Simple Ways To Use Social Media Stories For Your Business

Everyone has a story to tell, and let's face it we are all a little bit nosy about what goes on for other people, especially in the small business world, We like to know more about who we are buying from or working with.

In a blog for 2020 published by Hootsuite on Instagram, it said that 62% of people say they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in stories.”

The blog also said the average time users spend on Instagram per day is 28minutes, (even less on Facebook) and 200 million of those users visit at least one business profile daily.

I think these statistics are very interesting and although (for me at least) the time per day seems a little low. I think it highlights how you only have a short amount of time to grab someone’s attention.

Most social media platforms now have a stories function and I think this is a great place to share those snippets that are the human-interest elements of your business.

Your girds and timelines are often kept on brand and tidy with messages and content that adds value to your audience. That’s great and there is a pressure for images to be Instagram worthy. This means its not always appropriate to share “real life” in there.

What I like my stables to look live, compared to how my horses like them.

This is when stories become helpful, they only last 24 hours so if you share something real and do it on the go it's not going to mess up your organised posts.

I know thinking of content ideas can be daunting to many small business owners that I talk too so ideas on the fly may seem even harder. My advice for stories is don’t overthink them it’s a snapshot into your day.

So what kind of thing do I think are good to put in stories?

Oops moments- so stuck in traffic and running late, dropped the kids' glitter everywhere etc!

Wins- so maybe a milestone completed like a followers goal or something that’s made you proud maybe a mention in a magazine or an award nomination.

New stuff like new merchandise or products arriving, like my 2021 planner that I’m excitedly waiting for (watch my stories to see.)

It was a proud day to see my logo on a mug.

Any funny or Wow moments that the child/animals present me with to make you chuckle.

On a more business note, I use for stories sharing deadlines, because they are more instant and only 24 hours it can be a useful reminder for your audience. Similarly they can be a great way to build excitement for a launch, revealing little snippets and count downs to get people intrigued.

Shout outs are another great way to use stories because a grid post can be shared and a shop small tag can be added. It’s a great way to support other businesses that you have used or checked into. This can also help get you in front of their audience as they will often share the mention.

Stories come up as a quick snapshot so they should be constructed a bit like a Polaroid or a flashcard, quick and easy to read. That said if you have the can post 100 stories in a day so if you have the content you can use them as a bit of a flicker book catalogue.

This doesn’t only work for products it can work just as well for services when made with an eye-catching graphic and a good hook line.

The gifs element makes it super easy to add a call to action to any story in a fun and quirky way.

I do understand that there are many small businesses where you cant share action shots from your work especially if you work with children or in a position of trust involving client confidentiality, but you still want to attract new clients to keep the diary full so you just need to be inventive and show things potential clients can relate too. Maybe you buy something new or seasonal for your workspace or show a set up ready for kids to enjoy.

If you still feel stuck about stories and how you can add it into your business content why not join my brainstorming session on Friday 6th November 10 am-12 noon on zoom.