Why and how should you use Instagram Stories for influencer marketing?
For their second birthdays, most people get a store-bought cake and too many cheek pinches from relatives. For its second birthday, Instagram Stories got 400 million daily users.
Launched in August 2016, Instagram Stories invites people to create a series of full-screen images and videos that disappear after 24 hours (unless they’re archived). Users can add their own personal flair to Stories with text, filters, emojis, and interactive features like polls and Q&As.
Even though Instagram largely copped the idea from Snapchat, Stories already have more than twice the users than the Snapchat app as a whole. Top social media influencers are also using Snapchat 33% less and using Instagram Stories 2x more.
Naturally, Instagram Stories have become an invaluable resource for influencer marketing campaigns. Not only do influencers love it, but audiences do, too. Compared to the glossy, polished images in the regular Instagram feed, Stories open up opportunities to publish more authentic, off-the-cuff content.
In fact, one-third of the most viewed Stories are from businesses and 39% of global users have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it on Instagram Stories.
The question now is: How can marketers use Instagram Stories to build influencer marketing campaigns that spread brand awareness, generate engagement, and drive sales?
Let’s take a look — starting with a quick overview of why Instagram stories are so valuable for influencer marketing.
Why Instagram Stories are perfect for influencer campaigns
Instagram Stories hold benefits for brands, influencers, and audiences on the mobile app. Here’s why.
Instagram Stories are interactive
Sure, Instagram users can comment on and share regular in-feed posts, but Instagram Stories have more features to help influencers and brands build interactive stories. In fact, the Stories themselves are interactive, since users have to swipe through to watch the story unfold. Brands have found incredibly innovative ways to use this feature, like when Major League Soccer created a flipbook or how the New York Public Library makes classic novels more accessible.
On top of this format, users can create polls and Q&As in their Stories, inviting viewers to share their opinions and even help write the next Story. Influencers were some of the first to use these tools — with 66% trying it in the first month of its launch.
For instance, lifestyle influencer Victoria Van Ness uses the polling feature to inform her content strategy. She uses Stories to ask her followers what they want to see next from her. As she covers several verticals on her blog, this tactic allows her to see when one is highly in demand.
Stories help you send customers to your website
For all its advantages, Instagram hasn’t been great for linking to third-party sites — until Stories came along. Regular Instagram posts can’t incorporate links in the image or the description. Users can only place a link in their bio and direct viewers there. But with Stories, users with over 10K followers can incorporate the “Swipe Up” feature to link to product pages and brand websites.
Just look at Michael Kors. The brand created Instagram Stories featuring fashion influencers in the latest looks and invited viewers to “Swipe Up” to see the looks on the brand website.
Stories beat the Instagram algorithm
Yes, that pesky Instagram algorithm that sorts posts based on interests and relationships. Instagram Stories lets people create on-demand content unaffected by the in-feed algorithm. It also helps brands build owned audiences since they can direct users to their own sites, as mentioned in the previous section.
Brands and agencies have even found that Instagram Stories generate more high-quality leads than other social platforms.
“Having someone sign up from a swipe-up on an Instagram Story is worth more in lifetime value than sign-ups from people who came across an article on Facebook,” said Yuval Rechter, head of digital at First Media.
The company uses Instagram Stories to generate email newsletter signups and they’ve seen that Instagram-driven subscribers open emails at an above-average rate.
Stories are more authentic
Authenticity is crucial in influencer marketing. Brands need to thoroughly research potential partners because influencers may be buying bots, comments, or likes. And it’s no secret that audiences crave authenticity from their social experiences. Instagram Stories provide another opportunity to forge these authentic relationships.
While the feed feels more like a curated magazine, Stories give space to spontaneity. An influencer talking about a product in their pajamas from the comfort of their bedroom certainly seems like a genuine recommendation you could get from a friend rather than an ad.
How to use Instagram Stories in your influencer campaigns
Since Instagram Stories are so versatile, there are a ton of creative ways brands and influencers can use them to reach new audiences and drive leads.
Offer behind-the-scenes looks at products
Instagram Stories is the perfect platform for pulling back the curtain and being more open with your audience. That’s why influencers might want to use Stories to offer behind-the-scenes looks at products through unboxings, sneak peeks, and product tutorials.
For example, this is a story from influencer Elizabeth Hugen in which she unboxes a brand’s product for her audience.
Poll customers about their preferences
Not sure what your audience wants? Just ask them! This has never been easier now that Instagram Stories lets you run polls. Say an influencer reviews a makeup palette or kit. They can ask their followers which products or color combinations they like best. They can even ask them what kinds of products they want to see more of. This can help influencers make more informed decisions about which brands to partner with and, in turn, help brands better understand the target audiences they’re trying to reach.
Host Instagram takeovers
Sharing is caring — and that includes Instagram accounts! If you’ve built enough trust with an influencer, you can let them do a takeover of your account for a few hours or a day. The result is a cross-pollination of audiences and some fun, new content for your account.
For example, Maybelline New York invited influencer Jordyn Jones to take over its Stories during New York Fashion Week.
Repost standout content
Brands and influencers might want to repost content from each other — or even their audiences — but they don’t want to fill people’s feeds with this content. That’s where Instagram Stories can help. With a relatively new tool, you can now easily repost Stories from other accounts. This is a solid strategy for showcasing customers, sharing what your influencers are creating, and continuing to build buzz around your products.
How do you find the right influencers for your Instagram Stories?
Of course, Instagram Stories are only effective if you have authentic, creative, and innovative influencers to help make them on your behalf.
With a platform like Octoly, for example, you can connect with a network of over 12,000 vetted micro-influencers, gift them your products, and generate authentic reviews across Instagram and YouTube. This strategy gets you access to the best of the best so you can produce the most engaging Instagram Stories together. Octoly also reports detailed analytics like earned media value (EMV), reach, likes, and engagement so you know which Stories are working and how you can optimize going forward.
Every brand has a story to tell, but you don’t have to tell it on your own. You can use creative partners like influencers and interactive tools like Instagram Stories to help you drive engagement and boost sales.
Ready to try it for yourself? Request a demo.
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