For the IFBC21 Social Media Virtual Summit on January 15, 2021, we had the expert herself Jenny Melrose from JennyMelrose.com join us to talk about Instagram Stories and how to get real, qualified, consistent engagement. This is a summary of her talk. You can view the full video session by registering now.
1. So many platforms, so little time. So, first and foremost, why Instagram?
Currently, Instagram has over 1 billion users. 79% of those users are between 18-44. Ask yourself, is this the audience you’re trying to reach? There is more to Instagram than the main feed. In fact, there are five different aspects that each present a large opportunity.
- IGTV
- Reels
- Stories
- Live
- Main Feed
Are you looking to work with brands? In 2021, 63% of brands intend to increase their marketing budget in the next year. 79% of those brands consider Instagram an important part of their marketing campaign, this is higher than YouTube and Facebook. Brands are looking for micro-influencers because they realize engagement is key. So one great one to increase engagement is IG Stories.
2. Why Instagram Stories? Because it speeds up the connection.
You need to ask yourself the following:
- What makes you unique?
- What’s your brand?
- What makes you an expert?
By doing this you are on your way to creating an engaging story.
There is so much competition. How do you stand out among the millions of other influencers? Be authentic. This also means being casual and making mistakes. Your main goal is to get into their DM’s. Why? It’s a more personal interaction. The IG algorithm will also then show more of your content to them in the future because IG know you’ve interacted with them. How? You need to warm DM them. This means trying to get them to interact with you before you slide into the DMs. Try the following:
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- Polls
- Ask and question with two options and if they respond positively, DM them more information.
- Example question:
- Have you seen my interview with ___ yet?
- Are you a homebrewer?
- Questions
- Use questions to get opinions. Answer the question on your story and DM them too. Build a connection.
- Quizzes/ Multiple Choice
- This is not used to get opinions, use polls for that. Use multiple-choice to ask questions like two truths and a lie. Then your audience can get to know you more and you can continue the conversation in DM.
- Countdown Timer
- Use this to inform people of a new blog post, or product coming out.
- A timer increases a sense of urgency.
- People can get reminders.
- You can also use a timer and couple it with polls for increased engagement.
- Sound! Let’s talk about it.
- 75% of users watch Instagram with their sound off.
- This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it. Instead, also include text in the story of what you said or tell people through text to turn their sound on.
- Polls
3. Here is your homework for today from Jenny.
Post 3 stories utilizing three of the above features. DM @jenny_melrose to connect and tag @zephyr_beer so we can see and give feedback!
4. This was just the start.
Register now to get more information and listen to the full video session. To view all sessions from the January 15, 2021, IFBC Social Media Virtual Summit check out our Agenda Page. See you at our next live Beer Now event and hopefully at our next awesome in-person conference in Austin, Texas from November 10-14, 2021.
