Ways You Can Use Instagram Stories To Boost Your Business In 2021

“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.” This comes from the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.

Social media is undeniably powerful. It can help you develop your business in several ways to help you become a successful business owner or marketer. But, to make it happen, you have to have adequate knowledge about the kind of platforms to use for marketing reasons and how to use them to receive the maximum ROI. A social media platform can gain recognition only when it has a huge following and credibility. 

Although Facebook is the number one platform people use for advertising and marketing, lately, more and more people have started investing in Instagram. This is because Instagram has grown in popularity while Facebook slowly becomes outdated. So, nowadays, it makes more sense to use Instagram to build your business rather than any other social media platform. Clueless on how to use Instagram to grow your business? Here’s an answer: by taking advantage of Instagram Stories. 

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories is a feature that allows users to post photos and videos full of fun stickers and text, which vanish after 24 hours.

Here’s a crucial question: Why should you create and use Instagram Stories for marketing purposes rather than focusing wholly on making new Instagram posts? Here is why:

  • They are fun and engaging.
  • Instagram Stories has about 400 million daily active users!
  • Although they vanish quickly, they have a significant impact.

Here are some amazing ways to boost your business through Instagram stories.

Collect customer feedback

Gathering feedback from your customers is critical to the growth of your business. After all, how will you know if your customers are happy about your products and services or if anything needs to be improved?

If you don’t take customer feedback, all you have left is a lot of guessing. Thus, it’s important to ask your customers for their opinions about your business once in a while. With Instagram Stories, collecting customer feedback is way easier and simpler. Also, it is extremely engaging and fun for your audience. All you have to do is to create a Story and use some interactive poll stickers!

Build your email list

Did you know Instagram Stories can develop your email marketing strategy? That’s true! With the Stories feature, you can collect more email subscribers and hence, grow your email list. How? Then, once you reach 10k or more followers, Instagram allows you to add links to your Stories. So, you will be able to add a link to your sign-up page.

Now, there’s something you have to remember. Every link in Instagram Stories are invisible, which means they are hidden under the “See More” button:

So, to ensure your customers figure out the hidden link in your Story, add a call to action (CTA) as well, like “Swipe up to sign up.”

Enhance your discoverability

Instagram Stories can also help you get a lot of local exposure for your brand. With the location stickers, you can let your audience know where you are at the moment, where your parties or charity meetings are, or where your store is located. With the help of location stickers, you will easily be able to drive more foot traffic to your store.

Here is an example of how brands use location stickers in their Stories:

Strengthen customer-brand relationship

If you want to grow your business, you need to convert your one-time customers into loyal ones. After all, the more people are loyal to your brand, the more you can earn. Now, to ensure your customers keep on buying products from your store or utilizing your services, you need to develop a closer relationship with them. Instagram Stories are your pathway to do that.

Here are a couple of ideas for Instagram Stories content that can strengthen the relationship with your customers:

  • Create and share simple tutorials and DIY (i.e., “do it yourself”) videos.
  • Interact with your audience by asking exciting questions.
  • Thank your followers.
  • Share user-generated content and show your customers that their content is important for you and appreciate it too.
Drive traffic to your blog

Content is king, truly! After all, producing and publishing an engaging blog post on your blog now and then can yield marvelous results like boosting your SEO, increasing your sales, or helping you connect better with your audience. But, you won’t attain any of that if no one knows about your new blog’s content. You have to remember that traffic won’t drive itself to your blog. So, promoting your new blog posts is essential.

Now, the finest way to drive more traffic to your blog is to share a lot of new content on social media platforms like Instagram. All you need to do is to create a Story where you inform your audience about your brilliant new blog post and add a link to it. That’s all! The news will spread like wildfire.

Here is an example:

Increase your sales

What better way to boost your sales than by sharing pictures and videos of your brand new products on social media platforms and inspiring people to visit your online store? 

