Your Guide to Using Tools like Instagram Stories to Promote Your Small Business

The importance of social media in today’s society can’t be denied. Every business, every politician, every celebrity – every person or entity that wants to reach their following can do so by creating a virtual following online.

This is especially true in the world of small business. You don’t have to be a multi-million-dollar corporation to effectively harness the power of social media for promoting your business. Here, we’ll examine effective ways to harness social media tools – such as Instagram stories – to promote your business and increase conversion.

First – What are Instagram Stories?

Instagram stories are content – either video, audio, or imagery – shared with everyone who follows or visit your Instagram account page. This content is available for 24 hours from the time of posting. After the 24 hours has elapsed, the content disappears and is no longer available for viewing. It also can’t be seen from your regular Instagram profile or content grid. These stories are a great way to share content with an exclusive feel and give followers a reason to keep coming back to your profile page.

Why Use Social Media Tools for Business?

While social media tools like Instagram stories were originally developed with the intention of being used for chatting between social contact, they also make great tools for business owners. There are over 150 million daily users of the Instagram platform, making its reach extensive and its impact massive. If you’re looking for a great way to reach a lot of consumers quickly – and keep it fresh and entertaining, tools like the Instagram story have you covered.

How to Put Instagram Stories to Work for Your Business

There are so many ways to make Instagram and its stories feature work for your small business. Here is just a sampling:

• Boosting business by promoting sales. The very nature of Instagram stories is a tap feature. Viewers can tap from one image to the next or swipe through to another story they’d rather see. Keep their attention by using the tapping format to tell a story that leads to a sale or promotion – they’ll be hooked and ready to buy by the time they get to the end of your story!
• Offer special discounts, only available to those who watch your stories. Who doesn’t love a coupon? Tucking a special discount code or phrase into your Instagram stories has two benefits. First, viewers get a discount and are undoubtedly excited to use it. Second, your company gets a good idea of who is paying attention – and can reward those that are!
• Engage and interact to make your customers feel like part of your story. Modern shoppers love to interact with the brands and products they’re browsing. This approach, known as experiential marketing, is not reserved for major brands and big businesses. Even the smallest companies can put it to work for them by using the interactive nature of Instagram stories and other social media tools. Whether you’re looking for direct interaction by touching the screen or follow-up actions by browsing your site or stopping by in person, your story is a great way to promote it.
• Bring in guest hosts for cross-promotion. Thinking of partnering with another small business owner in your community for a collaboration? Take the whole thing to Instagram and have your followers follow the two of you through your team-up. It will benefit both businesses and keep your consumers coming back all day long!
• Be part of the community – local or global. Being part of a community is a great way to drum up business and make industry connections. Brands who make products for babies, toddlers, or new moms can make waves in baby and breastfeeding communities. Companies that make fan-catered merchandise can enjoy great exposure by partnering with conventions or theaters where movies will be released. You can do this both in your local community and on a global scale using apps like Instagram, meaning your reach can be increased almost exponentially.
• Give regular updates to keep consumers interested. Feeling like an insider is a great feeling for consumers. Showing your customers what you’re working on won’t just let them know you’re still hard at work, it will keep them intrigued and interested in buying whatever is coming up next.
• Offer links to products, articles, and more. When you’re telling your consumers about your newest and best items or sharing content that you’re passionate about, you want them to go straight to your site to learn more. With tools like Instagram stories, you can embed links directly and share them with a simple swipe.
• Go more in-depth with product or service explanations. Shopping online can be difficult. Even purchasing things in-store can be tricky when you don’t know what you’re really getting until you get it home and try it yourself. Giving your customers a sneak peek of the function or use of items on your stories will reassure them that the purchases they’re planning to make are smart ones – or that those items will look, feel, or work well for them!
• Preview new products to get people excited. Nothing makes consumers more excited than feeling like they can go behind the scenes with their favorite brands. Offer your followers that chance by broadcasting sneak peeks at upcoming products or new facilities via Instagram.
• Capitalize on special days or events. Everyone loves a holiday or special event. Many consumers actually wait for these days to make purchases because they anticipate sales or specials. Give your followers a reason to celebrate by offering them great deals or discounts on specific days – and be sure to make your story festive and fun to go along with the season and spirit!

Ready to learn more about how Instagram stories can be the key to a more successful new year for your company? Contact the experts at 4 Step Studio. We have the knowledge and expertise to help you turn the coming year into the best ever for your brand – and use all the tools that social media gives you to do it!

Fill out this form to get a free consultation from our digital marketing professionals.

About 4 Step Studio

4 Step Studio is an online marketing agency that specializes in website design and redesign, SEO, social media and more. Our team of experts focuses on helping small business get found online, while educating them on what will make them successful in the digital world. To learn more about what we can do for you, visit our website at www.4StepStudio.com