An Introduction to Instagram Stories and Why It’s Big News for Marketers
Free download Instagram Stories Training Guide.pdf
Instagram Stories can essentially be summed up as Instagram’s attempt to jump on the SnapChat gravy train. These are photos that Instagram account holders can take and share with their users but which will ‘self-destruct’ after one hour, rather than being saved to that user’s grid.
This might seem like small or unexciting new feature for the platform but actually, it represents a bold step into the future for Instagram and a massive opportunity for marketers.
Why Instagram Stories Matter
Instagram Stories essentially give you a new way to communicate with your audience that is a lot more direct and immediate, which will right away help you to increase engagement with your audience.
This is because it makes your audience feel much more as though you are talking to them directly. By sharing a photo that they know you have only recently uploaded, they feel almost as though they are being ‘brought along for the ride’ and almost as though they are there with you.
What’s more, is that the temporary nature of the content will make it immediately more exciting because it will be time-limited. That means that if your viewers don’t check it out quickly, then they will risk missing it entirely!
Another thing to consider about Instagram Stories, is that they will appear right at the top of your viewer’s feed – thereby ensuring that they will be much more likely to see it.
How to Make Your Instagram Stories Successful
Free download Instagram Stories Training Guide.pdf
So, the question is: how do you go about making your Instagram Stories successful? What is the secret to doing this well?
Perhaps the biggest challenge for many creators will be in knowing when to use Instagram Stories and when to upload photos as usual.
One way to think about this is to consider the difference between content that perfectly embodies your brand, versus content that you want to share with your current fans directly.
Because sometimes, you might want to share a joke or a photo of your day with your fans. Letting your followers feel as though they are getting to know you is a great way to increase trust and brand loyalty and especially if you have a ‘personal brand’.
But the problem with this, is that it doesn’t really say much about who you are or what your business is all about. Thus, you might not really want it to appear as a permanent inclusion to your ‘grid’.
The question to ask yourself then is: would you be happy with this particular photo being the first impression that a visitor has of your brand? If the answer is no, then perhaps it is better suited for your Instagram Stories.
And then there are the other options that Instagram Stories give you: the option to create live videos for instance, or to make ‘boomerangs’ which are essentially short repeating videos much like GiFs. All of these provide you with new ways to more directly and personally reach out to your followers.
Free download Instagram Stories Training Guide.pdf
Do This Every Day to Build a Massive Brand on Instagram and Beyond
Do you sometimes look at the big brands on Instagram and Facebook and feel jealous?
Do you wish that you could earn a living doing the things you love and posting about it?
Would you love the fame that can come from having a personal brand?
Would you love to be able to earn money from a business that you created, instead of having to go into work every day?
What exactly does it take to get there? And can anyone do it?
The Set-Up
The answer is that anyone truly can build a massive online brand and gain hundreds of thousands of followers. But while this is true, it’s also true that it isn’t easy. It’s going to take work and determination and it’s going to take a good plan…
The first thing to recognize is that you need to choose the right niche. You need to choose an industry that you absolutely love and that you are happy to work at every single day. If you don’t truly love the niche you pick, then you will grow disinterested in no time and you’ll stop earning from it as a result.
And this is important because if you want to have a highly successful brand and make it your living, then you need to treat it as though it is already your living. In other words, you need to put in full-time work and you need to post consistently with high quality content on all your channels.
The Program
Once you’ve created a great brand and chosen a niche you’re passionate about, you should be able to start building on those strong foundations with regular posts. The good news is that this part is not complicated. In fact, you can follow this simple daily blueprint in order to be highly successful:
Every Weekday:
Free download Instagram Stories Training Guide.pdf
- Post at least one Instagram picture, ideally two or three. Keep a folder filled with lots of old photos, so that you have something to publish on days when you don’t do anything exciting.
- At least once every two days add some form of direct communication - such as n image on Instagram stories.
- Integrate your accounts so that these pictures also appear on Twitter and Facebook
- Post at least one comment to Twitter per day, ideally 2-3 times. Likewise, have a selection of comments you can share on days when inspiration does not strike.
- Every other day, write one blog posts (minimum 500 words) and post it to your blog. Promote that through your own social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter).
- Post at least one video on YouTube per week. Promote this on Facebook and Twitter.
- Every other day, write one ‘guest post’ and try to get it published on other big blogs.
- Spend at least 10 minutes each morning liking other posts on Instagram, joining in in conversations on Reddit and elsewhere and answering emails.
- Spend 10 minutes promoting old blog posts on forums, social sharing sites etc.
- Send one email per week updating your audience as to your activities.
You can do all this spending about 1.5 to 2 hours a day. If you can find this time, then you should find that you can very quickly grow a big audience. It really is that simple, it just takes commitment.
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