You only have 24 hours until your Instagram Story disappears, so how will you make it count? You could post another standalone photo from the old inventory—or, you could step up your social media game and follow some of the more recent styles and updates.
Before you hit publish on your next batch of content, let’s explore the latest trends in social media, specifically Instagram Stories. Your audience will thank you.
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Keep It Interactive
By far, the biggest trend we’re seeing in Instagram Stories is interactivity. What does that mean, exactly? Interactivity is any content that engages the audience in an activity; instead of merely seeing, they are doing. Or, as Neil Patel so awesomely put it, interactivity is “the field trip of content marketing.”
Interactivity is all about fun. Whether you are including a quiz or poll in your Instagram stories, questions or challenges, the big idea is to engage viewers in an activity that’s easy to do and entertaining. The bonus with interactive content is you get to learn about your audience’s thoughts, opinions, and ideas, which can help you make important business decisions and improve customer relationships. You know you’re doing it right when your content gets a lot of traction.
Check out what Athleta posted in their Story to promote upcoming virtual events (the countdown is also considered an interactive feature, by the way):
Source: Instagram
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Another noticeable trend in social media stories (and posts)? Tweets.
More specifically, screenshots of Tweets on a plain background using one of the brand’s colors. It doesn’t have to be one of your original Tweets—you can also use someone else’s Twitter content as long as you give them credit and tag them if they have an Instagram account.
Here’s what this trend looks like in real life:
Source: Instagram
The benefits of using Tweets in your Instagram Stories could be:
- Reinforcing a perception of your brand
- Posting a user review of your product or service
- Sharing expert opinions or insight from your industry
- Sharing important information about relevant topics
Use Reels as Instagram Stories
Reels is a newer Instagram feature that allows you to create content similar to what you’d find on TikTok: short-form videos.
You can share Reels as Instagram Stories, and they’ll last for the same amount of time—24 hours. The only exception when you share this video content as a social media story is you cannot add stickers, tags, or any type of interactive content. The video merely displays in its original format.
Why would you want to use Reels for your Instagram Story content? For starters, video content is shown to be the most engaging content on social media, especially Instagram. It’s also another fun way to bring your audience into the conversation, and you can use it to announce special events, new products, or hint at something that’s “coming soon.” The options with Reels are endless, so give them a try and share them to your Instagram Stories.
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Conclusion
Whether you already use Instagram Stories or you want to get started, be sure to test out some of the ways that you can use social media to connect with your own target audience. You never know if something new and exciting will resonate, and it gives you an opportunity to learn more about what matters and what excites them. Bottom line, your brand will be better for it.
Learn More about Social Media Marketing
Now that you’ve read about Instagram Stories, there’s more to learn about social media marketing. Take a look at Simplilearn’s Social Media Certification Training, the online bootcamp that will transform you into an industry-ready social media marketer.
