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4 ways to boost social media engagement through Instagram Stories

Here are some tips on embracing Instagram Stories, a powerful and fun marketing tool for your business.

In the past year, we have seen Instagram move from strength-to-strength as a digital marketing tool, ecommerce aid and a platform for creative digital content. According to data from Social Media Statistics Australia, Australians rank Instagram in their top four most used social media platforms with the site currently boasting around 5 million users in the country.

In August last year, Instagram introduced its ‘stories’ feed. While personal users have openly embraced this new part of their feed, businesses are often at a loss as to what to show in their 24-hour story. Here are some tips on embracing this powerful and fun marketing tool for your business.

1. Give people a look behind the scenes

Having a perfectly curated Instagram feed is key to accumulating followers. Stories is the disappearing 24-hour loophole that allows you to share some of the not-so-picture-perfect stuff – like how you develop your products or content – and get people hooked. Don’t forget the video option if you want to add value to your behind the scenes tours.

2. Swipe down

You don’t have to click and share immediately. Swiping from top to bottom on the stories camera screen allows for access to your camera roll, so you can share photos taken in the last 24 hours. Share photos taken on days prior by saving them to your camera roll- a trick that allows you to share product images that were taken outside of this 24 hour time range. Engage customers with a larger scope of what you have on offer without littering your Instagram feed with product shots.

3. Create a call to stories in your feed

Let your followers know that they can learn more about your business in your stories feed via your traditional posts. Share products, promotions, educational videos, or secret deals and create more active follower engagement. A stories promo-code is a good way to track the success of this style of marketing.

4. Tag and collaborate

In recent weeks, Instagram have added the ability to tag other users into the stories feed. This means that you can make advertising dollars through story collaborations. This feature is great for bloggers and those who advertise through their websites.

Hopefully, by now you have started to see how Instagram stories can value add to your business in an unedited-and-raw, or perfectly curated way! If you have any questions about how social media or other digital engagement tools might help your business grow, or just want a little bit of e-advice, reach out to us here at iFactory. Our award-winning digital agency team is at your service. And whilst you are on Instagram, follow us!

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