What’s the Story with Stories on Social Media?
Once upon a time—and to this very day—advertisements promoted anything from sales at stores to popular rock groups that played at neighborhood arenas. These ads often had taglines that read: “One Day Only!” or “Get Tickets Before They Sell Out!” Today, online marketing uses similar tactics through Stories. Let us explain.
The magic number with Stories is 24 (as in hours)
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are among the social media sites that utilize the Stories function. Through Stories, users have the capability to share photo or video content which remains visible for a 24-hour period. Now, some may ask: What’s so special about having something posted but which can only be seen within a day, and then it’s gone? Answer: It’s because Stories have a time limit that they stand out. Why?
Social media Stories are all about being “in the know”
Taking the above example of ads that use taglines urging people to “act now” a few steps further, social media has fostered a feeling among users to always be “in the know” about what’s happening on their favorite platforms. The temporary visibility of Stories therefore inspires people to click on particular items that catch their attention as soon as possible. And this “action/reaction” give-and-take has helped increase engagement on those social media platforms that implement Stories. Users check Stories of friends, families—and brands.
Brand messaging and Stories
As stated, social media users actively check Stories that are of interest to them because they have only so much of a time frame to do so. Where social media marketing is concerned, Stories create a stronger and more personal connection between brand and customer in a convenient, non-intrusive manner. Dare we say that brand-related Stories are welcomed by social media users? Absolutely! Here are some noteworthy statistics from LinkedIn, which point out that online users consume Stories at “a staggering rate”:
· Instagram Stories: 1 billion+ daily active users
· Snapchat Stories: 265 million daily active users
· Facebook Stories: 500 million daily active users
Impressive figures, yes? And how this high engagement rate benefits marketers!
Stories help marketers gain answers and insights about their audiences
Christina Botte, Director of Social Media at EGC, had this to say about the resulting success from Stories in marketing campaigns:
"We love to use Instagram Stories as a way to gain insight from our followers. We create polls and quizzes to understand audience preferences and improve overall engagement. Polls help us understand what our audience likes and help guide future content."
It may be said that Stories are almost magnetic in their appeal to online users, as they are being accessed for a variety of reasons. This in turn creates a ripple effect that encourages users to seek out other related content. As Christina observes:
"We use Stories to direct followers to our website, linking out to products, educational pieces and blogs, recipes, surveys, and more."
Watch this video, where Christina further explains the value of including Stories in your marketing campaigns.
There are billions of Stories in social media. Could your brand be one of them? If you’re looking to spark added interest in what your brand has to offer and think Stories will tell your tale, check out EGC. Our social media team will efficiently and expertly make your brand's dream story a happily-ever-after reality.
What’s your story? EGC is interested.