Learn How To Use Social Media Stories To Engage And Delight Your Customers Today!
By Bing Chat and John Monyjok Maluth
Introduction
Social media stories are short, ephemeral, and interactive content that can be shared on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. They usually consist of photos, videos, text, stickers, filters, and other elements that disappear after 24 hours. Social media stories are a great way to engage and delight your customers, as they can showcase your brand personality, value proposition, and customer satisfaction.
Related: Digital Marketing Ultimate Guide
In this article, we will share some tips and strategies on how to use social media stories to engage and delight your customers.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Social Media
The advantages and disadvantages of using social media are as follows:
Advantages:
- Social media can help you connect with people from all over the world, share your interests and opinions, and access the latest news and information.
- Social media can also boost your personal and professional development, as you can learn new skills, gain insights, and showcase your talents and achievements.
- Social media can also provide you with entertainment, fun, and creativity, as you can enjoy various types of content, interact with others, and express yourself freely.
Disadvantages:
- Social media can also expose you to various risks and challenges, such as cyberbullying, privacy breaches, fake news, addiction, and mental health issues.
- Social media can also affect your productivity and performance, as it can distract you from your work or studies, consume your time and energy, and reduce your quality of output.
- Social media can also impact your relationships and communication, as it can reduce your face-to-face interactions, create misunderstandings or conflicts, and influence your behavior and attitudes.
For more information on the advantages and disadvantages of social media, you can check out the following sources:
- 23 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media
- The Pros and Cons of Social Media
- 20 Social Media Advantages And Disadvantages
How can I avoid social media risks?
To avoid social media risks, you can follow some of these tips:
- Create social media guidelines, outlining what kind of content is and isn’t acceptable, from a brand, legal and reputational standpoint. Then make sure all those who are responsible for posting on behalf of your brand have read and understood it1.
- Give employees social media training on the dangers and how to avoid them. This can include topics such as privacy, security, etiquette, ethics, and crisis management1.
- Use a strong password to secure your social media account. Don’t accept requests from unknown profiles. Invest in security software. Reduce your use of social media, or eliminate it entirely2.
- Set boundaries related to technology and bedtime. Avoid using social media before bed or during the night, as it can disrupt your sleep quality and affect your health2.
- Be picky about what accounts you follow on social media. Think twice before recording and posting risk-taking behaviors. Reflect on your values3.
- Aim to be active every day. Break up long periods of screen time with a stretch, walk, or other type of movement. This can help you avoid the negative effects of sedentary behavior3.
- Focus on using social media in a positive way. Use it to learn new skills, gain insights, and showcase your talents and achievements. Avoid comparing yourself to others or seeking validation from likes and comments4.
Why use social media stories?
Social media stories have many benefits for your brand and your customers, such as:
- They can increase your reach and visibility. Social media stories appear at the top of the feed or the homepage of the platforms, making them more noticeable and accessible than regular posts. They can also be discovered by new audiences through hashtags, locations, or tags.
- They can boost your engagement and loyalty. Social media stories allow you to interact with your customers in real-time, through features like polls, questions, quizzes, reactions, etc. They can also help you build trust and rapport with your customers by showing them behind-the-scenes, sneak peeks, testimonials, etc.
- They can drive your conversions and sales. Social media stories can help you showcase your products or services, highlight your offers or discounts, share your customer reviews or ratings, etc. They can also help you direct your customers to your website or landing page, through features like swipe-up links or call-to-action buttons.
How to use social media stories?
To use social media stories effectively, you need to follow some best practices, such as:
- Know your goal. Before creating a social media story, you need to know what you want to achieve with it. Do you want to increase your brand awareness, generate leads, drive traffic, or something else? Your goal will influence your content type, format, style, and tone.
- Know your audience. You also need to know who your target audience is, what they are interested in, and how they use social media stories. You need to create content that is relevant, valuable, and appealing to them. You also need to use the platform that they prefer and are most active on.
- Be creative and authentic. Social media stories are a great opportunity to show your brand personality and voice. You need to create content that is original, engaging, informative, and entertaining. You also need to use the features and tools that each platform offers to make your content more attractive and interactive.
- Be consistent and frequent. Social media stories are short-lived and fast-paced. You need to post regularly and frequently to keep your customers interested and updated. You also need to maintain a consistent style and quality across your stories to reinforce your brand identity and message.
- Measure and optimize. Social media stories provide various metrics and insights that can help you evaluate your performance and effectiveness. You need to track and analyze data such as views, replies, clicks, conversions, etc. You also need to test and experiment with different content ideas, formats, features, etc. to find out what works best for your brand and your customers.
Examples of social media stories
To inspire you with some ideas for social media stories, here are some examples of brands that use them well:
- Starbucks: Starbucks uses Instagram stories to showcase its products, promotions, and values. It also uses polls, questions, and stickers to interact with its customers and get their feedback. For example, it asked its customers to vote for their favorite holiday drink and shared the results1.
- HubSpot: HubSpot uses LinkedIn stories to share its industry insights, tips, and resources. It also uses graphics, text, and links to make its content more informative and actionable. For example, it shared a blog post about how to use social media storytelling to boost engagement2.
- Netflix: Netflix uses Snapchat stories to promote its shows, movies, and documentaries. It also uses filters, soundtracks, and lenses to make its content more immersive and fun. For example, it created a filter that transforms users into characters from Stranger Things3.
Conclusion
Social media stories are a powerful way to engage and delight your customers on various platforms. By following the tips and strategies in this article, you can use social media stories to showcase your brand personality, value proposition, and customer satisfaction.
References
- Starbucks on Instagram: “Which holiday drink is your favorite? Vote below and we’ll share the results tomorrow. ☕️”
- HubSpot on LinkedIn: “Stories are a powerful way to connect with your audience and boost engagement. Here are some tips on how to use social media storytelling effectively.”
- Netflix on Snapchat: “Stranger Things is back and we have a special treat for you. Try our new filter and transform yourself into your favorite character from the show.”