Tuesday, September 3, 2019

How 19 Brands are Using Instagram Stories

According to Instagram, one-third of the platform's most-viewed Stories are from businesses.

Why could this be? As people are increasingly using social media to research prospective purchases, Instagram Stories serves as an outlet for brands to creatively show their products, services, or happy customers in action.

Branded Instagram Stories also enable audiences to learn more about topics related to your brand's industry. Helpful and valuable content might also allow prospective buyers to trust your brand more.

And as video marketing becomes more and more prominent, the same benefits could exist for visual storytellers on platforms like Instagram.

If you're not a natural storyteller and haven't done any visual marketing before, the idea of this creative strategy can seem intimidating or tricky.

Luckily, Instagram, which is booming with brand activity, has a helpful and easy-to-use Stories feature that allows influencers, individuals, and brands to easily tell stories with images, videos, interactive elements, and basic effects. Because the platform is so fast-paced, engaging stories don't even have to be that long or time-consuming.

If you've been on Instagram for a while now, you're probably more than familiar with its Stories feature. But if you're new to the platform, here's a quick explanation of Stories:

While an individual might use a Story to show photos or videos from a vacation, work, or other aspects of their daily life, brands often use this feature to highlight photo or video content about their product, brand, or a topic related to their industry. By doing this, the brand might entertain and gain awareness from Instagrammers who enjoy tapping through random Stories.

To make your content even more interesting, you can also add GIF stickers, text overlays, filters, and interactive features -- like polls and quizzes -- to Stories after you upload or shoot them. You can also optimize your Story by adding text overlays with relevant hashtags or by adding handles of users that are affiliated with the content.

Whether you're new to the app or a pro, you might be wondering where to start when it comes to using this feature for your brand. You might also worry that this strategy could be expensive, time-consuming, or require graphic design skills.

The truth is, creating Instagram Stories can actually be pretty simple and fun for your social media managers. Because Instagram offers a variety of unique effects and features, you can also do a lot of your story editing in the app itself.

To help you plan your Instagram Story strategy, we've compiled a list of 19 brands that have mastered the app feature. Although the brands on this list are larger companies, all of them have strategies that could be easily scaled to fit the marketing budget of smaller companies.

19 Brands Using Instagram Stories

LEGO

While LEGO commercials and other branding material might be more targeted to children, its Instagram approach is targeted to older audiences that will buy the product. These audiences could include young adults that love puzzle projects, or parents that might buy a set for their children.

LEGO's Instagram primarily highlights works of art made with their products. While this might be interesting for younger people on Instagram, it could also be fascinating to older people who used to play with LEGOs and might want to buy them for their children.

LEGO adds to these Stories with interactive polls and quizzes. In a recent Story celebrating Harley Davidson, they showed a LEGO replica of a motorcycle and included a quiz that asked, "How many LEGO elements are in this life-size Harley?" This is a great example of how a brand can use a relevant quiz to engage people in an interesting way.

LEGO Instagram Story

LEGO's Instagram is a great example of how a brand that sells a product primarily to one age group can adjust its content for social platforms that host audiences from other generations. While they're still on brand and hone in on LEGO nostalgia, they do a great job of creating interactive content specifically for the young adults on the platform.

NASA

NASA leverages beautiful space imagery, pictures of cool gadgets they work with, and interesting space discovery news to create Stories that speak to science lovers. On any given day, you might see a Story about a new planet, polls related to space travel, or quick historical fun facts.

NASA's style is surprisingly casual and easy to comprehend. Although the organization's content discusses complex topics like space, science, and technology, its Stories do a great job at cutting to the chase by explaining what's interesting or newsworthy in a way that's understandable to those without science degrees.

To pull in viewers, NASA begins Stories with an interactive element or text that summarizes the topic they'll discuss. Here are two pages they used to kick off different Story editions:

NASA Instagram Story

Takeaways

NASA's strategy of grabbing audiences with quick, understandable, and interesting information can be key on many fast-paced social media platforms where people merely glance at a post or tap quickly through a Story before moving on to the next interesting piece of content.

When it comes to their overall approach, NASA does a great job at leveraging the strong content and information it has readily available to create unique Stories about space. While some brands might need to get super creative and brainstorm Story content from scratch, NASA recognized that its photo and video content would align well with Instagram Stories.

If you're part of a smaller brand that has highly visual products or content, you might want to prioritize visual social platforms like NASA has done. Not only will it be easier for you to leverage visual content that you're already creating, but you'll have a leg up on brands that aren't as visual.

Additionally, while some people might be intimidated by scientific discussions, they might still follow NASA because the brand publishes jargon-free stories that simply explain need-to-know details about complex topics. if you have a highly technical or complicated product or service, take a page from NASA's book and use Stories as a chance to be more accessible to your audience.

MIT Technology Review

MIT Technology Review's Instagram content isn't only for academics and science experts. The publication actually does a great job of creating and telling stories most of the Instagram's audiences can understand.

One of the publication's Instagram Story strategies involves taking long-form pieces of content and abridging them for the platform. Because MIT Tech Review is verified with over 10,000 followers, it's able to include "swipe ups" in Stories. A swipe up is a CTA that says something like, "Swipe up" or "Read more." When a viewer sees it, they can swipe their finger upward to see a page or article from the publisher's website.

If you can include swipe ups, this tactic is both creative and might be helpful for boosting traffic to full stories. Users might read an interesting, but short, Story -- like the one below about 2019 technology fails -- and want to swipe up to see a full long-form article.

MIT Tech Review Instagram Story

Takeaways

While NASA leverages its exclusive visuals, MIT Tech Review similarly leverages its readily available editorial content. Rather than writing seperate news content for Instagram Stories, they adapt pre-written articles that they think will be interesting to Instagram readers.

