In your industry, you are the expert. You have spent years honing your craft and building your expertise, and you are now at the top of your game. But there are certain aspects that you might know little to nothing about, and this includes digital marketing.
One prime example is Instagram Stories, a feature within the Instagram application which allows users to capture and post videos and images and show them to their users for 24 hours. Brands are some of the major users of this feature because it allows them to show their more informal side, post updates and promotions, as well as use it as a tool for brand engagement.
It can be used for more than just creating a sense of urgency for consumers, but also as a gateway for long-form content to draw users in and encourage further brand engagement. So, how do you make the most of this unique tool?
A social media marketing strategy is vital to the success of any campaign. You might think that this cannot be applied to the spontaneous nature of short-lived content, but even this requires a strategy.
While there does need to be an “off-the-cuff” feeling to the content, it also needs to be carefully planned in order to tell your brand’s story. For example, you could use an Instagram or Snapchat story to create build-up over a new product that you will be releasing over the next month.
The strategy should allow the content to feel authentic and “in-the-moment” but should always provide relevant and useful content to consumers. |
Consumers today are inundated with advertisements wherever they look, and while some of these are very intelligent and entertaining, consumers will soon lose interest if all you are providing is advertising.
If you are looking for a way to reach your audience more effectively, why not try a behind-the-scenes video of your day-to-day office life? You could introduce team members and provide insights into how your company operates. This will show a more human side to your brand and will also let consumers know who they will be interacting with when they contact you. Engaging on a more meaningful level will also improve brand loyalty.
Providing educational and relevant content to users is one of the most effective ways to make the most of short-lived social content. If you are able to use your content to teach your audience something that will help them, they will be more likely to engage with your brand.
Both Instagram and Snapchat allow you to create short-form and long-form videos (thanks to IGTV), which you can use to show tutorials on how to use your products, informational videos, and even current trends in your industry. Valuable content will perform on a higher level than other content, but remember to also keep it entertaining and fun. Tutorials can be useful for introducing new products and for keeping current ones top-of-mind.
While uploading a large volume of content might sound like a good way to attract people, the opposite could not be truer. The quality of your content is much more important than how much you are uploading, and this is because you only have such a short time period to grab the attention of your audience.
Instead of uploading multiple videos or images a week, you could focus on uploading one to three strategically planned stories. Setting out a theme for the week or focusing on an element of your industry in each post will provide quality content to users. Inundating consumers with content will deter them and will make your brand feel inauthentic and as if you are simply trying to sell yourself.
Now, you might be thinking that garnering a large number of followers is key when using this short-lived social content, but it is more important to grow and reach the right audience than it is to merely have an audience.
Who is the right audience? People who will eventually become your customers. A social media presence is meaningless if you are not reaching the right people, so be sure to return to your plan of action in order to ascertain who your audience is.
You can use the unique features included in Instagram, such as geo-tags, to help your audience find out more about your business if they are interested in your offerings. |
Short-lived social content might sound like something that is a passing phase, but it is gaining traction and can have long-lasting effects for your business and brand. You need a plan of action and should always remember to be authentic in everything you post.
If you provide valuable and high-quality content, you will be able to attract the right audience. Let Shapeshift provide you with a social media marketing strategy that will generate more leads, garner the right audience and help to grow your business.
