Utilizing Instagram Stories is a great way to drive engagement and get your audience to become more familiar with your business. The possibilities are endless when it comes to Stories and can seem a bit overwhelming, so we put together our five favorite ways to use Instagram Stories for your business.

Use Polls

Using polls is a way to get your audience to interact with your business while also determining what they like and do not like to see. Polls can be used to get your audience’s reaction to a new product or offering, to research what they would like to see in the future or to simply have fun getting their input or opinion on something.

Do Story Takeovers

Takeovers are another fun way to utilize Instagram Stories and show your audience what your business is all about. Story takeovers are when a person takes over your account for the day to create content and engage with your audience. Often times these takeovers are with influencers or brand partners. Takeovers show a real-world example of how your product or service is actually being used. These takeovers are helpful when trying to establish your brand image and increase engagement.

Offer Story Exclusives

Offering discounts and promo codes exclusive to Stories will increase conversions and also engagement. Once your audience realizes that some offers will only be available through Stories, they will be more inclined to engage and make sure to look at your Stories when they are posted. These Story exclusives also have a time limit of 24 hours, so it makes consumers who were on the fence about purchasing your product or service more likely to buy.

Show Behind-the-Scenes

Showing behind-the-scenes through Stories helps your audience see what actually goes into a day at your business, whether it be a day in the life of one of the employees, behind-the-scenes of production, or a sneak peek at new releases. This helps give the audience more appreciation for the work that you do while also giving them a reason to watch your Stories, as they might continue to see exclusive sneak peeks before a release comes out. Showing new releases is also helpful because it makes your audience feel that they are in the know and up to date on what is going on with your business.

Utilize Countdowns

Using the countdown feature for new releases or events can create hype and keep your audience updated on important dates they should know about. Your audience is also able to set countdown reminders so that they will be alerted by Instagram when the countdown is over. This keeps your audience in the know and is a helpful way to announce new releases or events for your business while also building excitement.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level using Instagram Stories? Social Ape is here to help. Contact our team today to get started!