This abridged-content strategy could be excellent for publishers or brands that regularly blog. If a brand can't link Stories to their website just yet, they could still create a shortened version of a blog post and alternatively include a page that says the article's link can be found in the Instagram account's bio.

Harvard Business Review

The Harvard Business Review often centers Stories around management, professionalism, and career-life. Like the MIT Tech Review, it uses a casual tone of voice and similarly adapts long-form content into abridged Stories. However, one key difference is that HBR is a bit more interactive.

While HBR embraces Instagram's poll, quiz, and other interactive Story features, it also gets creative by adding its own spin on interactivity to a story. In the example before, the publication shows users a burn-out checklist which they can screenshot and check off. The story then gives you advice for what to do if you checked any of the boxes.

Harvard Business Review Instagram Story

For readers that want to know more, they offer a swipe up to a long-form article on their website.

Takeaways

Although the name "Harvard" can sound intimidating, the publication's Stories are easy for any reader to follow. This is a great example of how a brand can succeed by talking directly to the young, more casual audience of Instagram.

On top of an understandable and relatable tone, interactive elements like checklists, polls, and quizzes might make readers think more deeply about a topic than they had before. This might pull them into content because they want to learn more or dive deeper into a topic they were asked to vote on.

Even if you aren't a publisher, doing something similar could be equally as beneficial to your content.

For example, if you're running an Instagram account for an extermination company, you might start a story with a poll saying, "Do you know where bed bugs come from?" Then, you could tell a story of where they come from, how to prevent them, and how they can call an exterminator if their preventative measures don't work.

People might tap through after taking the poll to see if they're right about bed bug origins or because the question made them realize how worried they are about bed bugs.

America's Test Kitchen

Like NASA, America's Test Kitchen, a website and video blog with recipe content, doesn't go too far off-brand with its Instagram Stories. While many of America's Test Kitchen's videos on other platforms show you how to make a recipe, the brand publishes behind-the-scenes kitchen videos and shots of ingredients to amp up audiences for upcoming recipe videos.

In a recent story, the Test Kitchen showed photographs and videos of bacon as chefs were testing out bacon recipes. The Story then offered up a poll that asked viewers how crispy they like their bacon.

The Test Kitchen doesn't swipe up to its website yet, but because they're posting behind the scenes videos while cooking new recipes, users can get an idea of what's going live on the website.

America's Test Kitchen Instagram Story

Takeaways

If you're not verified or are just starting to grow your following, this is a good example of how you can still promote your content without using a link to direct traffic to your site.

While America's Test Kitchen's Story strategy is perfect for food publications, it could also be helpful for restaurants as well. When someone sees a video of a restaurant's chef cooking a new dish, it might make them crave that meal and go to the restaurant to order it. Additionally, as prospective customers see chefs cooking thoroughly and with care, they might also trust that their food will be prepared well

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston uses Instagram Stories bring its current statues and paintings to life. While you might think that looking at pictures of 17th-century art might bore you, the MFA zests things up by partnering them with funny quotes, meme references, and polls.

For example, they recently presented multiple pictures of horse-related art accompanied with lyrics from the highly-memed song, "Old Town Road."

Museum of Fine Arts Boston's Instagram Story

Takeaways

While the MFA is known for being prestigious and academic, it uses Instagram Stories like this to show that the brand can still be both humorous and hip.

This is an example of how a brand that could've been considered "dry" on Instagram thought outside the box to show off their product in a whole new way. While it can be beneficial to stay on brand if you align well with a platform, some companies or organizations, like museums or national parks, might want to experiment with odd new content strategies on fast-paced platforms like Instagram.

National Geographic

Aside from Instagram's own account, National Geographic is the most-followed brand on the platform. Like its standard photo posts, the publisher experiments with a variety of different content styles.

While NatGeo's Stories usually highlight mini-documentaries, they also occasionally include polls or quizzes. This is a good example of how mixing things up and experimenting with different content styles can keep your audiences on the edge wondering what type of content they might see next.

Like MIT and Harvard, National Geographic also occasionally abridges long-form content in order to promote an article or video that a viewer can swipe up to. In the example screenshotted below, they promote a video that discusses the history of NASA's Apollo mission, while tagging NASA for some added Story optimization.

National Geographic thanks NASA in an Instagram Story

The brand has also dabbled with sponsored content. In one edition, sponsored by Barbie, they told the story of a female conservation photographer. This was an interesting example of a sponsorship which allowed National Geographic to tell a beautifully shot story about nature, while aligning with Barbie's mission to encourage female empowerment.

National Geographic Partnered with Barbie for an Instagram Story

Takeaways

Like MIT Tech Review and NASA, National Geographic leverages the beautiful and exclusive imagery it already has to adapt interesting on-brand content for Instagram. This allows the company to use their resources in an economic way while also promoting long-form content that goes into more detail than the Story does.

While NatGeo does a great job of adapting content, it also experiments with partner content. When even small brands partner with other companies to create content, production can be more affordable, and launching the content could help both brands gain fans from the other's base.

Outback Steakhouse

Like America's Test Kitchen, the restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse leverages images of delicious food and polls to engage its Instagram Story audiences.

While some Stories feel like ads by discussing promos and deals, others feel more interactive and creative.

For example, in one recent Story, users were shown multiple Outback menu items for each dinner course, then they were asked to vote on which meal they wanted for each course. At the end of the Story, Outback noted a multicourse dinner deal they were offering. This is a great way of highlighting multiple products at once without making your audiences feel overwhelmed.

Outback Steakhouse uses poll tool in Instagram Story

Takeaways

If you can't think of an idea for a Story with a more traditional plot and narrative, Outback proves that you can still pull people through a series of images in a way that feels more like an interactive experience than an ad.

