The story begins like this:
A few years ago, Facebook offered to buy Snapchat but was declined.
As if to spite the latter, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company launched Stories a new feature that’s undeniably a clone of that of Snapchat, with a few minor changes here and there—and it’s not just on Facebook but basically every other app they own. Instagram, Whatsapp, and Messenger.
The introduction of Stories on Facebook has allowed users to share multiple photos and videos that appear together in a slideshow and which are very much like in Snapchat in almost every way:
- Stories from both platforms disappear in 24 hours.
- They both let you overlay your posts with filtres, texts, doodles, etc.
- They both move away from text-based posts; and
- They both look more organic than carefully curated content
As for businesses, on the other hand, Facebook Stories are giving them more opportunities to deliver content and new ways to communicate with their audience. But, just how they can further maximise this platform?
Keep reading to find out.
Why Facebook Stories Matter More Than Ever
In case you could do with a little refresher, Facebook Story is an in-app feature that allows users to share content that disappears after 24 hours. It is available for both Facebook Profiles and Pages.
Functionality-wise, Facebook Stories works similarly to others. But, if anything, it’s more intuitive and user-friendly. Whereas most of the interesting features on Snapchat and Instagram are hidden, those of Facebook are prominently displayed on the screen for easier navigation.
Below are some of the reasons why even successful brands today are using Facebook Stories.
Facebook Stories appears right at the top. Stories don’t appear within the newsfeed. They appear at the top of Facebook and Messenger apps, and at the top of the right-hand sidebar on Facebook desktop. If it isn’t any indication, its prime location makes Stories a great tool for getting attention—a feat that is pivotal for engagement.
The rise of camera-first communication. Stories are steadily rising in popularity. In fact, it has already reached over 500 million daily users across Facebook and Messenger and we can only expect the numbers to grow. For reference, Snapchat has only 190 million daily active users.
Organic delivery of content. As earlier said, Stories are organic content in an easy-to-consume format. In the digital age where consumers are constantly bombarded with ads, Stories are a fresh take on engaging with them. One way you can utilise it is by letting your follower see what happens behind the scenes.
How You Can Maximise Facebook Stories
Build Excitement – One of the factors that make Facebook Stories effective is that they are short-lived thus, you can take advantage of it by creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). You can use it to share updates and announcements, clips of what goes on behind the scenes, or better yet, to offer limited-time promos and discounts.
Post Stories in Both Facebook & Instagram – There are two ways you can go about this. You can share the same posts on both platforms or tailor each content to better suit your demographics on Facebook. It’s not a secret that the older generations dominate the latter, so you should take it into consideration as well.
Don’t Forget Brand Image – While Facebook Stories allow more creativity to make your content more interesting, make sure that you maximise its potential for building your brand image. Some helpful tips include using filtres relevant to your brand, adding themes specific to your current promotions, and sticking to colours and text styles that you use for all your marketing campaigns.
Focus More on Experience than Promotion – As social media strategies become more competitive, the more it becomes crucial to create a great user experience for your audience. For instance, Stories are effective for building up excitement days leading up to an event. You can drop announcements and updates for those involved with the upcoming date.
Measure Your Performance – In conclusion, these steps will not make much of a difference if you don’t track how it’s contributing to your overall marketing strategies. Make sure to track what kind of people are viewing your Stories and what type of posts are getting the most engagement. These statistics give you insights about who’s interested in your brand, allowing you to target them further.
As social media marketing becomes more advanced and competitive, it gives you no option but to exhaust every possible way to reach out to your audience—and one is by using Facebook Stories.
Have you tried using Facebook Stories yet? If you need help exploring this opportunity, our social media specialists at OOm can help.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our social media services.