Instagram Stories have come a long way since they first appeared on the app. Of all the different areas of Instagram that I call the Instagram Neighborhoods, Instagram Stories are the most casual and interactive. Plus, they’re a great opportunity to connect and sell to your engaged followers.
Continue reading this blog post to learn how to get people to actually look at your Instagram stories.
In this blog post:
Post content appropriate for the Instagram Stories neighborhood
First, let’s explore how you can actually get people to look at your Instagram stories.
First, as I just mentioned, you need to publish the content appropriate for the Stories neighborhood. Due to the nature of Instagram Stories and how they are presented in the app, they are primarily aimed at your existing followers. Essentially, this means that the people who view your Instagram Stories are likely at least a little familiar with your business.
Since Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours, they don’t have to be perfectly polished content either. Your stories can be real-time, authentic, and made with less polished content.
When planning your Instagram Stories content, you should also consider the creative elements that will help you attract more viewers. This includes engagement stickers like polls, quizzes, sliders, and question boxes. All of these creative elements will help you start a conversation and build a community.
Remember, customer retention is the goal. A single Instagram Story clip lasts up to 15 seconds, so splitting 2-8 clips is usually the best approach.
Don’t forget to provide context for your Instagram story
Next, let’s talk about the importance of providing context for your Instagram Story. The fact is, most people watch Instagram Stories in silence. It has been said that 85% of people watch Instagram stories in silent mode.
Because of this, you need to use the text tool to give content to what you are sharing in the first clip. You want to grab your audience’s attention right from the start and entice them to watch the rest of your clips.
If you don’t give people a reason to learn more, they’ll just keep typing.
Use captions or subtitles
Now I know what you’re probably thinking: “Sue, you already told me to provide context… Why do I need to add more text?” The truth is, captions and subtitles serve a different purpose than text for context.
Not to mention that adding subtitles ensures that all of your followers, including those with hearing disabilities, can enjoy your content.
To learn how to add subtitles or closed captions to your Instagram Story video, check out this YouTube video.
Why you need a catch in your first Instagram story clip
Finally, here is my biggest pro tip, which I also use every day. You should always add a hook to your first Instagram story clip.
You only have a few seconds to stop people from skipping past your content. While the subtitles slowly roll in, the hook at the pace you speak gives people a reason to keep watching. You need to tell people why your content is worth their time.
For example, in my story clip, I might say, “Hey guys, this is Sue B. I’m here today to take you guys behind the scenes of my day of YouTube shooting. It’s a lot of glamour, a lot of work and a big team! Can you guess how many people donate on a YouTube day?”
Then I would add a quiz sticker to increase engagement.
The hook I would put in for this story clip is, “Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at my day of YouTube shooting… Can you guess how many people are helping me put 8 videos together in one day?”
This text helps capture my viewers’ attention, encourages them to view my content fully, and participate with the engagement sticker.
Ultimately, I know that if you provide context in your Instagram stories, are casual with your followers, use text and captions, and use a hook in your stories, I know that you will definitely grab your followers’ attention. Plus, you turn your followers into superfans and buyers!
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