A variety of different brands could take on a similar strategy. For example, if you were a marketer for a shoe company could post a Story that allows people to vote on the shoe styles that they'd wear for different occasions. This type of story would allow your audiences to see and weigh in on two different styles of your products at once.

Later, when they can't figure out which shoes they want to wear to an outing, they might remember your Story and go to your shoe outlet knowing you have a bunch of different options.

Nike

Nike's Instagram Stories feature interviews with prominent athletes who use Nike products. During the interviews, the athletes talk about their career accomplishments, rather than focusing on Nike products.

In the example below, soccer player Alex Morgan told the story about how she realized she wanted a different career path than her sister.

Nike Interviews an Athlete in its Instagram Story

Although this has nothing to do with shoes, the content aims to motivate athletes who might want to purchase shoes worn by other successful people in the sporting industry.

Takeaways

Leveraging relevant influencers, like Nike, allows you to create content that aligns with your brand without purely focusing on your product.

People might watch these Stories to learn more about the famous athletes being interviewed. Then, they might trust Nike's brand more because these successful athletes also trust its products.

While a small company might not be able to hire or film a famous athlete or influencer, they could still experiment with a similar strategy by interviewing smaller influencers or experts within their industry.

For example, if a gym owner wants to gain more clients, they could interview a local athlete about their goals, accomplishments, and what motivates them. People interested in the local athlete might watch the video to learn more about the person, but then consider a gym membership if they want to have similar athletic accomplishments.

Airbnb

Stories are a major part of the travel company's Instagram strategy. In fact, they have a few different styles of Stories. For example, which gives short profiles of Airbnb customers is called "Experiences, while another -- called "Adventures" combines curated and Airbnb-recorded content to show documentaries of unique vacations around the world.

Here's an example of one of Airbnb's Experience pieces which centers around a customer who regularly stays in Brooklyn. Aside from explaining what the customer does, AIrbnb also uses polls and quizzes related to her job to get people interested in the history she researches:

Airbnb highlights customers in its Instagram Stories

While Airbnb creates a lot of high-quality video and animated content for its stories, they also don't shy away from sharing high definition customer videos while crediting and tagging them.

Here's another screenshot from one of the brand's Adventure Stories where they included videos of an Airbnb customer swimming with sharks and credited them with their account handle:

Airbnb Instagram Story features video from customers

Takeaways

One of the best ways to gain brand trust is by telling or presenting stories from happy customers. Airbnb's Instagram team recognizes this and centers its storytelling strategy around that.

While they film and present their own beautiful footage and documentaries, they also are wise to share user curated videos and images.

While curation can obviously save you time and money on creating content, it also gives happy customers a new way to interact with the brand. Not to mention, it gives the brand a great opportunity to show its fans how pleased customers were with their trips.

If a prospective customer worries that a startup ro non-traditional company is untrustworthy, videos from customers could ease their nerves or give them a sense of FOMO (or fear of missing out) that makes them want to book a flight.

Although this customer experience strategy works well for Airbnb, it could work for a variety of other companies, especially if they are still building up their customer base or selling a disruptive product that no one's used before.

For example, if a new ride-share company had a few happy customers but wanted to boost its marketing strategy, it might create Stories where customers talk about interesting places that their shared ride brought them to, or maybe they'd discuss an interesting driver they met on a long ride. They could earn trust when prospective customers see how happy and safe customers felt when using the ride-share service.

Starbucks

Starbucks uses Stories to share customer testimonies, new product launches, and other interactive content. Although some a lot of the brand's content revolves around its drinks, the Stories don't feel like advertisements because they embrace fun facts and interactive polls and quizzes.

In one example, Starbucks asks viewers to guess which drink is coming back. It then shares the best answers and reveals the S'mores Frap and image. To add some extra interactivity, viewers can vote on what type of S'mores Frap they prefer and guess how many s'mores are shown in a video.

Starbucks Instagram Story

Takeaways

Even if they center specifically around a product rather than a narrative or plotline, Stories like these can still be fun from beginning to end. Starbucks does a great job of using interactive features to engage viewers.

By offering open ended questions and quizzes, they might engage with people who don't like a specific beverage, but want to guess anyway. With the polls, they can gain similar engagement, while also possibly learning more about what drinks and flavors their audience prefers.

Instagram

Yes. Obviously Instagram is excellent at posting Stories on its own platform. But, even though the brand is giant, they still rely on their fanbase for most of the content.

Almost all of Instagram's Stories are filled with photos or videos submitted by users. This allows Instagram to show off some of the most beautiful imagery and the most interesting videos on the platform. Because they tag and credit users who submitted content, they also give those accounts some great promotion. This, in turn, makes Instagram look like they care about their community and how people are using the app.

Here's a screenshot from a motivational story created by an Instagram user:

Instagram's Instagram Story with curated content from users

Takeaways

Whether you're marketing a small business or large business, you always want to be picking "low hanging fruit." For those that don't know this common startup saying, it means that if you see a huge opportunity in front of you, you should grab it. Just like you would grab a delicious-looking apple that was hanging low to the ground off of a tall tree.

By sourcing and republishing interesting content from some of its most engaging users, Instagram grabs its low hanging fruit and makes a delicious juice out of it.

Odds are, you're not Instagram's size -- and you probably don't have your own thriving social platform to pull content from. But, this doesn't mean you can't curate content from your customers in a more scalable way.

Like Airbnb, Instagram benefits greatly from highlighting content that was already created by its fans. If you're a small business that regularly gets some type of content from your customers or fans, you can create a sense of trust and community by sharing it and acknowledging those individuals.

