When Instagram Stories first came out, everyone likened it to Snapchat Stories. That’s on the surface though. The tool is actually a completely different opportunity. Instagram Stories sets itself apart form Snapchat because it lets you upload content you’ve created (swipe down to upload). This means you can tell your story in a more meaningful, dynamic and interesting way.
Teams and leagues are already starting to develop unique ways to leverage Instagram Stories, from awesome replays to gameday hype videos. Below are three things to keep in mind when using the tool, plus loads of inspiration from some of the best Stories I’ve seen in the business.
1- Don’t treat it like Snapchat.
Let’s be honest, we’ve seen enough players running onto a field to last us a lifetime. Instagram Stories is not the place for long, drawn-out raw footage that looks the same over and over again. Take advantage of the fact you can upload content and make it worth your fans’ time.
This doesn’t mean that everything has to be super polished, but it does mean that you can plan. Define your story, the purpose and execute right.
2- Find synergy.
There’s an interesting opportunity to find synergies between your in-feed posts and Instagram Stories. How can you leverage the tool to drive deeper storytelling in a moment?
For example, maybe at the end of the game you have your final score graphic and leverage Stories to showcase “plays of the game”. Use in-feed post to drive people to Stories (or vice versa) and let the two work together and drive more consumption of your content.
There are also opportunities to drive engagement for fans. Red Bull, for example, leveraged Instagram Stories to have users pick their favorite photo to be used a post. Think out-of-the-box as the opportunities are endless.
3- Test and learn.
So as mentioned in the first bullet, I think that there’s an opportunity for more polished content on Instagram Stories. But, maybe that’s not what consumers want? The beauty of this tool, and the rest of social, is that it’s okay to test and learn. Try a more polished story, then try a raw story. Try uploading photos versus video. See where consumers stay the most engaged by watching your drop off rate. As a marketing, it’s your job to figure out and gay-sauna-nice.com what your audience wants.
And one more thing before we get to the fun part (inspiration): Don’t slap your Stories content everywhere. Define a unique approach for each platform and think strategically about where it (and vertical video) makes sense. There is something to be said for content created specifically for each platform.
Now enjoy your Instagram Stories inspiration from some of the best in the business:@MiamiDolphins, @BoilerFootball, @MLB, @huskerfbnation, @clemsonfb, @clevelandbrowns, @Dodgers.
What’s your initial reaction to Instagram Stories? Share your thoughts below.
Thanks for reading!
This is an awesome point. Some teams are still just uploading the same content they would on Snapchat, making it not interesting. But I like your points of being able to put more strategy behind it to differentiate the story from in-feed content.