However, there’s a tiny problem with this strategy. In general, people don’t like being bombarded with dozens of ads every day that talk about new products, discounts, or special offers and dreadfully encourage you to “Shop Now!” Thus, the more ads of such kind you create and post, the more likely people will start unfollowing you. The solution, you ask? Instagram Stories, of course!

Instagram Stories is a fantastic place to inform your audience what is new in your store. Why? Because millions of people view Stories every day, and they disappear after 24 hours (so, your followers aren’t likely to feel overcome with marketing messages).

Ready to start using Instagram Stories for marketing purposes?

There are different ways you can use Instagram Stories to grow your business. Workaround whichever ones suit you and your business the best! Your Instagram stories will receive excessive views only when you have a high number of followers and viewers. For this, you need to increase your online visibility for your business and see people loving your Instagram and your brand. This is possible through WeJustSocial’s social-proof services. 54% of people will visit a website after getting a positive impression from others. Having a recognizable Instagram following is an effective way to show your positive worth!

Interested in growing your Social Proof on Instagram and expanding your reach? Get in touch with WeJustSocial to learn about how we can help.
WeJustSocial Social Media Management

Ways to turn your followers into customers for life

Introduction

Realize your dream to be a successful entrepreneur through Instagram. An adequate number of followers determine the success of a business on Instagram or Facebook.  However, the ability of the account holder to convert the followers into customers determines the ease.

Use the following ways to turn your Instagram followers into customers for life:

According to a research,

73% of brands post at least one photo or video per week on Instagram.

   1.        Be a storyteller

A picture speaks a thousand words! Through every picture, convey a storyline that highlights the product in a manner in which the customers can use it. For instance, a travel wallet contains a passport replete with visas and a boarding pass.

Make your posts about the customer and how a product can be a part of their memories. A customer shops with his heart and a picture is often the easiest way to touch people’s emotions. Do not make the mistake of making the post about the product. Make your posts customer oriented.

The followers should be able to connect with the bottom line of the picture. With each product or the service, the approach should be to make the customer understand the emotional quotient behind it.

2.        Be authentic

The ideal goal is not to get the first time orders from the followers. Rather, the goal is to make the followers, customers for life. This is possible when the followers receive the orders true to their expectations.

Deliver the product or service as per your post. You may lose customers in case you are not able to achieve the same.

Before using filters, make sure that the altered picture does not change the appearance of the product. Also, make sure that the end results are in correlation with what was promised, especially, if you are selling a service. The quality of the product and service determines whether the customer would return for the second order or not.

3.        Build trust

Make your posts in a way that the customers get to voice their opinions. The point that always manages to drive the sales is that you make customers feel special and valued at your company. Engaging posts can help you achieve this. Start polls or ask questions which not only markets your product but also allows customers to enjoy their participation.

The most common way is using contests in which customers are asked to post pictures related to a particular hashtag. Select a hashtag that resonates with your company brand and this will be an effective way of building trust.

Moreover, ask your customers for their suggestions on what they would like before introducing a new collection. This way customer gets the idea that their opinions helped in shaping up the new product or service. This increases sales and garners trust, which eventually means returning customers.

4.        Understand your audience

It is essential to identify and thoroughly understand the customer base that you intend to target. There are some products primarily for teenagers, some for business professionals, and some for mothers while some for senior citizens. Social media strategies greatly vary depending on the type of audience that you are targeting.

A business professional can never be reached out in the same manner as a teen can. Hence, in either case, craft your social media posts and the marketing campaign thoughtfully. Your stories depend on the type of audience. Moreover, not every segment will be available on Instagram. Even if they are available, it is essential to understand their activity as well. Make your posts based on the interest of your target audience to drive sales.

5.        Make use of current events

Make your marketing devoid of political or cultural bias. But you can use them to your advantage by understanding the general mood of the target audience. By targeting your posts based on the same, the audience reacts positively and feels connected to the product as well.

However, it is imperative that you do this without hurting any sentiments or being disrespectful. For instance, highlight the strongest women amongst your followers and garner trust amidst a feminist movement. The idea is to increase the connectivity of the product for the followers.

