
‘This or that’ games are a no-fail. ‘Ask me anything’ is also a good one. If you have the time for it, dedicate an hour or two once in a while for those questions, and you’ll surely see what a difference it can make with your Instagram stories’ engagement rates.
If you’re selling products, you can ask ‘this or that’ questions and link the product page for each one. This way, whenever a user taps or chooses a certain product, they will be led to a product page where they can get more information and place an order.
3. Use Hashtags And Locations
Instagram was built on hashtags. And did you know that you can actually use hashtags on your Instagram stories as well? When you do so, you’re effectively expanding your reach, thereby potentially increasing your stories’ views.
Using hashtags on your stories as an Instagram marketing strategy makes your posts easily accessible—even by those who aren’t following you yet. Hence, you don’t just have more views, but you gain new followers as well.
Using hashtags might be a fun way to expand your reach, but you have to be cautious. Don’t overdo it. Balance is key. If you have ten stories in a day, for instance, then having hashtags on one or two of those posts is enough. Otherwise, people might think you’re spamming the feed.
4. Add Captions
Let’s be real, not everyone viewing Instagram stories has the sound on. Think about those parents having their ‘me’ time by browsing late at night, when the kids are finally asleep. Or those who are trying to view discreetly while in a public place. When you’re talking on your Instagram stories, those who don’t have their sound on won’t be able to have a grasp of what you’re saying at all.
Don’t lose those viewers, particularly when you’ve taken the time to shoot that video and you have something very interesting to say. A good practice would be to add captions when you’re talking. Taking that time to write out what you’re saying is extra effort, but definitely worth it since you’ll engage all types of viewers.
To Wrap Up
Instagram stories are a big deal in the world of social media. By applying techniques like the ones mentioned above, you’ve just given your brand a huge chance to engage more leads and attract more customers.
Instagram stories are timely and tap-friendly, which is why they are very entertaining among users. Take this as an opportunity to boost your Instagram engagement and statistics, and try to be more creative with your content.