Tips On How Brands Can Use Instagram Stories To Connect With Audiences
Whilst most consumers are still open to brand messaging during the crisis, situational awareness is key, and reaching people in the right way is essential to effectiveness. To help with this, here are some key tips on how brands can maintain audience connection through Instagram Stories during this current situation.
Share Your Brand’s Story
Brands should keep it real and share purposeful content. Give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at your business to show them what’s really happening, how you’re feeling in this uncertain time and the effect it’s having. Let people know how you’re helping the community, addressing key issues and encouraging them to get involved if appropriate. Examples include brands offering a discount to healthcare and key workers and their families as a thank you for their efforts or brands sharing how they’ve generously donated to relief charities or supported a local cause.
Make It Easy For People To Support Your Brand
Promote the ways that your audience can continue supporting your business through interactive stickers. Whether that’s with the food order, gift card or fundraiser stickers in your Stories. You can maximise reach and response by reposting their stories, shoutouts and reviews and saving stories as “Highlights” so that people who don’t see it in the first 24 hours can still see your content.
Stay In Touch With FAQs And Encourage Conversations
Share important information with your customers, keeping them updated and in the loop by proactively communicating any changes to your business. This could help relieve strain on your inboxes, as you can direct audiences to FAQs and clarify what’s happening. If users are searching for answers, using the question sticker is a good way to encourage conversation, as they can be used to find out how people are feeling, what they’d like to hear/see more of. You can even build excitement by using the countdown sticker, which could signify a key moment of a digital event which you may be planning.
Uplift, Engage, Inform.
Content that will be received well will fall into one of the following categories; uplifting, engaging or informative. Share positive stories around kindness in the community, and health and safety messages from trusted sources. Use the “Stay Home” sticker, where appropriate, to encourage your community to stay at home and to stay healthy. But don’t forget, Stories is where users like to express themselves’, and brands can tap into this through challenges and re-sharable templates.
Be Considerate And Timely.
Last but not least, pay careful attention to the videos or imagery you’re posting and whether they contradict the current social reality, for example showing people touching or being close should be avoided. Evaluate what may be top of mind for audiences, and highlight products that can help the adjustment to change, such as working from home.
If you need any more information or advice on your digital marketing campaigns, need some guidance on where to start or are looking for an agency which can manage yours for you, get in touch today.
