Stories are one of the most popular features on Facebook and Instagram. Snapchat and its limited-time photos has hundreds of millions of daily users. Stories are a major part of some of the biggest social media platforms and therefore shouldn’t be ignored by businesses. But before you try to make them a part of your social media strategy, it’s important to understand what Stories are and why they’re important.
What Is Ephemeral Content?
Ephemeral content is short-lasting content posted on social media. Stories on Facebook and Instagram, everything on Snapchat, and Statuses on WhatsApp are considered ephemeral content because once they’re posted or sent, they’re only available to their intended recipients for a short period of time, usually 24 hours.
On Facebook and Instagram, content posted in Stories can be saved for later posting on your profile. For example, you can organize Stories into collections on Instagram that can be posted for your audience to see again later on. However, it can be advantageous to post content in Stories first.
Why Are Stories Important for Business’ on Social Media?
Stories are popular. Millions of people interact more with Stories content than they do with any other type of content on social media. For that reason alone, Stories are an important part of a business’s social media strategy. But there’s more to it than that.
The social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, that host Stories, favor them in their algorithms. Stories have a special place in a user’s content feed, right at the top. They’re much easier for users to see and interact with. Plus, because users know they won’t be there for long, there’s more of a sense of urgency to viewing and interacting with ephemeral content like Stories.
What Kind of Content Should Be Posted to Stories?
What kind of content you should post to Stories depends on the social media platform in question. Instagram is a photo-sharing platform, but short videos also do well. On Facebook, a wider variety of content is permissible. However, video content is popular and often gets more views. Live video content even more so.
Why Are Stories So Popular with Social Media Users?
The type of content that is shared in Stories often ends up being less formal than regularly scheduled posts. This means that users get a glimpse behind the scenes of your business, which makes them feel like they’re really getting to know the real you. Their ephemeral nature makes any Stories content seem more exclusive and limited.
How Often Should a Business Post Stories Content?
Because Stories don’t last long, they should be posted more frequently than regular content. While other types of social media posts shouldn’t be overdone because too many can be a turn-off for otherwise interested users, Stories are actually better to post in larger quantities. Users can browse through all of their Stories at once and often do. This means that businesses shouldn’t shy away from posting more Stories.