We recently wrote a post about Snapchat and explained how to use this social network in your B2B marketing strategy. Today we’d like to offer you a post on its closest competitor, Instagram. Instagram was bought out by Facebook in 2012 and now has around 700 million users worldwide (B2B & B2C).
This social network, widely used in B2C, is now growing quickly in B2B as well. Why’s that? Because today, Instagram is no longer the network for sharing holiday, lunch or cat photos… It has become more than that. According to a study by Simply Measured, 86% Of the world’s major brands now use Instagram.
And Instagram continues to evolve. Just last month, we witnessed the launch of its much talked about “stories”, designed to compete directly with Snapchat!
Instagram has no cause to envy Snapchat. The application even offers new features like the addition of clickable links, for example.
Now, lets have a look at why it’s a good thing for you to include Instagram stories in your social media strategy!
What is an Instagram story?
Instagram stories launched in 2016. It offers features quite similar to Snapchat’s and is very successful. It’s an alternative to photos with filters. Many B2B players have taken advantage of this new trend to get in on this social network.
How does it work ? Like this:
- Take a photo / video
- Add a filter (or not)
- Add your position / hastag / emoji
- Tag people / brand
- New: add links
Stories have a 24h lifetime, after which the contents disappear. Unlike Snapchat, shared photos and videos are not saved in the application.
How to use Instagram stories in B2B
Instagram stories is condusive to B2B and allows you to highlight your company / projects / products:
- Promote your business: through a story, present a typical company day
- Share your events: add details of events in which you are participating, add places, mention your collaborators …
- Make promotional offers: capitalize on its temporariness (24h) to make exclusive offers
- Create engagement: use stories to start discussions with your community (ask for a product review, start a discussion about a specific topic …)
What are the advantages of Instagram stories in B2B?
One of its primary advantages is that everyone who already follows your Instagram account will be able to access your stories. As soon as you add a story, a small colored ring appears at the top of the screen.
Just as important, Instagram stories are measurable! Indeed, it’s quite possible to know the number and names of people who have seen your story.
Moreover, its live video feature shows you who is following your story in real time, so you can engage in conversation and talk to your community.
Finally, based on the number of views on each of your publications, you can fine-tune your content to generate stronger interest.
Conclusion: Should I include Instagram stories in my social media strategy?
The key to your success with Instagram stories in B2B lies in how you’ll use it. We believe this network has great potential and it would be a shame not to exploit it, moreover your competitors are likely there already … So why shouldn’t you?
