Now that Instagram stories are picking up popularity, it can be difficult to decipher when your business should create a post, a story or go live. It’s important to diversify your strategy to keep the attention of your audience. We discuss the frequency of postings and the types of content that should be included.
Instagram Posts
With Instagram posts, you should bring the best curated content to the table. Incorporate eye-pleasing videos and photos with interactive content. You must think twice about hashtags and filters for your feed. Understand your theme. Strike a balance between light-hearted content and business content. When it comes to frequency of postings, think quality over quantity--and time of day, well that depends on the specific audience related to your business.
Instagram Stories
Instead of only “wow” images, Instagram Stories give you permission to post images that may be more raw. This marketing tactic leverages a brand’s creativity and authenticity and gives you a chance to show a behind-the-scenes of less polished viewpoint for your followers. Enhance content with filters, boomerangs, text and stickers that align with your brand and business strategy. Include followers with mentions, use links, show a product in action, announce discounts, turn blog content into mini-articles, include feedback with polls or do employee instagram takeovers. Featuring stories frequently and consistency will have followers keeping up with your profile.
When posting stories for your business, it doesn’t matter the time of day like a regular Instagram post. This is because the story will still appear for 24 hours at the top of its followers feed, unlike the algorithms used for Instagram postings. Although, stories are considered more casual than a permanent post, they still must be well planned and thought out.
Instagram Live
Real-time marketing aka, “going live” shows transparency within a business. Running a contest, hosting a Q & A, covering an event or broadcasting a tutorial are ways in which you can keep your audience involved. Keep in mind streaming a real-time video needs to have a purpose and bring value to its followers. Followers will receive a notification when it goes live, so make sure it’s worth watching and understand the best time followers will “tune in.”
Any ideas not mentioned for what makes the best content on a specific platform to Instagram? Comment below!