Stories are the new news. Used by pretty much all social media platforms today, stories share content that allows you to interact with your audience in a variety of ways. But what makes them different from a normal post? Stories are time sensitive (usually 10-15 seconds), full screen vertical images or videos, and a means to quickly share exclusive content without interrupting feeds. This form of media consumption began with Snapchat in 2011 and soon made its way to dominate Instagram and Facebook. Today, you can post stories on these platforms as well as LinkedIn, Pinterest and TikTok.
We use stories all the time!
Boost your business presence and keep your audience engaged with these 8 story content ideas:
01 Ask Questions
Simple and self-explanatory. Collect the opinions or thoughts of your users with Q&A sessions or polls. It’s a great way to engage and develop a deeper connection with your audience. Some ideas:
- AMA (ask me anything): “What would you like to know about our brand/company?”
- Guessing game (with prizes) related to your company’s product or service: “How many [brand] coffee beans are in the jar?”
- Interview questions: “What would you like us to ask our guest speaker?”
- Solve problems: “What technical issues do you face when dealing with your website?”
- General mood booster: “What brings you the most joy on a rainy day?”
02 Showcase Project Teasers
Working on a new project? Promote work-in-progress or a sneak peek to get your audience excited. Precision Pool and Spa shared their new finishes to show endless pool design options!
03 Share Customer Testimonials
Credibility and being genuine are important for any business. Sharing how your clients/customers feel about your products and/or services encourages your audience to work with you and shows potential clients you’re listening.
04 Team Events & Outings
Continuing to be social with your coworkers, especially during this age of remote working, helps strengthen the culture of your company/business. Share a picture or two of your team going out for a quick lunch, planning a new project together, or even having fun making t-shirts! (That’s what we did!)
05 Create Countdowns
Use countdowns to excite your audience about an upcoming event or project. Set a date and allow others to join the countdown with you. We started counting down 80 days away from the 2022 One Lap of America event. Those guys are die-hards!
06 Share Tips & Tricks
Share tips and tricks about things you’ve learned. It’s never too late to learn something new. A tip or trick may make someone’s life easier! Post sequential images or videos to create engaging listicles like this one.
07 Repost
The easiest way to share something is to repost it. RECON Rings reposts images and videos from their influencers. By reposting on your story, you’re able to bring attention to a certain post your audience may have missed because it was buried in their feed.
08 Share Videos
There is so much you can do with a video. Edit something fun, record something cool happening, or make a motion graphic to promote a sale. Videos, like National Geographic’s story about Honey Bees, add a little oomph to your ordinary post.
Be creative! Tag locations, use popular hashtags, or tag a collaborator. Doing this optimizes your page which helps further engagement. (Learn more about SEO here.)
If you need help designing or planning content, we can help. Contact us and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see the stories we create!