For example, if you run marketing for a clothing outlet and keep getting pictures of people wearing the dresses it sells, you could make a Story that shows photos from customers who wore those outfits to different outings. Like Instagram, you could tag those customers so they or their followers might see the Story.

In another scenario, say you're running a local art studio. You might want to publish a Story that includes photos, sculptures, and paintings from your students. This allows your students to feel like you care about their success and want to share it, while also showing prospective students how much they could learn if they took your classes.

NBA

The NBA regularly posts behind-the-scenes styled Instagram Stories which might highlight post-game celebrations, interviews, and other off-the-court happenings.

For example, a recent Story followed the Toronto Raptors parade in Ontario, Canada and showed clips of players with family members and posing for photo ops with the Canadian rapper, Drake.

NBA Instagram Story

Takeaways

When you show the people behind a company or brand, it makes it feel more relatable or trustworthy. With the NBA, we often see players looking serious and tough as they play basketball. But, when you see them off the court, you realize that they're human, just like you.

Although someone might not be a sports fan, they might still watch behind-the-scenes stories like this to learn more about the faces behind the brand or to get insight on how the world of sports works.

In other industries, people might also respond well to behind-the-scenes video. For example, if you're marketing for a school or gym where professors and trainers might seem intimidating to prospects, showing Instagram Stories that follow them in their daily lives might make prospects less apprehensive about signing up for a course or membership.

Wayfair

Wayfair, an online furniture and home-decor company, publishes Stories that fall into five home-related categories: Wall Art Wednesday, #WayfairAtHome, Home Renos, Multifunctional, and Design Services.

When you visit its account page, instead of featuring multiple individual stories, they show you icons for each category. Once you click in, you'll see multiple Stories that relate to each group.

How Wayfair organizes Instagram Stories on its profile

Regardless of which category the Story falls into, Wayfair is always creatively weaving product shots into it in either a humorous or creative way.

Here's a screenshot from a Story where the brand uses humor to show off wall art:

Wayfair jokes about wall-hangings in its Instagram Story

In another example, they give valuable tips for home renovation that acknowledge Wayfair products:

Wayfair highlights spice rack in Instagram Story

Wayfair includes a "See more." swipe up call to action in every page of its Stories which allows viewers to swipe directly to a product immediately after its shown.

Takeaways

If you're working at an ecommerce company, or want to highlight and sell products quickly, Wayfair's strategy could be beneficial. These Stories allow possible customers to see products in action and used in real-life scenarios, which might make them want to make a purchase.

If you can't link your website to your Story, you could alternatively stick a product line link in your Instagram bio, then create a Story highlighting products that will be shown on that webpage. At the end of it, rather than including a linked call to action, you could direct viewers to your bio.

If you end up creating a bunch of Stories that fit into just a few categories, you might also want to consider presenting them as featured Stories like Wayfair does on its profile. That way, if someone is interested in one product category over another, they'll know where to click to see relevant content.

Caffe Nero

The New England-based Italian coffee chain, Caffe Nero, uses its Instagram Stories to highlight new products, menu items, and it's baristas. Recently, the company posted a Story about its "Barista of the Year" competition and award which highlighted the winner as well as eight baristas who were named as finalists.

Caffe Nero Instagram Story

Takeaways

Whether you're marketing for a local business or a chain, Stories can be a helpful way to highlight unique aspects of your brand -- especially devoted and friendly staff.

By highlighting nine highly-skilled baristas and showing an award ceremony, Caffe Nero shows prospective customers that its employees are pleasant, want to help customers, are good at making coffee, and enjoy their jobs. It also makes Caffe Nero look like a brand that cares about both its staff and good customer experiences.

If someone has to pick between a huge restaurant chain with unhappy staff and a smaller chain with staff that cares about customer happiness, odds are, they'll probably choose the second option because their experience might be smoother and more pleasant.

New York University

NYU's Stories center around topics that you might see in a student newspaper. In any given story edition, you might find student profiles, historical fun facts about NYU, graduation speeches, and university-related newsbites.

In one Story, published on Valentine's Day, NYU discussed alumni who fell in love:

NYU Valentines Day Instagram Story

In the same Story, they also highlighted instances of sibling students

NYU highlights sibling classmates in Instagram Story

And just recently, NYU published footage of its Pride Parade:

NYU covers Pride Parade in Instagram Story

Takeaways

Because Gen-Z and millennials flock to Instagram, this type of student-friendly content seems very well targeted. While many in Gen-Z are starting to enroll in college programs, some millennials might still be thinking about getting a first or second degree.

When prospective students are preparing to make a huge investment in college, they want to choose a school that cares about its students. With the strategy of telling interesting student stories and covering campus events, NYU gives possible students an idea of what going to the school might be like. These Stories might also show them how fun and diverse NYU could be.

If you're part of a business that requires students or customers to pay large annual fees, one great way of showing them it's worth it is by highlighting current customers or students. Emotionally, prospects might connect with people in their situation who are happy with a big investment that they made.

While this strategy works well for colleges and universities, it might also benefit other programs, such as a networking organization. For example, if you're trying to market a group where members pay to attend networking events, workshops, or other career training, you might post Stories that talk about members who found jobs after joining, or use the platform to show videos of current members at an interesting networking workshop.

Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness leverages its diverse customer base by promoting gym triumphs in its Instagram Stories. Its featured Story includes one customer triumph or success story on each page with teaser language encouraging viewers to swipe up to the Planet Fitness website.

Planet Fitness Instagram Story

The best thing about this Story is that it shows successes from a wide range of people at different ages and fitness levels. While you might see a highlight about an athlete preparing for a marathon one day, you'll also regularly see moms going to the gym to lose baby-weight, friends working out together to keep each other accountable, or other testimonials about customer weight-loss or wellness milestones.

