Everything You Have to know about Social Media stories… and why they could have a Major impact on your Business Brand
Have you noticed the rise in use of stories in social media? Even LinkedIn have joined the party and now have stories. What does it mean for your business and why do stories work?
It didn’t really seem all that long ago when Instagram first started testing and slowly releasing its stories first option. Something that was initially looked upon as a novelty by most sceptics and non-sceptics alike.
I mean, who really cares about content that will disappear after 1 day of being pushed live. There’s no value in that is there? Who is really ever going to us it?
Well it turns out, just about everyone.
Stories have not only upped the ante for everyone with a big cigar and a fire pit, they have led to an incredible impact for businesses wanting to really spread brand awareness.
So on to the burning question…
What is a social media story?
A social media story is a piece of content that comes in the form of videos and images that can be viewed outside of your social media timeline (organic feed) and only have a very small window of 24 hours to be viewed, and then just as quickly as they appeared, they vanish.
Actually, truth be told…
The owner does have the option to archive them into collections which are then displayed on the public profile, so they aren’t truly removed, they are just filed neatly away.
But essentially that is it, a 15 second piece of content that allows you to reach your audience fast.
Why are stories so useful?
Stories keep your content together in the one place. If you tried to do this on the Facebook or Instagram newsfeed it would be disjointed but with stories you can add content to the one story throughout the day, keeping it all together. They provide increased visibility for brands.
Stories suit our lifestyle and our sharing habits – and the stats are showing that it is a format that’s here to stay.
Are stories popular?
Yes, they most certainly are. In fact, it’s not unusual for your story to be seen more frequently than the piece of content you spent time carefully creating to post to the timeline.
Why is this?
Well, put simply stories will automatically from one story to another and can be quickly skipped if the content doesn’t strike the viewer as interesting. This allows a social media user to gorge on more content in a quicker time span.
Imagine that, a world where the thumb scroll becomes redundant.
No need to imagine it, we are living right amongst it.
So yes, they are popular. So popular that a recent survey conducted showed the percentage of users by platform who access the Stories feature:
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- Facebook: 76%
- Instagram: 83%
- Snapchat: 87%
- Youtube: 76%
Oh, and LinkedIn have now joined the party too.
What does the future hold?
In an ever-changing landscape, who would be so bold as to predict that,
What we do know is that stories are incredibly popular, in part, because they’re so immersive and interactive. You can create images and live broadcasts that give viewers a glimpse into your day, and you can add a little flair using app-specific lenses, animations, stickers, and even music.
For a business looking to further its brand reach, that spells OPPORTUNITY. So get out there and start thinking about how you can utilise a story or two for your brand, and if you’re in need of a little advice for your social stories or even your social media or just marketing in general for your business, you can always reach out to a friendly, professional and caring agency such as the team at Menace.We look forward to seeing what the next 15 seconds brings for you.
If you do require any assistance with any of your marketing needs, then please feel free to contact Menace Group and discuss your requirements are how we might be of service to you. There is never an obligation and you will always receive friendly and insightful help.
If marketing is something you love to do yourself, but you’d like to learn more about the basics and how they apply to your business goals then be sure to check out the Menace Marketing Method. A monthly marketing course that consists of the same marketing strategies we deliver to our clients, however, they’re repackaged and delivered to business owners who can roll them out with the guidance, support and feedback from the subject matter expert within Menace Group.