To reach your target audience with a compelling message, the power of stories cannot be underestimated. If your brand uses Instagram or Facebook Stories to build a story, it’s a great way to engage your followers and fans and convince them to click and convert.
The Stories feature has come a long way since its introduction in 2016. Now, by sharing these ephemeral posts on Instagram and Facebook, the company can drive his Instagram fans to their website and other social media accounts, driving them closer to purchases and driving more traffic. I can.
Here, members of the Forbes Agency Council share how branded stories can have the desired effect. Read the insights below to learn about the latest best practices and reap the many benefits Stories can bring to your brand.
Members of the Forbes Agency Council are exploring ways to drive website traffic using Facebook and Instagram Stories.
Photos courtesy of each member.
1. Captivate your audience with the right creative and offers
If your story has the right creative content, an engaging call to action, and a sticker link to your offer, your story can be very successful. With over 300 million views per week on our own Instagram page, the right offers (preferably with video content) explode, but the ones that go unnoticed by our viewers will fail immediately. – Sherry North, Ambition Media
2. Use features to improve organic search results
Brands can take advantage of features such as stickers, music, hashtags, and location tags in their Stories. All of these allow content to be displayed organically on search and discover pages. The best feature is the link sticker. This allows users with over 10,000 fans to include a link in their story to a URL that can be accessed by tapping the sticker. Accounts with smaller audiences can promote their stories using Ads Manager. This also achieves the goal of driving site traffic. – Nathan Miller, Miller Ink, Inc.
3. Work towards accessing the link sticker option
We are working to make the link sticker option accessible in stories on Facebook and Instagram. This allows users to tap the sticker in your story to access the external link you added. Stories with a “Link in Bio” GIF drive very little traffic to your website. Additionally, their recall is too low to have a significant impact on branding. To get the sticker link option, create a business Instagram account and advertise with the goal of reaching 10,000 followers. – Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team
4. Reserve story content for ads and product links
Most of your Stories content will be focused on sharing authentic behind-the-scenes stories about your brand, but some Stories content will be reserved for advertising and product links. Over 500 million people use his Instagram Stories every day, and 58% said they were more interested in seeing brands on Stories. Even better, half said they had visited a website to purchase the product or service they saw in the story. – Samantha Reynolds, ECHO Storytelling Agency
The Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives at successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. am i eligible?
5. Test overlay functionality and multiple story ads
Since Stories were introduced, Instagram users are spending more time on the platform each day (over 20 minutes on average, according to various sources). To stand out from the crowd and drive engagement, test overlay features like polls and stickers. Also, to make sure your Stories drive traffic, test multiple Stories ads and (if you have access) use the link sticker feature to provide direct links so users can easily click and Allow access to the site. —Donna Robinson, Collective Measures
6. Think of the story as a bit of a voyeur.
Give your audience a glimpse of your offer and give them a reason to stay on your website. Instead of publishing everything right away, provide a direct link to your page to increase the chances of it being visited. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions
7. Create a sense of urgency in business initiatives
The power of stories has to be looked at quite differently than the function of regular posts. Stories can provide a temporal snapshot in time and add a sense of urgency to business initiatives that are limited in nature, such as giveaways, events, and contests. Using these methods will encourage your followers to pay more attention to your content and engage with your call to action. – Albert Moufarrij, MACH9
8. Use behind-the-scenes story content
Statistics show that 50% of Instagram users have visited the site to purchase an item after seeing it on a story. Behind the scenes content gives your audience a behind-the-scenes glimpse to keep them engaged with your product or service. By doing this, you can spark their interest and curiosity and whet their appetite to learn more about your product or service through a call to action. – Lisa Montenegro, Digital Marketing Expert – DMX
9. Make your “Secret Story” discount code stand out
Use Stories to highlight the “Secret Stories” discount code that you only get when you view Stories. These gifts inspire them to come back for more. There is also value in staying consistent with your Stories and updating and uploading them regularly. Stories are important for providing timely content that your followers can act on in the moment. – Bernard May, National Positions
10. Helps you visualize how your audience will use your product
With real people using your product in stories on Facebook and Instagram, and time-lapse demos in a variety of exotic settings, you can put your product in the minds of your audience and how they personally use it. You can start visualizing what to do. If you have access to the link sticker feature, always include a sticker with a “Read More” or “Learn More” call to action. By tapping on this sticker, viewers will be redirected to your website to view more information and convert customers. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne LLC
11. Be true to who you are
With the rise of social media, people are fed up with both the curated life it portrays and brands with generic feeds. Get an authentic behind-the-scenes glimpse into the company and the people who make up your business. By regularly profiling staff stories and engaging with your audience, you can strengthen the connection between consumers and your company. -Adrian Falk, Believe advertising and his PR
