4 Steps to Create Interactive Instagram Stories that Engage Your Audience and Boost Your Sales
Instagram stories are one of the most powerful tools for businesses to connect with their customers and prospects. They allow you to share short, ephemeral, and creative content that showcases your brand personality and value proposition.
According to Instagram, one-third of the most viewed stories come from businesses. And in a study commissioned by Facebook, half of the respondents said they have looked for the product/service on websites where they could buy it after seeing a product/service in a story.
But how can you make your stories stand out from the crowd and drive more engagement and conversions? How can you use stories to persuade your audience to take action and buy your product or service?
The answer is simple: by creating interactive stories that engage your audience and use future pacing to make them imagine the benefits of using your offer.
In this article, I will show you how to do that in four easy steps. Keep on reading!
Step 1: Use Different Content Formats to Capture Attention and Showcase Your Brand Personality
The first step to creating interactive stories is to use different content formats, such as video, boomerang, live, etc. to capture your audience’s attention and showcase your brand personality.
Video is one of the most engaging formats for stories, as it allows you to show your product or service in action, demonstrate its features and benefits, or share testimonials and reviews from happy customers.
Boomerang is a fun format that creates a looping video effect that can add some humor and playfulness to your stories. You can use boomerang to show off your product or service or to highlight a specific detail or benefit.
Live is a great format to interact with your audience in real-time, answer their questions, or give them a sneak peek of something new or exclusive. You can also use live to host Q&A sessions, interviews, tutorials, or giveaways.
The key is to use different formats to keep your stories fresh and interesting, and to match your brand's tone and voice.
For example, if your brand is fun and casual, you can use more boomerang and live stories. If your brand is more professional and serious, you can use more video and photo stories.
Step 2: Use Interactive Features to Get Feedback, Insights, and Participation from Your Audience
The second step to creating interactive stories is to use interactive features, such as polls, quizzes, stickers, questions, etc. to get feedback, insights, and participation from your audience.
Polls are a simple way to ask your audience a question and get their opinion on something. You can use polls to get feedback on your product or service, test new ideas or features, or find out what your audience wants or needs.
Quizzes are a fun way to test your audience’s knowledge or challenge them with a trivia question. You can use quizzes to educate your audience about your product or service, share some interesting facts or tips, or create some curiosity and excitement.
Stickers are a creative way to add some flair and personality to your stories. You can use stickers to express your emotions, add some humor, or highlight a specific message or call to action.
Questions are a powerful way to invite your audience to ask you anything they want to know about your product or service or share their thoughts or experiences with you. You can use questions to build trust and rapport with your audience, provide value and information, or address any objections or concerns they may have.
The key is to use interactive features to make your stories more engaging and conversational, and to get valuable insights and data from your audience.
For example, you can use polls to find out what your audience’s biggest pain points are. Quizzes to show them how your product or service can solve them. Stickers to make them feel special and appreciated, and questions to overcome any barriers they may have.
Step 3: Use Future Pacing to Help Your Audience Imagine the Benefits of Using Your Product or Service
The third step to creating interactive stories is to use future pacing to help your audience imagine the benefits of using your product or service.
Future pacing is a technique that involves making your audience visualize how their lives will be better after using your product or service or following your advice. It creates a sense of urgency and anticipation and motivates them to take action.
You can use future pacing in your stories by using words like “soon”, “fast”, “imagine”, “envision”, “picture”, etc. to create a vivid scenario of the desired outcome.
For example, if you are selling a fitness program, you can use future pacing to make your audience imagine how they will look and feel after completing the program. How they will get compliments from their friends and family. How they will have more energy and confidence, etc.
You can also use future pacing to contrast the before and after scenarios of their problem and solution and show them how your product or service can help them avoid the negative consequences of not taking action.
For example, if you are selling a skincare product, you can use future pacing to make your audience imagine how their skin will look and feel after using the product. How they will have fewer breakouts and wrinkles. How they will have a radiant and youthful glow, etc.
You can also use future pacing to make them imagine how their skin will look and feel if they don’t use the product. How they will have more breakouts and wrinkles. How they will have a dull and aged appearance, etc.
The key is to use future pacing to make your audience feel the emotions associated with the benefits of using your product or service, and to make them want to experience those benefits as soon as possible.
Step 4: Use Emotional Triggers to Motivate Your Audience to Take Action
The fourth and final step to creating interactive stories is to use emotional triggers to motivate your audience to take action.
Emotional triggers are words or phrases that evoke a strong emotional response in your audience, such as fear, pain, pleasure, curiosity, etc. They can be used to persuade your audience to do something or buy something by appealing to their emotions rather than their logic.
You can use emotional triggers in your stories by using words or phrases that create:
- A sense of urgency or scarcity, such as “limited time offer”, “last chance”, “don’t miss out”, etc.
- A sense of curiosity or intrigue, such as “secret”, “surprise”, “discover”, etc.
- A sense of fear or pain, such as “warning”, “risk”, “avoid”, etc.
- A sense of pleasure or desire, such as “dream”, “reward”, “enjoy”, etc.
The key is to use emotional triggers that are relevant to your product or service, and your audience’s needs and wants. For example, if you are selling a travel package, you can use emotional triggers that create a sense of curiosity and pleasure, such as “discover the hidden gems of Italy”, “enjoy the ultimate relaxation and luxury”, etc.
You can also use emotional triggers that create a sense of urgency and fear, such as “last minute deal”, “don’t miss this opportunity”, etc.
The key is to use emotional triggers that make your audience feel something and motivate them to take action.
Conclusion
Instagram stories are a great way to connect with your audience and increase your engagement and conversions. By following these four steps, you can create interactive stories that engage your audience and use future pacing to persuade them to buy your product or service.
Remember to use:
- Different content formats capture attention and showcase your brand personality.
- Interactive features to get feedback, insights, and participation from your audience.
- Future pacing to help your audience imagine the benefits of using your product or service.
- Emotional triggers motivate your audience to take action.
Try these tips today and see how they can boost your Instagram stories' performance. And don’t forget to have fun and be creative!
Hello there! I’m Martin Reeves, your friendly neighborhood marketing navigator. I’ve dedicated my career to making digital marketing a breeze for businesses of all shapes and sizes. With a firm belief that marketing should be an exciting adventure, not a daunting task, I guide businesses through the vast digital marketing galaxy, using my expertise to chart a course toward success.
I’m not just your average marketing specialist. I’m a storyteller, a strategist, and a partner in your digital success. I’m here to help you connect with your audience, tell your brand’s story, and turn your marketing goals into reality.
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