Takeaways

While some gyms might promote their most athletic, body-building members to show how successful they are, Planet Fitness continues to define itself as a "judgement-free zone" by showing realistic accomplishments by every-day people.

Those who want to go to the gym, but feel intimidated or worried that athletes will be judging their fitness level might see these stories and feel like Planet Fitness is a realistic and welcoming place for them to start working out.

Furthermore, when they see a success story about someone losing just a few pounds or inches, they might trust that Planet Fitness is a more realistic gym with staff that will help them reach healthy and achievable goals, rather than pressure them to overwork themselves.

Every-day person success Stories can be a great way to lighten up your brand image if you think prospects are too nervous to come to you. Aside from gyms, this could be an approach for other businesses or brands that might be intimidating to customers.

For example, because people can get nervous around lawyers, a law firm might want to use Stories to post video testimonials from clients who won their court cases with help from the organization. In another scenario, a nutritionist might have patients volunteer to talk about their wellness success. Viewers who are worried that they'll have to change their whole diet with a nutritionist might be comforted by seeing that expert advice can help them be healthier.

The Jimmy Fund

The non-profit organization which raises money for cancer research and treatments regularly keeps Instagram followers up to date with the projects its funding, cancer-survivor testimonials, and updates on its annual 5K Fun Runs.

Although cancer is a tough topic, The Jimmy Fund's Stories are optimistic and promote the charity's successes.

In one Story, the organization toured a state of the art cancer treatment center that they had helped fund:

Jimmy Fund Instagram Story at Cancer Center

In another, a cancer survivor gives five tips for living with the disease:

Jimmy Fund Instagram Story where cancer survivor gives tips to others with the disease

 

Takeaways

If you're a marketer for an organization that asks for donations or funding, you might already know that you'll need to gain trust from your following in order to get the money you need. One of the best ways to show that someone's donation will be put to good use is to promote how the funds are effectively being used to help others.

By using the Stories feature to present funded projects, like new cancer treatment centers, viewers can literally see what their money could go toward.

If you're just getting a philanthropic organization or fund off of the ground, another way to earn trust could be by creating content that is valuable to the group you're trying to help.

For example, along with noting what the charity has been funding, The Jimmy Fund also posts advice for cancer patients and cancer survivors. While those living with cancer can benefit from this, those who aren't will see that the organization genuinely cares about the group it says it supports.

Lowe's

The home-improvement store uses a variety of different story styles to show off its products. While most are created by Lowe's, other [1]stories are curated from customers.

In one curated story, viewers can watch a woman refloor her bathroom with tiles she bought at Lowe's:

Lowe's How-to Home Improvement Instagram Story

In a story created by Lowe's, the brand takes a similar approach as Outback Steakhouse by allowing viewers to vote on which type of paint color they preferred in a specific room:

Lowe's uses polling tool in an Instagram Story

Takeaways

While home-improvement might be nerve-wracking to someone who hasn't done it before, Lowe's uses colorful imagery and creative stories to show how fun and creative it can be. Because Lowe's shows its own tools in these stories, novices who don't want to be overwhelmed by product choices might just buy the exact same supplies so they can replicate what they've already seen.

If your company offers DIY products, whether they relate to home-making, cooking, art, or other activities, showing them in action can be a really great way to encourage purchases. How-tos and demonstrations can excite prospective customers and show them how easy it can be to do a home project. Because of this, they might run straight to your store to buy similar supplies or ask your staff to show them other products for another DIY project.

Tips for Creating an Instagram Story

If this list has inspired you to create a branded Instagram Story, here are a few key takeaways to remember as you begin to brainstorm your first edition.

  • Identify and leverage content that might already align well with the platform. Do you have great customers that you can interview on camera? Or photos or videos of your product or service in action? While you'll still want to adapt imagery or Story lengths to fit the platform, don't be afraid to publish Stories with curated or pre-created content that you think will engage Instagrammers and prospective customers.
  • Create content specifically for the platform's audience. Whether you're adapting content or creating it from scratch, make sure you're posting about topics that younger and more-visual Instagram audiences will engage with.
  • Use interactive features like questions, polls, and quizzes. These add depth to a story and might enable users to think about each topic more seriously.
  • Keep stories quick and to the point. Don't overwhelm your audiences with too much text or too many pages. This might cause them to tap out of your story.
  • Add a swipe up if you can. These can be a great way to gain traffic through Instagram. Don't have the swipe up feature yet? Here's how you can get it.

Stories can be a great way to add some unique and engaging content to your Instagram strategy. If you're ready to make one, but feel overwhelmed by all the app's features, you can check out this detailed how-to guide.

If you're looking to up your Instagram game even more, click here to learn more about the strategies of its most-followed brands and individuals. You can also check out our Ultimate Guide to Instagram Marketing.

Monday, September 2, 2019

Labor Day - 2019 Logos From Google, Yahoo & Bing

Today is Labor Day in the United States and now for the fourth year in a row, Google has a Labor Day logo. Google use to not do Labor Day logos but now has consistently done them for the past four years. Yahoo and Bing also have special logos or designs up for the day.

How to Use Instagram Carousel Posts: 10 Tips

When opening Instagram, how often do you "swipe left to see more?" Maybe it’s to see that a blog post from your favorite media site was uploaded. Or to watch the entire trailer for the latest season of "Stranger Things" (guilty).

Whether you double-tapped on a "Throwback Thursday" post or commented on how helpful that newsletter on managing spreadsheets was, these engagements are an excellent use of Instagram’s Carousel feature, an expansive tool that fits into countless marketing campaigns.

