Instagram has made several changes to its platform; many of which are perfect for your Instagram engagement strategy. The addition of Stories to the social media app has been quite the success for businesses who are using them. Stories have allowed businesses to connect with their followers in a more personalized way.
Instagram Engagement
With the current hype focused on Stories, it’s important to consider how you want to use Stories to increase Instagram engagement and interaction with followers. The more engaged your followers are, the easier it will be for them to get to know you and learn more about your photography services. Here are a few Instagram Stories tips to get you started.
Create a Strategy
Similar to how you create a strategy with your posts on Instagram, create one for Stories. If you currently use a social calendar to keep track of what you post and when you post it, add Stories to the calendar. One way you can create a strategy for Stories is to post an image on your account and then share a video about it on Stories. Since Instagram Stories are gaining quite a bit of traction, you can encourage followers to look through your images and continue to interact with them.
Another way to create a strategy for Stories is to schedule what time you will post and what you will share with your followers. The time you chose to post your images may not be the best time to post Stories, so run a few tests to learn what time works best for your audience.Related: Who’s Doing It Right on Instagram?
Post Engaging Stories
Once you discover what time works best, decide how to increase engagement on Instagram Stories and what you should incorporate into your strategy. The strategy you choose can help keep followers engaged with you and your Instagram account.
So, what should you share on Stories? The great news is you can share anything you want to help connect with followers, as long as it is engaging and showcases you as a person and as a photographer. Here are 9 ideas to consider for how to engage Instagram followers with Stories:
A sneak peek of wedding images
Before they are on the blog, but after they are edited by a wedding photography editing company, take a video or photo of the blog post you are creating. You can write on the Story and let your followers know to check out your blog (with the #linkinbio).
Related: 19 Hashtags You Need to Use on Instagram
Your morning-of ritual
Show followers what you do the morning of a wedding day shoot. Maybe you sit on your porch, drink a cup of coffee, and read the news in the morning. Or, maybe you want to share how you pack for the shoot.
A look at the location and venue
Before the shoot begins, you can take videos and photos and share them with your followers. This gives your followers a behind-the-scenes look of the shoot and gets them excited for the images you will share after the day is over.
The story behind some of the images
Add a photo to Stories, and directly after, share a video about the unique story of the image. Your followers will love to hear the inspiration for it or the funny story that happened which resulted in the shot.
Your daily tasks
What you do on a day-to-day basis may not seem all that interesting, but it can help you connect with followers. If you found your favorite dessert and are really excited to eat it, share a photo with a caption on Stories.
Behind the scenes
Show followers what you are working on. Whether it is client emails or product fulfillment, it showcases behind the scenes of what you do for your clients and your business.
Launch products or news
Do you have a big workshop coming up, or are you sharing a promotion or contest for your business? Launch it on Instagram Stories. You can share about the product or news through video and photos with captions, and direct followers to the appropriate page.
Client shout-outs
If you currently give shout-outs to your clients on their wedding day or anniversary, you can do the same on Stories. Make a short video about it, or share a photo of the couple with a caption included.
Your upcoming courses or events
Chances are, you have followers who are potential clients and fellow photographers. Share the news of upcoming courses or events you are hosting, so your followers can attend.
Related: 9 Instagram Post Ideas from Top Wedding Photographers
Build a Cohesive Story
One of the features of Instagram Stories is you can upload photos from your phone’s camera roll. This can be really helpful for your strategy, as you can plan ahead for what posts you will share. If you have something to share about, such as an announcement or upcoming blog post, you can take the videos and photos, save them to your phone, and post them all at once so your followers can view them in one sitting (rather than having to come back to see when you post more).
To share a video or photo from your library on Stories, swipe down on the screen, and view your photo library options. Click on the one you want to share and post it to your Story. Keep in mind, you can only access the photos and videos you took in the last 24 hours – this allows your Stories to remain relevant.
There are so many ways for you to connect with your followers through Instagram Stories, especially when you have a strategy in place. What else can you do to keep engagement on Instagram at a high? Click the banner below to grab our Instagram for Wedding Photographers Guide to discover tips and tricks for your account!
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