Looking for ways to leverage the power of Instagram Stories for your clients? Luckily for you, beloved TDP human, we speak fluent Stories at The Digital Picnic and are here to give you the lowdown on how to make the most out of your 24hrs on the ‘gram.
Truth is, there’s 500 MILLION good reasons for your client to be active on stories [yep, 500 million active users are checking in on stories globally every day *gasps*], and we’re seeing a real shift in user behaviour with people who go straight to the Instagram Stories circles and people who scroll natively through the feed.
In short, the business you’re representing on social media should be present on both stories and the feed, so you can get maximum exposure [WIN!] and capture audiences where they’re hanging out most frequently on the ‘gram.
So, if you’ve been *seriously* struggling to get your client on board the Stories bandwagon or perhaps you have some AH-maze ideas but don’t know how to execute them visually, we’ve got some BIG ideas to help your client become a success story [pun intended].
- Templates are your [BEST] friend
Have you been eyeing off some aesthetically on point Stories and thinking to yourself “how on Earth can every brand afford a graphic designer?”. Well, chances are those brands had a bit of help from an online graphic design platform like Canva or Easil. With thousands of free templates at your disposal, this is the BEST way to give your stories a visual boost and some brand personality. Add a pop of colour and a couple of headlines and BAM you basically just graduated with a design degree.
Sign up for a free trial of Canva or Easil and level-up your stories game.
- Say what’s up to Whatsapp
One of the biggest challenges that comes with trying to get clients to be more active on Instagram Stories is communication. So, if your client doesn’t have posting reminders set up, chances are they’ll struggle to keep up with a Stories schedule. Make your client’s (and your) life 100x easier by setting up a central Whatsapp group chat for quick and easy client communication. Jump in during the week and let your client know when it’s their day to jump in front of the camera to contribute to Stories and add in some content prompts. Yep, Whatsapp reminders are about to become your new bff.
- Strategy time
If you want to *seriously* wow your clients with your social media prowess, then a Stories strategy is a sure-fire way to get them on board. Include an overview of the different Instagram Stories content pillars you want to focus on and a posting frequency for each. Bonus points for doing a mock up of an example stories schedule and what each pillar will look like visually on the ‘gram. [Pssst… visuals are the BEST way to communicate a strategy, so pull in some best-practise examples from businesses that are SLAYING on stories to help bring your strategy to life. Not to toot our own horn… but our Stories highlights might be a good place to start!].
- 24hrs in the spotlight
One of the biggest social media managers ‘roadblocks’ when it comes to sharing a more transparent and behind-the-scenes look into a business, is convincing the people at the top [HAI managing directors] to get in front of the camera. Most likely, the directors [or team] have extreme video shyness or are hesitant of ‘oversharing’ [in our eyes there is no such thing as an overshare, ha!]. Honestly? It can be super intimidating to be more vulnerable as a business on social media, but users are seeking more authenticity and transparency than ever before, so if you want your client’s business to be a market leader, it’s time to give your community an insider’s view of the biz. Remember, unless it’s pinned to a highlight, Stories only last 24hrs and then they’re gone. So, if your client is hesitant about being in the spotlight for too long, the 24hr disappearing nature of Stories is the ultimate selling point!
- Connect with your community
One of the biggest benefits of being active on Instagram Stories is the opportunity to humanize your business by connecting with the people who love it most [aka your community!]. The good news? Instagram Stories has a bunch of interactive features that make the two-way conversation with your community a breeze. From interactive polls, to q&a’s, quiz stickers, Stories Live, countdowns and so much more, adding interactive features to your stories allows your community to directly engage with your business [and the people behind it!].
Oh and one last thing to ponder? One-third of the most viewed stories come from businesses, so if you’ve been looking for the perfect time to leverage the power of Instagram Stories for your client, we’re here to tell you that the perfect time is now.