Posting on your Instagram Story vs. your Instagram Feed: What's the difference?

It can be intimidating to market your business on Instagram when you’re not sure what you should be doing. As a social media marketing agency, we have your back and will help you find the answers you’re looking for to grow your brand on Instagram. Before we cover the differences in content for your Instagram Stories vs. your Instagram Feed, let’s go over what Instagram is.

What is Instagram?

For the uninitiated, Instagram is a social media platform that allows anyone with an Instagram account to post pictures and videos while giving them the opportunity to engage with friends, family, Instagram celebrities, and brands. The Facebook-owned app can only be used to its full capacity on mobile and has more than 800 million users at the time this article was written. Here are more stats about Instagram you may not know:

• 79% of brand marketers of leveraged Instagram Shopping tools

• 82% of Instagram marketers post video content

• Instagram Live has the highest ROI of any content format

• 84% of marketers say Instagram marketing was effective for their company last year

• More than 1/3 of brands use Instagram for customer service and see high ROI

Despite the emergence of other social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s in your best interest to consider the social media platform if you’re not already using it to grow your brand!

One of the questions we are asked regarding Instagram is what should I post to my story and what should I post on my feed? This is a common question so if you're wondering what the answer is, don't be embarrassed.

What should you be posting to your Instagram Story?

The approach you should take to your story is "What happens in a day of the life of me." Stories don't last forever on your Instagram story unless you want to save them. Take the vlog approach where you record the flow of your day and your random thoughts. A simple chain of events you could add to your story would be as follows:

• Picture of your breakfast...add a little note of how it makes you feel

• Boomerang of your favorite co-worker dancing at the office

• Video of your lunch completed with a location tag

• Screenshot of a quote you came across while on your phone at your desk

• Picture of your favorite soda that you drink every afternoon

• Picture of you and your BFF getting together for dinner with a location tag

• Boomerang of you at the gym getting swole

• A final picture of the day of you in bed

If you're a business, what you share on your Instagram Story will be different. Here are a few ideas of what you can share to your Instagram story as a brand:

• Discounts and current sales

• Announcements of new products or services

• A sneak peak into a new clothing line

• Run a poll on customer preferences

• Behind-the-scenes pictures and videos of your factory/restaurant

• A quick interview with the CEO

Instagram Stories capture the little moments of your day. They don't need to be absolutely perfect and should give your followers a glimpse into what goes on in your world. A key to having a successful Instagram Story is staying true to your brand's personality and style.

Start using the Stories feature if you haven’t already started! PC: Buffer

What should you be posting to your Instagram Feed?

Your Instagram Feed requires a different approach in a sense that posts are permanent unless they are deleted. If you're an influencer or a one-man-shop that provides a service such as athletic training, your feed should focus on polished, planned images and videos. Post images and videos that capture the essence of what your business is working to accomplish.

Planning photos and captions ahead of time will always work in your favor. It’s best to give yourself time when scheduling posts. You'll be able to post images that are consistent with your brand that your followers have grown to love. A few examples of people who do a great job are:

• Gary V

• The Bucket List Family

• Kelsie Marie Taylor

If you're running an Instagram account for a store or a restaurant, your approach will be different from an influencer's approach. Post well-lit product shots if you're selling a tangible item such as clothing, hardware, or food. If you can have models posing in the image, you'll get better engagement. Your goal should always be to provide value.

Improve feed post reach by sharing your posts to stories

Another effective way to expand your reach and get more engagement with your Instagram posts is to share posts as stories. This will help followers who mostly watch stories know that you just posted to your feed. It’s a simple way to increase overall engagement with your content for free. You can share both photos and videos to improve your visibility. This tactic can also be done with Instagram Reels to increase total views.

Are you new to Instagram?

If you haven’t already downloaded Instagram to your phone, you can get the Instagram app for free from the Google Play Store for Android devices or the App Store for iOS devices. Once the download has been completed, you can quickly set up your username and password to bring your Instagram account to life! It’s easy to set up your profile and begin adding photos and photos.

Got questions about Instagram marketing for your business?

Do you have any other questions about what you should post on your Instagram Feed or your Instagram Story? Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you!

To MLM people: How to not annoy everyone on social media and still increase sales

Have you ever had someone try to push something down your throat? How about someone who is constantly pitching you the same old products or services? Do you get messages from an old friend saying how they love working from home and get to build their business while being at home? It's really annoying.

Unfortunately, this is an all too common approach people take when they're a part of a multi-level marketing (MLM) organization. Businesses that can be found using this model include essential oils, makeup, health supplements, and more. If you're part of an MLM, don't run away. Read this article because it’s for your benefit. Here's how you increase sales without annoying the heck out of your friends and family:

1. Separate your personal life from your business life: Are you sharing all of your products/services on your personal Facebook page? Stop and create a business Facebook page. It's really easy to do. The same goes for your Instagram account. Create a business account and it'll help you keep your friends while increasing brand awareness. If you prefer to stay on Facebook, create a Facebook group which has an organic reach that will give you stronger engagement with your fans. It'll create a community for your customers and business partners where you can provide expertise and resources. You can regularly post content that answers questions about your product or service.

2. Create value: It's tough for any business to attract new customers if people don't understand how they can benefit from what a business has to offer. Do you know which problems your product or service solves? If you can't answer that question, you're either in the wrong business or should become more familiar with what you are offering. Here are three different ways you can create value and help people solve problems using your product or service:

   1. Blog: Setting up a blog on your website is one the best ways to gain credibility, increase your visibility online, and answer any questions your potential customers have. Blog topics you can pursue include "How to get the most out of your...," "10 ways to...," and "Do these 3 things to save money with..." The sky is the limit.

   2. Video: Using video for marketing is one of the best ways to engage with people. Videos do well on social media and on the web in general. You don't even have to be a video wiz. You can do things like Facebook Live or Instagram Live to interact with customers.

   3. Tips and tricks: Everyone loves learning how to get the most out of something they paid for with their hard-earned cash. The same goes for anything you offer to customers. Are you offering financial planning services? Let them know about investment best practices on your YouTube channel. Do you sell makeup? Post a makeup tutorial twice a week that shows your customers how to easily look like a celebrity with your products. People want to know how to get the best return.

3. Be consistent: Figure out a schedule that works for you and stick to it. If you have the bandwidth to produce a new 60-second video for YouTube three times a week, do it. If you only have time to post on Instagram every Tuesday and Thursday then do that. The key is consistency in the timing of your posts as well as the quality of your posts. Your customers need to know they can count on you to provide value and help them solve the problems they need your products/services for. Use a social media scheduler to save you time and money in the long run.

4. Transparency always pays off: Be open with your followers. Let them know how much things cost. No one wants to feel like they've been ripped off. It'll hurt your reputation and it'll take a long time to repair bridges you've burned as a result of not being upfront and honest.

Now that you've read through these four tips, take action and put these tips to work for you! You will still keep your relationships while building the life you were promised when you joined that MLM.