The internet provides a lot of promotional and advertising opportunities to help businesses grow. These days, businesses of all sizes are relying heavily on different social media platforms.   Instagram is one of these platforms. The popular app has recently added some interesting features to help brands grow in new and exciting ways. From the story feature to live video, here are some ideas on how you can use these new features for your business.

Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are as long as Snapchat stories (10 seconds), and you can post as many as you want.  Businesses can use stories to provide quick and precise content.  If a business has a new promotion or sale, they can put it on their story for their followers to see right away.

With Instagram stories, businesses get the chance to be creative with their marketing.  You can come up with crazy designs or show followers a behind-the-scenes look at your offices.  You can provide a personal feel with stories to show your followers and target audience how much you care about them, by opening your doors and inviting them to get to know you.

Live Story

Instagram’s version of the live story is unique and can certainly help you reach your desired audience.  Live video can be as long as you want, providing even more content for your business.  If you want to tell your audience more about your business, you can do so with live video.  Instead of trying to explain something in 10-second clips, you can make a live video to get your message across.  With live video, you can get more personal in real time. It’s a great way to give your followers a first look at special events, promotions, or any important information you want them to know.  

If you're worried about whether people will know when you're going live, don't be.  Instagram has a built-in feature that alerts all of your followers when you're going live.  This is a great way to engage your target audience, and you'll be able to see how people are interacting with the video.  As you record your live video, you can see who is viewing it, and they can ask questions and comment on your video. If someone viewing has a question, they can ask it and you can respond in real time.   It's all about customer interaction and satisfaction with these features - and that’s why businesses need to pay attention to them.

The biggest thing to remember when choosing which social media platforms to use is how interactive you want to get with your audience.  If you want to fully engage your customers, Instagram may be the platform for you, because of how personal it truly is.  Instagram is a combination of the most personal aspects of Facebook and Snapchat, and that’s what makes it such an intimate, authentic tool for businesses.