Instagram Carousel Ads

Instagram’s Carousels allow an account to use multiple media (images or video) in one post. This is indicated by a post having the icon of two squares in the upper-right corner.

instagram-carousel-iconImage source: TechCrunch

Businesses are using the Carousel feature on Instagram to serve their current customers and generate new leads. As the number one social network for organic engagement, it’s a cost-effective, succinct, and engaging way to communicate your marketing message.

Carousels don’t necessarily have to be ads. In order to create a Carousel Ad, there are two requirements: switching to an Instagram Business account and having a connected Facebook Business page. That way, you can create Instagram Carousels from your Facebook page.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a Carousel Ad:

  1. Open Facebook’s Power Editor.
  2. Select the campaign you want to be in the ad, click "Create Ad Set."
  3. Fill out the information requested, including targeting and placements options.
  4. In the placements stage, make sure only Instagram is selected.
  5. Proceed with Facebook’s instructions and click "Create."
  6. Your Carousel ad will then be published on Instagram, in either a Story or on your main feed.

Instagram offers two types of Carousel Ads for Stories that cater to your objective, assets, and target audiences: Native Stories and Expandable Stories.

For Native Stories, all of the cards are automatically displayed, meaning viewers won’t have to "swipe to see more," the ad will autoplay. Because these cards are automatic, there’s a max number of three for each ad.

A Native Story is an effective Carousel Ad for a full-length commercial or demonstration. Think of them as commercial breaks as viewers tap through their stories.

Expandable Stories are more traditional. Viewers can tap to keep watching and can tap through a max of 10 cards. Expandable Stories are great for mixed media ads and audiences who usually buy on mobile.

Both Story formats support mixed media and allow one CTA per ad. If any card, or all the cards, are seen by the same viewer, only one impression is counted. Finally, these ads can either have different web destinations per card or one destination for the entire ad.

New to the Carousel feature? We’ve put together 10 ways you can start using Carousels to promote your business.

10 Ways to Use Instagram Carousels

1. Product launch

Instagram is a perfect way to tease your followers with your next product launch. Use the Carousel to include pictures, specs, and even a first look, like Audio-Technica did below with their new headphones.

Since Instagram is known for business engagement, (about 80% of Instagram users follow a business), this is a great chance to answer questions and build hype. For instance, if a customer asked, "Are these headphones available for purchase?" Audio-Technica could mention them in a reply comment so others with the same question can see the answer.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Introducing the NEW wired ATH-G1 and wireless ATH-G1WL premium gaming headsets from Audio-Technica. Taking design inspiration from the iconic ATH-M50x professional headphones, these new headsets boast precision audio reproduction and powerful performance in a comfortable, lightweight and low-profile design. Hear your games the way they’re meant to be heard with studio quality, specially-tuned large-diameter 45mm drivers. Go wireless with the ATH-G1WL’s stable, lag-free 2.4GHz wireless connectivity and virtual surround sound or take advantage of your soundcard and amp with the ATH-G1’s 1,300mW input capacity. Both headsets feature a new lightweight, comfortable and incredibly durable metal headband as well new dual fabric ear-pads that provide great passive noise-reduction but remain breathable and cool for long gaming sessions. The new gaming headsets will be available this week at JB Hi-Fi for $249 (wired) and $349 (wireless). Read more at audio-technica.com.au

A post shared by Audio-Technica Australia (@audiotechnicaau) on Jun 30, 2019 at 8:02pm PDT

Image source: Audio-Technica

2. Full-length videos/images

Have a full-length commercial or photo that’s too big for Instagram? Give it the Carousel treatment. TechCrunch highlights a packing robot from Amazon in the two-video Carousel featured below. Sometimes full videos can do what a commercial or quick clip can’t.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Meet the robots that help get your Amazon packages on time 🤖 #robotics #ai #statenisland #amazon

A post shared by TechCrunch (@techcrunch) on Mar 21, 2019 at 8:34am PDT

Image source: TechCrunch

3. Before and after

One of the first questions asked when releasing a new product – or marketing an existing one – is "How does it work?" The Container Store uses Carousels to answer that question. Visually showing the benefits of your product gives your target audience the chance to see how your product fits into their lives.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Don’t let the chill of space keep you from an organized fridge. @shegaveitago #MoreSpace

A post shared by The Container Store (@thecontainerstore) on Aug 1, 2019 at 6:08pm PDT

Image source: The Container Store

4. Recap

If your business hosts events, and you’d like to boost attendance and thank attendees, consider using Carousels to recap those events. Followers can swipe through and reminisce on that rooftop dinner or RSVP for the next one. Take this example, from INBOUND:

Image source: INBOUND

5. Blog content

A secret weapon to promoting blog content? Teasing it on Instagram. IBM does this well by using the Carousel to tease their blog posts without giving the message away – a throwback theme for a throwback post.

Image source: IBM

6. Brand personality

Instagram is the perfect place to build your brand and company culture. Show the people behind the screen and highlight those who make your business what it is. Check out how Boston-based coffee company Pavement does this by spotlighting their employees and their favorite coffee blend.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

⁣⠀ We're sharing pictures of some of the Pavement team - and their favorite coffees at the moment.⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ Andy Dion is a supervisor at our Fenway location! Favorite coffee: Decaf Tolima, Colombia.⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ Some people just don't need the caffeine. We've got a special place in our hearts for folks who don't want caffeine and drink decaf just for the pure love of coffee. That's why we source incredible Colombian decaf coffees through @collaborativecs and put as much effort into our decaf roasts as we do all of our coffees. 💫THE MORE YOU KNOW💫⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ PS, If you post a picture of a bag of Pavement's coffee at home and use the hashtag #TakePavementHome, you earn a chance to win a free bag of coffee! Whoever posts our favorite photo is the winner!⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ .⁣⠀ #PavementCoffeehouse #PavementCoffee #decafcoffee #decaf #eadecaf #bostoncoffee #bostonlocal #coffeegram #coffeeshots #specialtycoffee #igerscoffee #coffeeprops #alternativebrewing #peoplebrewcoffee #thetrendybarista #bostonfoodies #coffee #barista #baristalife #baristalifestyle #roaster #coffeeroaster #roasterlife #caferoastery #singleorigincoffee #coffeetime #coffeeshop #coffeeroasting #roastinglife⁣⠀

