How Successful Businesses Use Instagram Stories To Grow Their Reach (Infographic)

In the battle for social media platform popularity, Instagram comes second only to Facebook; it recently hit 1 billion active monthly users in 2018. This rise in the number of users can be attributed to Instagram’s adoption of Instagram Stories. Three years down the line, this feature has amassed a whopping 400 million daily active users.

Unsurprisingly, since its launch almost a decade ago, Instagram has proved to be a hit amongst the Millennials. According to marketing statistics from Statista.com, 64% of internet using millenials aged between 18 and 29 use IG.

Moreover, the introduction of Instagram Stories has made IG the perfect marketing tool for brands that are targeting the Millennial customer base. This is especially so because 1 in 4 millenials and Gen Z-ers are believed to check out Insta Stories of what they plan on buying.

The feature allows you to post photos and videos that expire after 24 hours. In addition, it supports live streaming, so it’s an ideal platform for hosting Q & A sessions and stream events spontaneously. It is no wonder Instagram ranks amongst the top platforms you should consider in your digital marketing strategies.

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4 Ways to Leverage IG Stories’ Reach

It is a common belief that the Millennial customer base is quite hard to crack and most SMM companies know it. However, if you want to do it on your own, with the right planning and consistent posting of creative and quality content, it will only be a matter of time before you boost your ROI from IG Stories targeting Millennials.

Here are a number of ways that businesses can use Instagram Stories to grow their reach.

1. Create ‘special offer’ ads

Instagram stories’ unique trait is that the content disappears after 24 hours. Therefore, you can use them to distribute your limited-time special offers.

For instance, you can post an Instagram story with a “coupon” that directs users to your bio’s link which then takes them to your business’s landing page that has details of your special offer. The catch here is that the time-critical nature of the story will give the users a sense of urgency to try to claim the offer as fast as possible before it expires.

Rather than using a link, you can also opt to write a story that advises your followers to reply to you via Instagram’s DM feature for them to get your special offer. However, ensure that you provide high-value offers that will keep your customers hooked to your stories.

A case in point is DriveNow who used IG stories to give special offers to customers and saw a 29% decrease in their cost per lead.

2. Share a glimpse into the business behind the scenes

This helps to humanize your brand. Despite them being temporary, Instagram stories that are well polished to provide a brief behind the scenes look of your business will have a lasting effect on your brand’s reputation. This will go a long way to keeping existing customers and converting new leads.

For instance, you can consider sharing company announcements of new products, or staff member’s pranks. This will boost the engagement between your brand and followers hence making them feel part of the business.

3. Make use of the Instagram Stories’ Polls

Instagram’s polls last 24 hours and gives your followers only 2 options. Though such a binary system has its limitations, these polls will help you to gather invaluable info about what your followers prefer.

The polls are also a great way to get direct feedback from Instagram stories about a product. However, ensure to keep your polls simple and fun with “Yes” or “No” answers.

4. Use the Countdown sticker

The Instagram Stories’ countdown sticker tool was added in late 2018 and has proved to be a great addition for marketers. The sticker gives you the option to either share your countdown with other users or to set a reminder for when the countdown stops.

This tool is ideal for brands that want to promote competitions and sales. As users interact with your countdown, Instagram provides you with data of how many users have set reminders for your upcoming events. Therefore, it is ideal for boosting a brand’s awareness.

Thanks to its daily conveyor belt of 400 million people, Instagram Stories is a no-brainer when it comes to social media marketing. It’s no wonder Mercedes-Benz had a 2.6M reach after launching campaigns IG Stories ads.

Therefore, any business that wants to showcase its authenticity and build its personality should consider capitalizing on this feature. The infographic below shows how 30 successful businesses use Instagram Stories to grow their reach. You can use the same tactics to grow your social media reach too.