3 Cool Ways to Use Instagram Stories to Boost Your Business:

Many businesses are now using all kinds of social platforms to boost their business. One of the most popular platforms at the moment is Instagram. In fact, there are multiple ways to use this particular platform to boost your business. There is one aspect of IG that is super popular and that is its Stories features.

Here at Karla Dennis and Associates, Inc, we always want to give tax, business, or tech tips. We recognize the power of social media, so we love to share tips that we have gathered along the way. Using Instagram stories to boost your business is a little known, little talked about subject- so we’re here to give you the information you need.

Here are 3 ways to use Instagram Stories to Boost Your Business

Using Instagram Stories to Boost Your Business Tip #1-Use the analytics found through your stories:

When you post content on your Instagram story, you can actually keep track of how many folks looked at your story, how many profiles clicks there were, and much more. This is really great information for you as a small business. This tells you what work you are outputting that is giving you the best response. Whether it’s a call to action or just a promo- it’s important to see how your audience responds to your work. The best way to test this feature is to make a story post, wait about 24 hours, and check out the numbers.

When you swipe up and check the views, you will see who saw your story, and also any interactions. Depending on your account, you may have different features. For example, once you hit 10k followers on IG, you get a feature called “swipe up.” This means that you can post content and attach a link to it, so folks who see your post can swipe up and be led directly to the link. Once you have this feature, it’ll tell you how many viewers actually checked out the link.

If you do not have this feature or this many followers yet, there are still ways to create interaction and exposure for your business. First, you can use stickers in your Instagram Stories to Boost your Business. Stickers are “calls to action” that you can put in your stories such as polls, questions, or even just reactions.

In the picture shown here, you can see how the data shows 4 replies and 2 profile visits. You can even see how many followers you got from a certain Story post as well. As you can see, there is a lot of information you can gather from the story feature. The main objective of course should be to create content that is appealing to your audience, create engagement, and gain a following. To read more on this topic, click here!

Using Instagram Stories to Boost Your Business Tip #2- Show behind the scenes of your business!

Many viewers like to see behind-the-scenes footage or insights. For example, if you are known for your videos and content, why not show your setup or studio? Show the making of your product, and create engaging videos that your viewers would want to see. The best part about using Instagram stories to boost your business is that it won’t affect your feed.

One of the most popular ways small restaurants have gained success has been through their stories. Many businesses will show their process. How they make their ice cream, donuts, or drinks. The stories are quick and last 24 hours, but can also be saved to your highlights later. Another way to use Instagram stories to boost your business is through using the story features every day to create a brand and look for your business.

Many business owners are either lost or super-efficient when it comes to their grid. With stories, you can be more casual and informative. You can choose to keep your aesthetic, or you can share videos of yourself talking, working, etc. Another great alternative is to test out your video skills in your stories before actually posting on your feed. Using the story posts is a great way to dip your toes in promos, videos, or just casual insights into your business.

If you still feel lost or want to learn more about using social media for your business in general, click here. 

Using Instagram Stories to Boost Your Business Tip #3: Use Hashtags and expand your audience

Stories on IG can be found randomly and can even be shared. There is a cool hack that can be used to expand your audience and exposure. If you are going to post something on your story, use hashtags and hide them behind your photos or text. That way, your posts can be found by others who may not follow you, but you can keep your story posts relevant and engaging, without your viewers having to see all those hashtags. If you have a team, make sure to tag them as well so they can share your stories, which leads to more and more viewership.

For example, KDA has its own Instagram account, but so does Karla Dennis. We always share her content and use our platform to further boost hers. It’s all about connection, numbers, and exposure. Make sure to tag relevant accounts in your stories, use hashtags, and other stickers. Another example of stickers that are useful is the “business” stickers. Instagram has curated specific stickers to use in your stories to help you gain more exposure and views.

Conclusion

In general, our advice is to experiment and use Instagram stories to boost your business in numbers, creativity, or just exposure. Play around with what you can do, and trust us when we say how limitless your option is with stories.

Even if you do find yourself slowly growing your following, keep track of your data, and be consistent. The new wave of business is upon us and social media plays a huge factor in that. If you know that you can use Instagram Stories to boost your business, why not learn how and try it out!