A Small-Business Guide to Instagram Stories (Infographic)

Instagram is a great source to build your brand's identity, engage new followers and expand your reach. However, if you're simply posting images to your business's Instagram page, you're missing out on a major opportunity on the platform: Instagram Stories. With Stories, you can show a behind-the-scenes look at your brand while developing its personality and building authentic relationships with your followers.

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If you're still wondering: What's the point? There are nearly 250 million active daily users of Stories, and 33 percent of the most popular Stories are from businesses. Not only that, but 20 percent of Stories posted by businesses result in direct messages.

While it might sound daunting at first, you'll never know until you try. To help you get started, here's a quick guide to using Instagram Stories.

First and foremost, it's important to prepare -- brainstorm a plan for the story you want. And don't worry, it doesn't have to be live -- you can upload older images to Stories now too. Next, figure out the best time of day to post by taking a look at your audience. Generally, user engagement levels are highest on Mondays and Thursdays between 7 and 9 p.m., but this can vary based on your followers. Another important piece of advice is to make an impact in the first four seconds of your story. Viewers' attention drop after four seconds, so it's important to get to the point.

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From using geotags to hosting takeovers, there are a number of ways your business can utilize Instagram Stories. To learn more, check out Headway Capital's "Small-Business Guide to Instagram Stories" infographic below.