Use Instagram Stories like this! Eight selections of use cases by companies and a summary of use points.
A new function, Instagram Stories, has been implemented on Instagram, which is becoming more and more used by companies.
“Disappearing SNS (aka ephemeral SNS)” is popular among young people. How can a corporate SNS account take advantage of the Instagram Stories feature, which disappears in 24 hours? We will explain the points of utilization along with case studies.
About Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories (Instagram Stories) is a function to display images and videos taken from Instagram or images and videos already saved (only those within 24 hours) for a limited time of 24 hours. Posts that are 24 hours old will automatically disappear.
How it is displayed on the feed:
On the feed screen, the icon of the account that was posted to Instagram Stories is displayed under the Instagram top logo. The icons are surrounded by a gray frame, and the new Instagram Stories have a frame with an Instagram rainbow color.
Also, the story display order is not a simple new arrival order, but an algorithm that displays the more interesting user on the left side is working. The main factors that affect the order in which stories are displayed are “content interest” and “depth of connection between account and user”.
It’s an algorithm that makes it hard to know the details, but it’s very important to post stories that are of interest to users. Increasing engagement will lead to higher ranks.
How it is displayed on the profile screen
Accounts that have posted Instagram Stories within the last 24 hours will have the icon on the profile screen surrounded by a gray frame and will be displayed in a rainbow color when Instagram Stories is unopened. Tap the icon with the frame to see Instagram Stories.
Examples of companies using Instagram Stories
BOBBY BROWN
Born in New York and a popular cosmetics brand in Japan, Bobby Brown has posted a collaboration campaign with Uber in NY and LA on Instagram Stories. In a new product concealer, the retouching series PR measure, if you enter the campaign code and call the car-sharing service Uber, Bobby Brown’s makeup artist will use the retouching series to make up while riding thing.
The slogan of this concealer is “No need for a beautiful skin app anymore.” The point is that even among SNSs that have a posting function that disappears, they use Instagram without a filter specialized for beautiful skin.
By the way, it’s not only Bobby Brown’s PR, but it also helps Uber’s PR that “the more you can make in the car, the more comfortable and safe the company is.”
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/bobbibrown/
Chanel
Most of the high-end Chanel posts are designed for publicity, but Instagram Stories posts the rough every day surrounding the brand.
A glimpse into a world that is hard for ordinary people to see, such as an introduction by Muse’s Lily-Rose Depp and a snapshot with Pharrell Williams, who attended the new Chanel N ° 5 Law announcement party.
Taking advantage of the 24-hour limited feature, we send a more realistic appearance of Chanel than a normal post such as an off-shoot. Isn’t the gap with the high brand image irresistible for fans?
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/chanelofficial/
Starbucks Coffee
Starbucks Coffee, originating in Seattle, has posted on Instagram Stories to announce the date of voter registration in the US presidential election, which is said to be more exciting than Super Bowl. Elections are an important process because the United States cannot vote in the presidential election without voter registration.
Starbucks posts to Instagram Stories, which is displayed on the prominent feed screen TOP, to inform users and enlighten the importance of voting.
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/starbucks/
National Geographic
National Geographic, a magazine that covers every discovery and adventure, as well as what is happening on Earth and in space, uses Instagram Stories to advertise its monthly issue for the next month. A series of images and videos displayed one after another is like a movie trailer.
Instagram Stories is displayed at the top of the feed screen, and when new posts appear on the left, old posts flow to the right, but they are less buried in other posts than feeds, so post what you want fans to know It is suitable for
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA usually posts beautiful images and videos such as planets and cosmic phenomena, but Instagram Stories introduces real people such as those who work at NASA. Give your users a more immediate impression by giving them details about what agencies are doing and who is doing them.
With Instagram Stories, you can tell people about what departments they work in, how rewarding they are, and when they feel proud.
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/nasa
Red Bull
Energy drink maker Red Bull rarely introduces products in regular posts but distributes information on events such as sports and activities held by the company mainly through video postings. We use Stories so that even those who are not actually going to the event will be able to communicate the calm and power of the event.
At Stories, we control the user’s eyes and actions with messages such as “TAP TO MOVE” and “SWIPE UP TO WATCH”.
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/redbull/
Maybelline
Maybelline, one of the top cosmetics companies in the United States, posts information about its products and photos of models using the products through regular postings. In this story, we introduce our own product called master chrome. We appeal to users by displaying the use of the model and the performance of the product in a clear and easy-to-understand language.
In this story, we started with the posting of the leftmost photo and added 4 photos sequentially during the day. With regular posts, if you post many times a day, you will be overwhelming the user’s timeline, but with stories, you can introduce products in multiple ways without making users feel annoyed.
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/maybelline/
LEGO
The LEGO account, famous for toy-like products, uses regular posts to post photos focusing on LEGO characters and photos that give a sense of humor by integrating LEGO into the real world. In this story, we have posted a post about the #heroesofny, a Lego character with an American hero motif. Stories are divided into frames and are structured to feel like turning pages of American comics.
When multiple images are posted in Stories, the images are switched by the user’s tap, so if the content has a story, it can give the user a stronger sense of reality.
Image quote: https://www.instagram.com/lego/
How companies should use Instagram Stories
We will summarize the points and cuts for using Instagram Stories from corporate cases.
- You can use it for public relations campaigns for new products using the 24-hour limited release rules. Since it is instantaneous, it can also be used for campaigns linked to stores and other real stores.
- You don’t have to build on your brand image as it doesn’t stay on your profile page like regular Instagram posts. You can post live or timely things as they are, and entertain your fans with rare shots.
- Fulfill the needs of your core fans with posts that focus on things you don’t normally see behind the scenes, the process of creating a product, and the people who work for your company.
- Because it is displayed on the top of the screen, it is hard to miss readings, and the new arrival display is easy to understand in color, so it seems to be effective when you want to convey important information to the user.
- Since images and videos are automatically displayed in a slide show format, they can be used like a movie trailer or commercial. With Instagram Stories, you can convey information that cannot be conveyed with a single image using several images.
- You can see all the users who have viewed Instagram Stories on a separate screen, so you can verify that your targeting is correct and even contact them.
Conclusion
Instagram Stories uses Snapchat’s “disappearing” function, which is popular among young people, for Instagram. It can be said that the potential for corporate use of Instagram has expanded because new expressions different from ordinary posts can be made.
Compared to other SNSs with similar functions, Instagram has a higher total number of users, so it can be thought that there is more chance to accumulate know-how. It seems that there are still a few cases of domestic companies, but if you use it well, it is likely to shorten the distance to the user, so please try using it.