Customers who feel a deeper connection based on interest are more likely to return to the same brand later. The only requisite is that you make the posts positive, relatable, tastefully planned and well executed.

6.        Special occasions

Use special occasions effectively for engaging followers. Most brands use them to announce sales. Start planning ahead for a special occasion to make your followers returning customers. For example, in the months leading to the graduation season, make your posts in order to showcase products as meaningful presents. This will enable your followers to see them ideal for their new graduate children.

Echo your products with the sentiments of the followers. Plan in advance so that the followers get an ideal timeline to place orders for the products. Secondly, this will also help them remember the brand the next time when they plan for a similar occasion. Thirdly, this also helps the customer to recommend the same brand to others planning for similar times.

7.        Share experiences

This is most necessary when selling a service. Convince people through success stories. Sell an experience before you sell a product in order to gain customers. You can build a new level of trust among new as well as current customers by sharing experiences of general customers.

Convince your followers into becoming your trusted customers. Persuade them through other customers based on shared interests and requirements. Moreover, existent customers will also develop a deeper level of trust in your brand and return for their subsequent purchases. This way you are generating new customers as well as garnering returning customers.

8.       Build a community

Instagram offers unprecedented direct contact with your customers in the form of followers. Never underestimate the potential of this opportunity. Never make it explicit that sales are your priority. Instead, concentrate on building a community as your followers, irrespective of their backgrounds, have now a common interest, your brand.

Keep on highlighting the relevance of your followers to your brand story and its growth regularly. Do this not only through posts but also through Instagram stories. Personalize the experience for the customers through posts that echo their common beliefs.

You can also achieve this by dedicating a biweekly post to your most regular followers as well. Showcase your gratitude for them and motivate them to continue being your dedicated followers. Customers always appreciate the gratitude a brand offers through such posts. This automatically translates into their loyalty as your customers and drives in recurrent sales.

Final words – 

Instagram has given brands and influencers an unprecedented insight into the lives of their customers. The need is to garner the trust of the followers and maintain the same level in the deliverance.

Want to increase your Instagram reach and engagement and turn your followers into life long customers? Get in touch with us immediately to get some tips and tricks on how to grow your reach and make your account visible to various brands.
WeJustSocial Social Media Management

How to become a makeup influencer on Instagram?

Do you have a knack for doing makeup? Are you interested in sharing effective beauty secrets with people all over the world? Then, the career of a makeup influencer can be perfect for you.  

What is influencer marketing? 

As social media is becoming an integrated part of our lives, Influencer marketing is growing at an unprecedented rate around the world. Why you ask? Let’s have a look at following stats. 

  • 70 per cent of teens trust influencers more than TV celebrities. (Source)
  • Not only do 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, but 40% had purchased something after seeing it on Twitter, YouTube or Instagram. (Source)

 Why makeup influencer? 

 Over the last few years, many brands have collaborated with makeup influencers to generate awareness among their audience. Further, many people are turning to their favorite Instagram influencers for various beauty tips as well as advice on purchasing particular products.

According to a research,

According to a report, 57% of fashion and beauty industries rely heavily on influencer marketing for organic growth of their brands.

How to become a makeup influencer?

Makeup has always been a requisite for many. But not all have a skilled hand at it. Though beauty influencers have some of the biggest audiences on Instagram, it takes a great deal of dexterity to reach that level. Moreover, it needs a passion for makeup and zeal to share your knowledge. 

 

Here are a few points that you can keep in mind to become a successful makeup influencer. 

 
1.  Staying afloat with the content

For any influencer to make his/her mark on Instagram, it is imperative to remain updated with the trends. Featuring the latest trends or going that extra mile and figuring out worthwhile trends makes a huge difference. 

