With 500 million daily users and one billion overall, Instagram is quickly becoming a social media monster. With more and more people joining the app, Instagram is fighting to be the best, constantly releasing new features to better connect and entertain users.
In fact, it wasn’t all that long ago the picture sharing app announced the addition of its story feature. At first, many thought Instagram was simply trying to copy Snapchat, but in a recent study by Facebook, researchers found nearly 300 million people use this feature every day.
So are Instagram feeds dead? Of course not. It just means people are starting to scroll and tap for different reasons.
Instagram Stories
In Facebook’s survey, they interviewed 100,000 individuals from various countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The results showed people turn to stories for immediate, spur-of-the-moment content. Not only does this connect people, but it gives your followers a behind-the-scenes look of events taking place. This gives brands a sense of humanity. Followers are getting the opportunity to see the faces behind your organization and the processes that take place within it.
In a similar sense, many people feel as if stories keep them better updated. Because they are so immediate and disappear after 24 hours, it frees people from their posting anxiety. Your stories don’t have to be perfect. In fact, they shouldn’t be perfect. The key is being authentic in your posts.
Instagram Feeds
In Facebook’s study, researchers found people turn to their feeds for more specific information. If users wants to find information or new products, they’ll go to their feed because it allows them to explore. They can scroll for hours to find inspiration, and better yet, pictures stay there for as long as the original poster wants. Therefore, followers can reference back to your post whenever they want, not just for a single day.
What Does this Mean for Marketers?
1. Communicate!
Use your Instagram stories to tell your story, especially because they allow for one-on-one messaging between you and your followers. Certain brands like Gym Shark and Tostitos are already taking advantage of this feature to launch successful campaigns.
2. Get Creative!
This is especially important for stories. Don’t be afraid to show your true self and bring in some humor! People like the relaxed feel of stories, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Get those creative wheels turning!
3. Cater to Expectations!
As we’ve seen, people expect different things from stories versus their feeds, so leave the wordy, detail-oriented information for your feed and bring humorous and relatable content to your stories!
4. Target your Audience!
In a similar sense, people are going to expect different things from an athlete and an interior design company, so know who you’re reaching. A story that is successful for one brand’s audience story may not click with yours.
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