Instagram has been one of the most used and popular social platforms over
the last few years.
Many of us find ourselves lost and scrolling for
extended periods of time, but when Instagram stories became a thing, some people were sceptical and chose
not to use the short-term posting function.
This is because they don't know the
benefits,
value and
functionalities of using Instagram Stories.
Why would I want to post something for only 24 hours? How can it possibly increase my followers? Is it worth it? Alrika Moller from media update lays out five reasons why you need to be using Instagram Stories.
1. Stories are super interactive
Social media is fun to use, but sometimes people want more than just
liking and
commenting — we want to feel like
we are connecting with you. We like feeling like we are part of the conversation. This is where stories come in.
Stories allow you to comment. This comment does not disappear in a sea of comments in a comment section. Instead, they go straight to the posters' DMs — meaning they can reply and start an actual conversation.
You can continue the conversation by using polls to get your followers' opinions. And quizzes are a surefire way to get people
interested and
engaging. Some posters absolutely love the
Ask Me Anything sticker as this is a great way to get people to start conversations with you or to get them to give you content ideas.
2. They boost your visibility
With any social media platform, visibility is
everything! You want people to see your post and see your page.
Stories can help.
When you post a new story, your
tiny icon pops up in the front row at the top of your follower's feeds, with a rainbow ring around it, telling everyone you posted something. This rainbow ring creates interest and gets people clicking. Curiosity is
key with social media.
In the last few years, Instagram upgraded its stories by letting them be shown on the Explore page, as long as you are
not a private user. So, how does this help you?
If someone sees your story on their Explore page and they like what they see, chances are they will go check out your page. Getting people to view your profile will lead to more people knowing about you and ultimately increase your follower count.
3. Stories don't have to be short-term
One of the things that are making people wary of using stories is that it is only up for 24 hours. While that is technically true, Instagram added a
loophole. They gave us highlights. What are
Highlights, you ask?
Highlights are a function that allows you to
save stories in different categories on your page so that people can view them, long after 24 hours.
Many users enjoy using and viewing highlights as it creates the possibility of continued
themes for your posting. By using highlights, you also create the image of a page that posts often, making it more enticing for people to follow you.
4. You can keep tabs on who is watching
Every time we post something on any social media platform, we start wondering who saw it. Most of us don't post to look at it ourselves. We post because we want someone out there in the world to see it. Most of us want a lot of
someones to see the post.
Whenever a user views your story, you can see
who saw it and
when. By viewing your own story and clicking on the eye icon at the bottom left of the screen, you can see
everyone that viewed your story.
Neat trick, right?
This is a great way to find out if you are getting the traffic you want or reaching the people you want to reach.
5. Stories promote spontaneity
Stories are instant and
fun! You can take a video directly on the stories function and
post it immediately. There is no need to fuss over the post if you are a chronic overthinker
.
Everything you need to edit and personalise is right there — and easy to use. You can add stickers, music, geotags, hashtags, user tags and all the other
tags you could want.
Meaning I can see something, snap a video right on the app, add whatever else I want and post it within seconds. This is the
easiest way to share parts of your life, post funny moments, or give a sneak peek of a new project.
Stories are a live-in-the-moment, share-something instant function that gives people a behind-the-scenes view of your life and how you live it.
Are you wary of the Instagram Stories function? Let us know why in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva