How to make Instagram stories work for your brand

Instagram Stories gives brands flexibility in being able to post frequent content that is quick, topical and relevant.

What are the key benefits?

Although not always polished, the format allows for more authentic brand experiences for viewers, giving brands the opportunity to stay top of mind with their audiences respectively. The Stories format has already seen brands begin to diversify their content strategy, and produce bite sized pieces of content more regularly.

Rules to follow

In order for brands to succeed within Instagram Stories, there are key rules that must be followed. It is important to restrict Stories posts to 4-6 stories maximum over a 24 hour period. If brands exceed this total, there is a greater risk of losing the attention of your audience. Therefore brands should adopt a quality vs quantity mentality ensuring that the narrative and key messages of the story are relevant. Posting too much within the format can result in being ranked lower within Instagram’s story algorithm.

In November 2017, Instagram Stories topped 300 million daily users. Brands are finding success on the platform from posting and creating content by keeping their posts short, sharp and simple. Instagram Stories is an area all brands should begin to explore as part of their content strategy on the platform.