5 ways to elevate your Instagram stories
Here’s the thing - don't just 'do' stories because you know you should, because it's the thing to do, and because Instagram has made it so easy to create them on the fly.
Going from playing at stories to powering your brand through this channel is about creating content with intention and format.
A powerful story has a beginning, middle and end. If there’s a lot of random content in your stories there might be a disconnect with what you share in your feed - you could lose your audience’s trust. Remember they follow you for a reason and your stories should be congruent with this reason.
So before you post, think what’s in it for your audience. What’s in it for the person you’re trying to serve, the client you’re trying to attract? Then check this list below to ensure that your Instagram Stories are optimised to power your brand and entice people to watch from start to finish.
1. Story-board first
It’s essential to plan out your story first to ensure it has a good structure. A great way to do this is to create a simple storyboard which shows what will be included in each ‘frame’. Pre-planning your promotional Instagram Stories content in this way ensures that you keep your audience engaged by including a beginning (set the scene), middle (add details) and an end (summary and call to action). It will also help you hone in on the key messages as well as a giving you prompts to include any engagement opportunities (adding question stickers, polls etc) and include the right hashtags (you can add 11 to your stories - the hashtag sticker and additional hashtags with the text tool) when you post your story.
The clue after all is in the name - you’re telling a story after all so storyboarding makes sure your content has all the relevant parts.
2. start off with a strong hook
Take inspiration from your favourite books or films, they all start with a great opener, so use techniques such as teasers, setting the scene or building anticipation to hook your audience from the start of your story. Industry stats show that the biggest drop off (exit and next story rates) happen between frame 1 and 2 so add context or give your audience a reason to carry on watching with a strong intro slide.
3. mix up the pace
In order to keep your audience engaged it’s essential to use a range of dynamic content - still images, videos, boomerangs, gifs. The most engaging story formats are those that vary up the pace by using a mix of content.
4. make it a two-way street
Start a conversation, ask questions, seek your audience’s opinion. The power of Instagram Stories lies within opening up a two-way dialogue. The more you can encourage your viewers to interact with your content, the more likely they are to stick around till the end. Add prompts such as ‘tap to see’ and ‘hold to read’ to turn a passive experience into an active one for your audience.
5. Wrap it up in a bow
Just like your intro slide, you want to close your story loop by creating an end and telling your audience what to do next. This could involve taking action such as sending you a direct message (DM) to find out more, directing your viewer to click on the link in your bio, heading over to your grid to read more or swiping up (if you have the option).
If you’d like to unlock the secretes to using Instagram Stories to power your brand sign up to my FREE 3-day challenge here and join the Facebook Group for exclusive tips and tricks on how to master this channel!