A post shared by Pavement Coffeehouse (@pavementcoffee) on Mar 26, 2019 at 12:34pm PDT

Image source: Pavement Coffeehouse

7. Customer testimonials

Ecommerce giant Shopify uses Carousels to promote its customer reviews in a weekly podcast. This is a great way to generate more leads and maintain existing customer relationships.

Image source: Shopify

8. Group themed images

Who doesn’t love dogs? Social media management platform Hootsuite sure does. They posted a Carousel of everyone’s best friend in incredible costumes. Not only does this showcase company culture, but it shows how using Carousel themes brings vibrancy to a business’s page.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Beware of the Zom-Bees and other terrifying ghouls that might sneak up on you today!🧟‍♂️ Happy Halloween from the #hootdog’s and all of us at Hootsuite! 👻

A post shared by Hootsuite (@hootsuite) on Oct 31, 2018 at 3:47pm PDT

Image source: Hootsuite

9. Storytelling

Carousels can do more than announce a product. They can also tell the story of a potential customer. Pepsi recently posted a comic-book style Carousel about a sixth sense: Pepsi style. They released it right around the time "Spiderman: Far From Home" was released, and it shows how Carousels can build suspense.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tag someone who’s got a sixth Pepsi sense.

A post shared by pepsi (@pepsi) on Jul 18, 2019 at 1:26pm PDT

Image source: Pepsi

10. Process demonstration

Orangetheory Fitness has Carousels on their Instagram page to demonstrate how fitness helps the body in more ways than on the scale. Demonstrating a process is a great way of engaging potential customers who might be on the fence about buying a product. If your business offers long-term results, Carousels can be used to show the progression of the benefits your customers will enjoy.

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Remember: progress comes in many different forms. This week’s #FactsBehindtheTheory breaks down some ways to track your progress both inside and outside the studio. 💪

A post shared by Orangetheory Fitness (@orangetheory) on Jul 20, 2019 at 9:10am PDT

Image source: Orangetheory Fitness

Instagram users are currently limited to adding 10 photos/videos per Carousel post. Use those 10 to your benefit, but don’t commit information overload. Images keep the content light and ultimately drive traffic to your website. Instagram is an aid, not the main event.

Don’t limit yourself to only photos or videos. Mix it up. Including a snippet of an interview as well as a promotional image is a smart way to show customers and leads what you’re all about.

Adding a consistent theme to your account makes it stand out and adds brand personality. Use carousels to post what you normally wouldn’t on your website. For more tips on how to wield Instagram marketing, check out our ultimate guide.

How to Use TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide

With more than 500 million monthly active users, TikTok is taking app stores by storm and serving as a worthy competitor to apps like Snapchat and Instagram.

While Gen-Z has flocked to the app, brands like Chipotle and The Washington Post are also starting to experiment with TikTok's video marketing opportunities.

The best way to learn more about the app, its user base, and the type of content that engages audiences is to start producing your own posts on a personal or business account.

However, if you're a marketer that's never used a niche social platform before, TikTok can be pretty hard to navigate. Even I -- a social media-obsessed millennial blogger -- had trouble figuring out how the heck it worked when I first logged on last year. 

If you identify with that struggle, don't worry! I eventually figured it out -- and you will too!

To help you conquer the app, I've put together a quick guide to show you how to use it.

Here's a list instructions -- with pictures -- that will walk you through setting up your profile, filming your first video, adding special effects, and using challenges or duets to engage with other users.


Setting Up Your Account

1. Download the app and sign up.

Go to the App Store or Google Play and download TikTok. When you open it, TikTok makes it pretty easy to sign up. You can do an instant sign up with Facebook, Gmail, or Twitter, or add a standard username and password if you don't want any of those accounts connected.

2. Set up your profile.

Once you're logged in, you'll instantly be brought to the feed of videos. I'll show you how it works in step three. But first, tap the icon in the lower right that looks like a person's outline to see and edit your profile.

Navigation bar at the bottom of TikTok app screen

Once you enter your profile, tap the Edit Profile button, then select a profile photo or video. You should also add your username and bio information. If you want to show off your other social media profiles, you can link up your Youtube and Instagram pages. If you're a business, this could be a helpful way to advertise your other visual platforms.

Finding Videos and Engaging with Users

3. View the video feed,

Now that you've set up your profile, tap back to the first tab which shows you the video feed.

TikTok Feed

Think of this feed like Twitter's, but where video is the primary content. If you don't have any followers yet, the app will send you random trending videos. As you begin following and interacting with more people, your feed will become more personalized to your interests.

4. Like, comment, or share videos you enjoy.

When you find a video you like, you can tap the heart to like it or the speech bubble to comment on it. To share the video, press the forward sign underneath the comment symbol to see your sharing options. These symbols are all located on the right side of the video.

Video on TikTok showing like, comment, share and follow buttons

If you really like a video and want to see if the user has more posts you'll enjoy, swipe left to toggle to their profile.

Swiping left on a TikTok video to see the creator's profile

5. Search for videos.

Tap on the second tab, or magnifying glass, to enter the app's search area. On this tab, you can either search out accounts or videos, or you can look below the search bar to see videos by trending topic.

