Why Should you Use Social Media Stories for Your Business?
If you use a social media platform such as Facebook or Instagram, you might have viewed ‘Stories’ of the people and brands you follow. When you click on them, you receive status updates or crisp information in a few seconds. They remain above or outside regular newsfeeds and disappear after 24 hours. But have you ever thought that you could leverage social media stories to boost your business?
Seven leading social media platforms—Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter, and LinkedIn—have the feature. Put together, these platforms have more than three billion active users. As per Instagram, its users spend an average of 24 to 32 minutes viewing stories. As per Facebook, nearly one billion people all over the world upload stories daily on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
If you are still not convinced, here are 12 reasons why you should consider using social media stories to boost your brand.
1. Wider reach
As discussed above, seven social media platforms enable users to upload and view social media stories. Brands on these platforms have the opportunity to send their status updates and stories to their followers.
2. Cost-effective
Advertising on some social media platforms costs money, such as boosting a promotional post on Facebook or Instagram. Some ads also need to invest time in editing and making other changes. But social media stories are free and easy to post. Apart from being more cost-effective, they are more engaging and attractive.
3. Brand visibility
As per Socialinsider’s Instagram Stories Study 2020, brands that post up to five stories a day have their customer retention rate at 70 percent. When American clothing behemoth Gap began posting video stories, they recorded a 73 percent surge in click-through rates (CTRs). The CTRs enhanced their audience engagement, brand visibility, and traffic.
4. Perfect for contests, sales, and promotions
As the content disappears after 24 hours, social media stories are perfect for a limited window of opportunities such as promotions, giveaways, contests, or sales. Many customers don’t want to miss out on a promotion or giveaway. So they regularly check for stories and status updates from their favorite brands. Using social media stories, you can upload promotions, giveaways, contests, or sales.
5. No need to refine the content
In the time of filters and effects, staying real is a virtue. Amid all perfect-looking photographs and choreographed videos, a candid snap (or footage) stands out. It tells a story without the pretense. Social media stories don’t need to be fine-tuned. Personal and unrefined stories are more engaging and real than edited and filtered photos. This tells viewers that a business is transparent enough and has nothing to hide.
5. Personalize your brand and gain viewers’ trust
Social media stories enable brands to give a personal touch to their business. Behind every finished product and success story, there are stories of blood, sweat, and tears. Some businesses use the stories feature to show behind-the-scenes photos and videos. Viewers get to see personal and real moments and connect with the brand even more.
6. Generate traffic to the website
As per Instagram, one in every three people is more interested in a product or service after viewing it on stories. As per another study, people click on links in stories twice as much as they click on regular social media posts. Brands are now using social media stories to redirect their audience to their websites, resulting in greater website traffic and more engagement and sales.
7. Engage the genuinely interested audience
When social media users and followers click on your stories, they are genuinely interested in viewing the content. This enables you to create content that resonates with them. You know that some care for what you are posting, and you upload content keeping their tastes and preferences in your mind. In the case of the newsfeed, users see many posts while scrolling, and you don’t know what content works and what doesn’t.
8. Help you in identifying loyal followers
Social media stories enable you to identify your loyal followers and ‘Top Fans,’ who view your updates regularly and comment on them.
9. Sharing relevant content instantly
While sharing an important update or relevant content, it is best to post immediately. Creating, editing, and uploading content on social media platforms may take some time. But when it comes to stories, it is lightning fast. Social media stories enable brands to upload live content, pictures, or short videos in a matter of seconds. The content doesn’t need to be edited. Social media users get instant relevant content and posts in a fast and convenient manner.
10. Enhance post volume and complement your social media marketing
Most businesses use social media marketing services and rely on content calendars to post content at regular intervals. Leveraging social media stories help them in increasing their post volume and complements their marketing strategies. The stories are different from the feed, and they don’t clutter the social media profile. Brands take advantage of the feature to provide additional content to their target audience. Social media stories appear on the top of newsfeeds. Greater visibility can attract more traffic.
11. Appealing to younger audiences
Younger audiences are finding social media stories appealing and prefer them to posts and newsfeed content. Some youngsters are limiting their time on social media and avoiding endless scrolling. When they open their account, they look for the first few newsfeeds and go to the stories. This enables them to view the most important updates and know what their favorite people and brands are up to.
12. Help in competitor analysis
Many of your competitors are leveraging social media stories to promote their brands and engage their target audience. You can view their content to find out the strategies they are using. If they are doing it right, you may take inspiration from them and follow the best practices. You can personalize your content and make it more unique to create a strong recall value. It will also help you identify what they are lacking and help you avoid those mistakes. You also can take the help of a professional social media management company to use better strategies from your competitors.
Read more:- Facebook Changed Its Name to Meta
On the whole,
Social media stories are short, crisp, and visual content that tells or provides information to viewers. These provide businesses with enormous opportunities to engage with a wide audience and enhance brand loyalty. Apart from rendering high-quality social media services, a reliable social media management company can help you create interesting and engaging stories.
