Inbound marketing is a philosophy that aims to spontaneously attract the attention of buyers by providing interesting and valuable content for them. Its methodology ( attract, convert, close and delight ) in the first stage of attraction, makes use of social networks and blogs to convert users of these platforms into sales opportunities for companies.
Inbound marketing breaks with the paradigm of disruptive sales that includes paid ads, cold calls, spam messages, in other words, all that invasive advertising that is no longer generating as much impact on people as before; and proposes a new way of seducing – if you want to call it that – spontaneously and naturally, the attention of buyers. Inbound marketing first establishes the creation of a buyer persona so as not to attract any type of public, but rather those who are truly interested in the value proposition you offer.
Under these characteristics,Inbound marketing strategies on Instagram Stories have had a great participation because it is an ideal platform to publish educational content (and in a guided way) for your communities of followers.Nowadays, people want to consume key data for the development of their daily activities, have new learning experiences and collect educational experiences. In this way, Instagram Stories have become an excellent tool to provide exactly all those qualities to consumers and it is a perfect ally for your inbound marketing strategies.
In 2010, Kevins Systrom and Mike Krieger launched an application called Instagram on the Apple App Store , specifically on October 6th. To their surprise, two years later, after being available for Android operating systems as well, it reached 100 million active users. Two years later, this number tripled, reaching more than 300 million registered users. It is worth noting that Instagram can be downloaded for free on any technological device, such as: computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.
Today, Instagram is the second most used social network on the Internet, followed by Facebook. It has 32% of users who browse the web registered on its platform. The social network stands out for the publication of images and videos, and also gives you the opportunity to comment, give “likes”, send messages and share posts with your followers.Instagram in recent years, thanks to its tremendous impact, has become an important tool for monetizing companies' content.So much so that these organizations can now create “company profiles” to add action buttons to their accounts and obtain statistics on their interactions.
In this sense, during our visit to this social network we can find two types of users: those who are companies or brands and people who share their experiences. Recently, there has been talk of “personal branding” as a kind of web positioning of particular people who offer services and/or valuable content for certain communities. However, the marketing (and specifically inbound marketing) that companies apply on Instagram is the central topic on which we focus.
What are Instagram Stories and what are they for?
Since Facebook acquired the rights to Instagram in 2012, this application has developed updates that have allowed its users to explore new tools.Instagram Stories are part of the modernization and technological advancement that the application has undergone.
Snapchat was the first mobile app to introduce the “Stories” format, which consists of publishing images and videos that only remain on the user’s profile for just 24 hours and then disappear. It is ephemeral content that is constantly being updated, because people can narrate – in the truest sense of the word – aspects of their daily lives on a daily basis.
The great quality that Instagram Stories have is that it allows users of this application to add text, drawings, emojis, stickers, filters, polls, GIFs, locations, links and hashtags in real time, to the videos and images they want to publish. It is about making quick edits that can be published instantly - and in vertical format - in the top section of the home page. There we can find a wide variety of stories, displayed under the user's profile photo, by clicking on it we can access the content that that person has been publishing in the last 24 hours.
In this sense,Instagram Stories are used to share content in sequence that, for inbound marketing purposes, can educate and strategically guide a user through a purchasing process.Unlike posts that appear on users' profiles, people will not be able to "like" or make public comments on Instagram Stories . Any interaction they want to have with the content will be done via private messaging. Unless, of course, it is content that is being broadcast live, where the interaction is built collectively.
The stories format takes up the entire screen of your smartphone or tablet, which generates greater attention from your audience, since distractions are minimized. This way, your users can retain your information more strongly.
How to leverage your inbound marketing strategy on Instagram Stories?
Now that you know all the advantages that Instagram Stories offer you to create valuable content philippines telegram , we invite you to read the following tips that will help you make the most of your inbound marketing strategy on Instagram Stories :
Structure of information capsules
One of the qualities that Instagram stories have is their timeline at the top, that is, how many stories a profile has made during the day. When you start seeing the first story, as if it were a magazine, you can go to the next page to continue reading the information. In this sense, imagine building informative – and educational – capsules that do not exceed 300 words within this format.
Your users will now know that they must scroll to the end of your timeline to fully read the information you have provided.This is a “micro-blogging” in which you can use storytelling to narrate and transmit a particular message,where each paragraph of the text can be perfectly placed in a specific “story” and thus, draw the reader into the reading. In short, you must make stories that tell valuable stories for your audience.
Play with the visual composition of your stories. Try to include the various elements that Instagram offers you, such as GIFs, emojis, filters, locations, and hashtags to contextualize your content, but without deviating from your previously created graphic standards. For example: if your company's colors are white and blue, try to incorporate both colors in your news capsules to create an integral aesthetic for your brand.
Your goal – as stated in inbound marketing – should be to teach others. Develop topics that derive from your knowledge.If your company is dedicated to web design, publish content that is related, for example, steps to choose a web design according to your brand, how to best use web design to attract customers, tips for companies that want to improve their design, website, etc.
Give prominence to your clients and work team
Use Instagram posts to promote your products and/or services and stories to connect your audience with your company's human capital.Raise awareness among your buyers by showing them what your customers think and how happy your team is working for your company. Let them know how much effort you have put into building long-lasting relationships with your customers and how you use your platforms, to thank them for all the support they have given you.
Highlight your team's achievements by uploading behind-the-scenes videos of the creative processes involved in achieving your goals.It's important for your readers to know who is behind each step you take and feel part of it. Doing these small tasks will demonstrate how well you manage your business and the impact your ideas have had on both your customers and your creative team.
Insert links to conversion pages
To take advantage of your inbound marketing strategy on Instagram Stories , at the end of telling your story or providing the information you wanted, insert links that direct the traffic of your “views” to your conversion pages such as virtual stores, download pages, promotional videos, crowdfunding campaigns, etc. Convert your visitors or readers into sales opportunities (as established by the inbound marketing methodology), motivating them to go to the platforms where you offer your products and/or services more directly.
To do this, look for the link icon – which represents two links in a chain – located at the top of your stories, right next to the option to insert emojis. Finally, you just have to add the URL of the link you want to share with your users and that’s it, they will be able to swipe up the “see more” option within your story. In terms more related to inbound marketing , these links represent a perfect “call to action” to monetize your content production.
Interact and know the opinion of your audience
One of the great advantages of Instagram Stories is that they allow you to survey your community of followers to find out their opinions regarding your products and/or services. This will allow you to work towards what your buyers want and to gain in-depth knowledge of the new trends that are being created.Conducting short surveys in your stories is vital to understanding your audience's view of the work your brand has been doing.It is an easy-to-use tool that can give you quick data. It is worth noting that these surveys only allow you to place two options, for example: Yes/No. In this sense, use strategic questions that with two options to answer, allow you to obtain valuable data for your inbound marketing strategies.
Instagram Stories are an excellent platform to make the most of your inbound marketing strategies . They allow you to provide your buyers with valuable content and educational experiences, and also to convert your followers into sales opportunities, in other words, they allow you to monetize your content. In this sense, Instagram Stories are vital to kick off the inbound methodology and bring the company closer to a successful journey through this path that involves a final purchase.