Let's say you finally got your brand up and running on a social media platform such as Instagram. Now, what? First off, you'll have to learn what features on Instagram you can use to your business' advantage and incorporate them into your ad strategies.

The platform's humble beginnings started off as some sort of a virtual photo album (with videos, of course), allowing users to tell their stories and experiences through every photo and video they are willing to share online. How does this differ from other platforms like Facebook and Twitter? You'll notice that words or captions come before any media previews. Instagram puts such media first, as if looking at pieces at an art gallery with its printed descriptions on its sides or right below.

As is the nature of innovation, Instagram now has an array of features that can be used to benefit businesses such as live videos and reels just to name a few. For this article, we'll be focusing on one specific feature: Instagram Stories. Just in case you are not aware or familiar with it, stories are basically posted clips or photos that can only be viewed by the digital public within 24 hours (Don't worry though! It's all archived). These stories allow businesses to feature some of their best shots and video excerpts as part of their ad and marketing strategies.

Now, why should your brand use Instagram Stories?

1. Improves Brand Visibility

Of course you'll need to make sure your business is visible. Whenever a story is newly published or is still viewable, a ring will appear around the account's photo icon. This makes it harder to miss compared to a regular post as it is at the top most part of the screen. Instagram Stories are discoverable to everyone, which generates more leads and potential clients.

2. Freedom to Post Various Content

There are so many ways to get creative with the content you can post on your stories. Stickers such as music, polls, and quizzes are like little widgets that can allow easy editing of your stories and make them a little more fun for viewers. And to think, these are only some of the ways you can get creative with your stories!

3. Allows Regular Interaction With Audiences

Because stories have greater visibility and can be easily viewed, your content can be a great way to interact with your audience on a regular basis. From stickers like polls and quizzes, to anonymous safe Q&A links like NGL, there are tons of fun ways to communicate with your audience as well as get feedback on many things regarding your goods and services. Additionally, this allows your audience and consumers to feel better connected to your brand. This creates greater trust in your business and converts more audience members into clients.

4. Uses Real-Time Marketing

You've got 24 hours on the clock upon publishing a story. Because of this, Instagram encourages real-time marketing that comes with real-time feedback. Posting current trends and relevant content can surely grab the attention of audiences and encourage them to support your brand and all its events and endeavors.

Leads Traffic to Websites and Online Shops

We've already mentioned stickers on this feature, but did you know there was one that could send your viewers straight to your website? There is also a Swipe Up option that leads you to it as well! Because your brand has gotten better visibility, it'll be easier to drive traffic to your main websites.

Now that you've gotten to this point of the read, go ahead and explore what you can do for your business using Instagram Stories! Oh, and don't forget to follow our socials @studiosixteen.ph for more tips and social media updates.

Article written by: Mikaela Moncada

Image Sources:

https://www.iclarified.com/53741/instagram-brings-3d-touch-like-functionality-to-older-iphones

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-stories/

https://snappa.com/blog/instagram-story-dimensions/

https://www.wyzowl.com/instagram-story-dimensions/

https://3to5marketing.com/instagram-stories-business/

https://www.plannthat.com/instagram-story-links/