Finding TikTok users through search feature

6. Follow users via videos, search, and TikCode.

If you want to keep up with a great video creator, you can follow them by pressing the icon that includes their profile picture and a plus sign above the heart button on their video.

TikTok screen with follow icon

If you already know of a TikTok account or person that you want to follow, you can search for them in the search bar and then press the "Users" filter. You can also find them by scanning their TikCode. This can be helpful for brands or people that want to promote their TikTok channel on other websites or in the physical world. It can also be great if you run into a friend in-person who wants to add you.

To find your own TikCode, go to your profile and tap the icon with four squares in the top right.

TikCode on TikTok profile

To scan another TikCode, go to the search tab and tap the square scan button next to the search bar.

Top of TikTok search page which shows search bar and square TikCode scanner

When the scan screen opens, hold it up to the TikCode you want to scan. The scanning process will begin instantly so you don't have to press any other buttons. Within seconds of a successful scan, you'll be sent to that person's profile. If you have a screenshot of a code, you can also press "Photos" in the top corner of the scan page to upload and scan the code.

Scanning a TikCode on TikTok

How to Post on TikTok

7. Set up your shot and pick out special effects.

Tap the center tab to enter camera mode. To face the camera in the right direction, tap the Flip icon in the top right. On the right side of the screen, you'll also see icons for the following:

  • Speed: Allows you to record your video in slow motion or sped up.
  • Beauty: An AR filter that can hide blemishes and smooth out your skin.
  • Filters: Lets you change the color filter of the camera.
  • Timer: Allows you to set an auto-record countdown if you want to film hands-free.
  • Flash
Camera screen view of TikTok app

Music and Effects

On the top center of the camera screen, you'll also see music notes with "Add a Sound" next to them. Tap this to choose the musical overlay or sound effect that you want to work with.

Selecting a sound on TikTok

On the bottom of the camera, you'll also see an Effects icon to the right and an upload button to the left -- in case you want to record your videos outside of the app.

When you tap the Effects button, you'll see a giant lineup of AR filters and other special effects that can augment your face or your surroundings. You can also pick out a video overlay-styled filter here.

Previewing AR bunny face filter on TikTok

In the black bar under the camera, you can set the time limit for your video or tap Photo Template to create a photo slideshow instead of a video.

Using time bar under camera screen to set video length on TikTok

8. Record the video.

Once you're ready, press and hold the red record button. You can either record your video all at once or in pieces.

Recording a video with a face and color filter on TikTok

If you want to fit different shots in each video or record it in pieces, simply hold the record button for each segment, then let go, then press and hold it again when you're ready for your next shot.

Don't want to hold your record button the whole time? Before you enter record mode, you can also use the timer to give yourself enough time to prop up your phone and pose in front of it before it starts automatically recording.

Setting a video recording timer on TikTok

9. Make final edits and add a caption to the video.

When you're done recording the video, you'll still be able to add a musical overlay, filters, and other basic special effects. You can also add stickers and text overlays on top of the video.

Adding stickers and other effects to a video before posting on TikTok

When you're done, press Next. You'll be directed to a page similar to Instagram's post page where you can add a caption, relevant hashtags, and account handles of others. You can also set the privacy of the video, turn comments on or off, allow duets or reactions, and tap "Save to Album" to download it to your smartphone's photos.

Adjusting post settings and adding a caption on TikTok

If you aren't ready to post yet, just press the Drafts button at the bottom left to save it for later.

10. Duet with other users.

See a musical post that you love? Want to join in with the person who made it? TikTok allows you to reply with a Duet video. To use this former Musical.ly feature, find a video you want to duet with, press the Share button to see sharing options, then press the "Duet" option on the bottom row in the center.

Using share options to start a Duet on TikTok

Your camera screen will appear next to the video. From there, you can press record and sing along, dance, or do whatever you want to the music.

Recording a duet on TikTok

To show you what a finished product looks like, here's one great example:

If you make a post and don't want anyone to duet with you, you can tap the "Duet/React Off" button on your Post page before publishing.

11. Participate in a challenge.

Like other social media platforms, you'll occasionally see videos with hashtags for "challenges." A challenge is when a video post, company, or person encourages users to film themselves doing something oddly specific -- like flipping the lid of a Chipotle to-go bowl with no hands. Participants then film themselves doing the action and hashtag the challenge name in their post captions.

There usually aren't any winners in a TikTok challenge, but hashtagging it might help you get more followers or views as people find you when searching the hashtag.

To give you a quick idea of what participating in challenge entails, here's a video of someone doing the above-mentioned #ChipotleLidFlip challenge:

A Few TikTok Takeaways

Yes, TikTok may seem like a pretty odd platform right now, but it might be a great tool for engaging and spreading awareness to your younger audiences later. Because it is only one year old, it is also a great place for early video experimentation.

As you're brainstorming or filming your first videos, here are a few tips to help you create unique and engaging posts:

  • Have fun with the special effects. There are a ton of ways to zest up your video, and audiences on TikTok expect it. So play around and experiment with them.
  • Embrace the music. Most videos on the platform have some type of song or sound effect in the background.
  • Film a few videos with multiple shots. This will make it feel more interesting and active.
  • Don't be afraid to show a lighter side or a sense of humor. People come to this platform to be entertained.
  • Use trendy hashtags and try out a challenge video. Then, include relevant hashtags in your post caption so your video shows up when people search it.
  • Look at what other brands are doing. While your company might not need to jump on TikTok just yet, videos posted by other brands could inspire some ideas for your own strategy.

Want to learn more about TikTok's backstory and what it might mean for brands? Check out this post. If you're interested in checking out other emerging platforms, we've also got this great guide for you.