 

Influencers like @mackieguzman showcase a lot of eye makeup because it is in vogue these days. This makeup influencer creates the most drool-worthy looks, which are trending. So, stay active and on top of the ongoing trends to stay ahead in the game.

mackieguzman
2.  Work Ethics

Work ethic is one of the most prominent characteristics to be successful at any job. Instagram has many users, and almost everyone is aiming to become an influencer. However, it is only through a thorough work ethic that distinguishes you from the crowd. 

 

Stick to the niche that you are trying to make in. Also, ensure that the products you use or endorse are genuinely worthwhile for the audience. Running behind endorsements and collaborations without relevant content will simply jeopardize your image on the internet. 

3.  Passion

You need to understand that a makeup influencer’s job is much more labor-intensive than any regular job. It is more or less a 24×7 work and only with the passion you can combat such ridiculous hours. It takes determination and persistence to post consistently without getting bored. This is especially true in the case of influencer because it really takes a lot of time to kick off. Acquiring the initial followers requires a great deal of patience. However, if you are consistent and diligent with your Instagram posting game, you can take your influencing career to the next level. 

4.  Originality

Instagram is replete with makeup influencers. It is only with originality that an influencer can be successful on Instagram. Makeup trends are constantly changing, and people tend to copy celebs. Hence, most influencers upload posts detailing as to how people can achieve a particular look sported by a celeb. They try to emulate such looks in their own posts. Thus, it becomes crucial to inject originality into the post for getting noticed among the rest. 

 

Influencers like @daniellemarcan understand the importance of being original and staying ahead of the crowd. Owing to this, she even showcases posts with vegan makeup products to reach a broader audience.

daniellemarcan
5.  Incorporate variety

This might seem to be a bit of common advice that an influencer should identify a niche and stick to it. However, many makeup influencers end up making the mistake of only posting videos of makeup tutorials. Understand that since now you are an influencer, you are a public figure. The audience wants to see the aspects of your life, which they can relate to. A relatable celebrity is always much more in vogue and irresistible, and people tend to idolize them. Hence, most successful influencers like @iluvsarahii tend to showcase versatility when posting on Instagram. 

 

This breaks the monotony of your Instagram accounts and also keeps the curiosity of the audience at peak. So, play up the inquisitiveness of the audience to stay relevant and popular on Instagram.

 

Also read: How to get sponsorship with a brand using Instagram?

iluvsarahii
6.  Innovation

The need of the hour is to think out of the box to make it big in any career. All makeup influencers post makeup tutorials, but some take it even further. One look at Jazmina Daniel’s account @missjazminad and it is easy to see the reason behind her success. Her innovative thinking and the unconventional use of designs and graphics in makeup is nothing less than an art form. 

 

The idea is to bring a novel approach to the table. There is no fooling the audience in today’s scenario. If demand is high, then so is the supply. Hence, it really needs some innovative ideas and eccentric posts to make a breakthrough.

missjazminad
7. Know your audience

One of the biggest pitfalls for any aspiring influencer is not understanding the varied audience. Instagram has millions of users, and all these users are continually accosting different content. Hence, for any influencer trying to make it big, the need is to understand that the audience is vast. Makeup tutorials of just one kind are not enough to attract the requisite audience. 

 

The idea is to have posts that cater to all variegated interests. A makeup influencer should include office looks, cool retro look, nude look, a simple everyday look along with party glam looks. Catering to popular demands is the most effective idea to amass loyal followers. 

8. Ease of replication

The main idea of being an Instagram influencer is that the visitors can easily recreate the post. Aside from the collaborations, it is imperative to showcase products that are not only economical but are also readily available. In addition to this, try to keep the looks easy to achieve. The underlying message behind every post should be pure encouragement for the audience to try these different looks.

 

Wrapping it up!

Like any other profession, being a makeup influencer needs not only persistence and diligence but also extreme precision. And, the most important thing to keep in mind while you embark on your makeup influencer journey is to always be yourself. 

Want to make more followers and expand your reach? Get in touch with WeJustSocial to learn new ways to create unique posts and stories and increase your visibility among different brands.
WeJustSocial Social Media Management