3 Ways to Use Instagram Stories to Boost Your Brand With Stories disappearing after 24 hours, they become your chance to experiment with different creative content.

By Jon Horowitz

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

More than 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day. As a brand, this gives you an opportunity to reach and regularly engage with a mass audience. In fact, over a third of the most viewed stories come directly from brands. With Stories disappearing after 24 hours, they become your chance to experiment with different creative content. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Get discovered.

Hashtags and geotags tags can help you become discoverable to your target audience. Adding these to appropriate stories on your account can help increase your number of followers while focusing on earning quality customers.

2. Create engaging content.

Instagram Stories are viewed vertically and use your entire screen. There are many features specific to Stories that are not available for Feed Posts. Learning the various features available and experimenting with them across your content can be a creative way to differentiate your brand from your competition. Try using the Poll feature to get feedback on business decisions such as what new product you may want to create since your customers can provide you with direct feedback.

3. Monitor your performance.

By understanding the analytics provided in Instagram, you can track the success of your Stories. Paying close attention to your view completion rate (what percentage of viewers watched the next Story in a sequence of multiple stories) is a key metric in understanding your performance. This will help you understand what type of content works best for you and improve it going forward.

Need some help with this, or have other social media or digital marketing questions? Book a consulting session with me on Entrepreneur's Ask an Expert platform. My schedule is always up to date, and you can even record the meeting if you'd like. Hope to speak with you soon, and have fun with your Instagram Stories!

Wavy Line
Jon Horowitz

Founder & CEO of Millennial Marketing Group, Former VP of Jerry Media

Jon Horowitz is a digital marketing consultant based in New York City. After graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Jon joined early stage startups and succeeded in growing multiple marketplaces from their launch. In his next role, Jon served as Vice President of Jerry Media, an influencer marketing agency that owns notable Instagram accounts like @f*ckjerry and @beigecardigan. He expanded the agency into a full service digital agency with a content creation arm designed for the needs of social media. His clients included companies of all sizes including General Mills, Viacom, Subway, Uniqlo, Bonobos, Puma and many more. Most notably, Jon won a Shorty Award for Native Advertising for his viral campaign for GMI brand, Fruit by the Foot. Currently, Jon serves as Founder and CEO of Millennial Marketing Group, an agency designed to help brands with social media, influencer and content marketing. Additionally, Jon has been a guest speaker at NYU, Cornell and served on panels to share his expertise on influencer marketing.

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Business News

After Being Told They Could Work From Home Forever, Employees Made Major Life Changes. Then, a New CEO Ordered Them Back to the Office.

Farmers Group CEO Raul Vargas is facing backlash for the change, but he says being in the office brings more "collaboration" and "innovation."

Marketing

5 Ways to Build and Maintain Valuable Relationships With Journalists — and Why It Matters

Building genuine relationships with journalists is essential in today's digital media world.

Business News

Uber Eats Deliveries Are Flooding a Los Angeles Neighborhood — Except No One Knows Who Placed the Orders

Residents of L.A.'s Highland Park neighborhood are once again the target of dozens of unsolicited Uber Eats orders. The "annoying and somewhat disturbing" mystery is gripping the city.

Business News

Hedge Fund Pays NYC Interns $20,000 a Month on Average, Sent to Lavish Palm Beach Kickoff

Citadel is known for its over-the-top parties and company retreats.

Business News

Pete Davidson Says He's 'Figuring It Out' After Buying a $280,000 Boat While 'Very Stoned'

The former "Saturday Night Live" star purchased a used Staten Island Ferry with Colin Jost in January 2022.

Money & Finance

3 Secrets to Streamlining Your Accounts Payable Process

Not all AP automation software is created equal. Leveraging the right AP solution that aligns with your unique vision and available resources will ensure your business grows without compromising its individuality.