In a day and age where just about every organization has a presence on Instagram, it is increasingly important to experiment with new features, and stand out through sharing unique content. One Instagram feature that is often overlooked by for-profit and nonprofit organizations is the Instagram (IG) Story.
IG Story is a feature that allows you to post an image or short video that lives on your profile for 24 hours. After that, it disappears. The IG Story is also used to promote your own Instagram posts and highlight posts on other accounts that you are mentioned in (or are simply interested in).
Although these are great uses for the IG Story, it only scratches the surface of what it can do. The IG Story is more than just a method of promoting your posts, it is a feature that allows you to strategize and preserve your brand.
What Should I Post to My Instagram Story?
There are infinite strategies and techniques that can be applied to your Instagram Story. If you don’t know where to start, we recommend adding posts from your Instagram feed to your story. This can help increase engagement on your posts and with your account overall. The more Instagram features that you use on a regular basis the better because it adds to your overall activity on the platform.
Keep in mind that Instagram Story is an excellent place to engage with your followers. When making an IG Story, you can add question formats to your design. These might include polls, quizzes, or asking followers to share their thoughts. After posting the Story, you can view your followers’ responses and even comment on them using the Story feature (again).
Additional features include adding music that plays while your Story is being viewed, a link that followers can click on, and countdowns to create excitement around a new release or event.
Preserving Your Stories Through Highlights
Typically, IG Stories only live on your Instagram account for 24 hours, but there is a way to preserve them through Instagram Highlights (check out ours, here). Highlights live on your Instagram profile permanently or until you delete them. They are the circles that you may see below one’s Instagram bio. If you click on a Story Highlight, you can view a collection of past Instagram Stories saved to that Highlight. It’s like going through a photo album.
One Story Highlight can save up to 100 past Instagram Stories. Many accounts use the Highlights function to help new followers become familiar with their mission and goals.
Concluding Thoughts
Instagram Story is a useful PR tool for nonprofit and for-profit organizations to use because it enhances what’s possible in social storytelling. From reposting your own content to the Story or reposting posts from other accounts, the Story makes it easier for current and new followers to understand your values and brand persona. The in-app IG Story features such as polls, open-ended questions, and countdowns make for content that is beneficial for the follower. Overall, the IG Story makes for more interactive content.