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Top 5 Brand Storytelling Ideas for #Intagram Stories

Top 5 Brand Storytelling Ideas for Intagram Stories

1. Create an explainer sequence of events.

Instagram's unique place of visuals makes it an excellent forum to showcase sequences. For instance, if there’s a major news story or trend impacting your industry, break down important facts into a series of images overlaid with captions offering a bit of context.

2. Host a pop quiz. 

Who doesn’t enjoy a good question? Start your day by asking a true/false or multiple choice question. The question could be tied to a project you recently rolled out. Or, it could be about you. Create mystery by posing a question and spreading hints over a few pictures or video snaps before: "The answer is."

3. Offer exclusivity.

If you’re wanting to build following, provide that thing that can’t be found on other channels. Reveal the design of an upcoming product or tease out a “top secret” new project. Your viewers will feel as though they are part of something exclusive. 

4. Bring audiences into your world.

Your audience appreciate seeing the personality of you — especially on Instagram — and what better way to show it than through a personalized journey with you. Take people behind the scenes to an event you’re hosting, attending or inside your office at a meeting.  Showing the work you do builds your credibility and brings your audience closer to you. 

5. Host a Snapchat takeover. 

Invite a person of interest to run your account for a few hours. The host could be someone from your own department, a brand ambassador or your boss. Takeovers can expose your audience to new content, expand your reach, and help nurture your community. You may get a cool idea on what to share going forward.

Facebook Steals Snapchat “story” Feature for Instagram

 

Stories on Instagram just launched earlier today. Essentially, they create a set of occasions (I call 'Instants') that will appear in a slideshow format, much like Snapchat stories, which can be viewed by your audience for up to 24 hours, much like Snapchat stories, and which then disappear without remaining on your profile – all together now – much like Snapchat stories.

But, if Facebook is choosing to compete, it must not be thinking of buying. The social media giant could crush snapchat. 

 

Content is King, Curator is Queen

"Content is King," Bill Gates famously said 2 decades ago, making his prediction that soon, "anyone with a PC and a modem can publish whatever content they can create." 

When speaking about content in the near future, I think we can say with certainty that it will be even more imperative. It was fairly important up to now as well; very rarely would you see a page on the internet that has poor content ranking very high. However, it could still be done, especially by curators more interested in that quick fast success rather than long-term strategies and victories.

It's sexy to take the stairs!

In 2017, the playing field is expected to be leveled, and no amount of SEO trickery will suffice to help those brands that do not take content seriously. This is because content will take a much more diverse role in the near future; it will not only be responsible for visibility, it will ultimately be responsible for engagement and, by extension, turning buyers into advocates for companies and brands.

#Stpete's #MartinaSykes Makes Her Broadway Debut in Motown: The Musical July 12th!

Five Reasons Artist Fail at Social Media #GetASocialMediaPlan

Social media. Whether you hate it or love it, it’s probably here to stay. And like writers, it makes the world go round. If you want to be the type that progresses, you have to use it to promote your projects.

But, simply posting on social media isn’t good enough. And using social media to speak to the folks you already know, when you could just text them, dims your presentation.

Here are 5 reasons why some artists are dropping the ball with their social media marketing.

1. You don’t have a rhythm

You either post too much or you just don't post enough. Yeah sure, it can be hard to generate activity on your Facebook page when you have a Facebook profile that naturally gets more traffic.

And you think Twitter has taken a backseat since Instagram came onto the scene. So why bother?

Well, whether you believe it or not, regularly posting (even when it feels like it’s falling on deaf ears) does make a difference. It keeps people interested in what you’re doing. It gives people a place to go to find out more. It reminds them that they can go directly to the source (you) for information instead of roaming the internet trying to figure out where you’re going to be and what time you go on.

Then there is the individuals who post the same thing every three days or so. You post different content ever hour on the hour. You share the same thing on your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook profile without taking the time to make your content unique and appropriate for each platform.

2. You post content at the wrong times

Posting at the wrong time is the average social media mistake. If you really want audience to donate to your Kickstarter, posting about it on a Saturday evening when they’re out to dinner with friends just won’t work.

Remember this: Most people check their social media feed before they leave their home every weekday morning. They will check again on their 1st work break. They will check again during lunch and then perhaps once more before they leave work on that afternoon break.

3. You think your Social Media accounts are for advertising

Your social media accounts do not exist for the sole purpose of talking about what you are doing. In fact, they exist for the sake of connecting with your audience.

Forget about what makes your audience like your work. More importantly, what makes them like you?

This is an opportunity to connect.

Sharing content is (strangely enough) like being in a relationship. When your audience like you they are more likely to share you with their friends, and support (buy) the things you’re working on – which happens to include the stuff you’re advertising.

4. You forgot to edit

Grammatical incorrectness can totally destroy audience engagement. If your post is too long, most people won’t stick it out to the end. It’s why Twitter’s 140 character thing is so popular. If your comment is an inside joke that only .01% of the population understands, text it instead.

A polished caption should read like a headline with a story told like a mini article. Find ways to make your post straight, digestible, and to the point. There are always exceptions to the rule, but professionally presented posts get more traffic and more shares.

5. You think it’s time consuming

You get out what you put in. Sometimes creating content can take a couple of minutes.

Sometimes it can take 20-30.

Doesn’t really matter as long as you do it. Some weeks you won’t have much to share. Other weeks you’ll have a lot going on. But, like I said, You get out what you put in.

Or you can contact me.

Good luck!

Tonight on CBS' Broadcast of the 70th Annual ‪#‎TonyAwards‬: ‪#‎EphraimSykes‬ and The Most Famous Ensemble on Broadway. Hamilton: An American Musical [via: Broadway.com]