You’ve likely noticed the story feature on Facebook and Instagram, but do you know how to incorporate it into your social media marketing campaign? Stories consist of images or short videos that disappear after 24 hours. Stories are an opportunity to post exclusive, time-sensitive offers, exciting announcements, or content that is more personal and engaging to your followers.

There are five things you should do to make the most of your Facebook and Instagram stories.

1. Plan Your Story

Your story needs to have a compelling narrative, and it helps to plan out the story you want to present. Overall, Facebook stories are casual and offer genuine, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your company culture. Stories should be fun and creative, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a plan.
A basic storyboard can be helpful in determining the type of videos or images you’ll need to tell your story. But make sure your final product captures the personality of your organization in a genuine and organic way. Stories that are stiff or overly-scripted won’t appeal to your audience.

2. Share Time-Sensitive Promotions

The brief nature of Facebook and Instagram stories makes them perfect for one-day promotions or discounts. Your followers will know that this offer is only available for 24 hours and that will inspire them to act quickly! Plus, they’ll want to check out your stories regularly, so they don’t miss any great deals.

3. Share What Makes You Unique

Stories are a great way to establish a relationship with your followers. They allow you to post content that is more personal, and lets your viewers get to know the people behind the brand. Introducing your followers to the casual, fun side of your company helps build trust and increase brand loyalty.

4. Use Image-Enhancing Story Features

There are lots of features available on Facebook and Instagram stories like stickers, emojis and filters, and customizable font and color options. You can use these to make your stories stand out. Just make sure you don’t go overboard! Too many effects can look cluttered and cheap. Stick with features that are relevant to your brand and in-line with the image of your company.

5. Track Your Progress

Stories make it very easy to track your social media marketing success. You can know exactly who’s watching, and that allows you to improve the targeting of your marketing strategies. And don’t forget to add a call to action at the end of your story. Let your viewers know that you want them to visit your website, share your post or download your app. This has been shown to increase follow-through and will help you reach your social media marketing goals!

Learn how a social media manager can help you create stories that will captivate your audience!