Stories: What They Are and Who Needs Them
A story is a vertical clip that can be shared for a limited time (usually 24 hours). To attract viewers, stories include various materials, including photos, animations, videos, as well as stickers, polls, and other interactive elements.
Stories first became popular on Instagram* and then spread to other platforms.
Some search engines also support the vertical format. For example, Google Web Stories displays stories directly in search results, attracting the audience.
Companies also use stories in mobile applications.
Who Needs Stories and Why?
Stories serve the following purposes:
Product advertisement. Stories are used for direct and native advertising content. In this format, brands share information about short-term promotions. This allows users to quickly receive information about discounts without losing it in their feed.
VK (a popular Russian social networking platform) has an option for targeted advertising in stories. Such videos are available only to specific users for whom this product is most relevant and useful.
Broadcasting important information. Stories help convey ideas to the audience. This is necessary for emotional connection with subscribers. Such an approach gains user loyalty and increases the effectiveness of advertising in the future.
Engaging the audience. Photos and videos with polls, quizzes, and challenges attract attention and encourage interaction with stories. This way, the account becomes memorable and stands out from others. The more interactivity, the more engaged the user is with the content.
Selling products and services. Beautiful, stylish images, product demonstrations, a creative approach, and concise text help capture the buyer's interest.
The stories format is also found in the mobile applications of brands. Seasonal offers, newly released products, as well as thematic collections are easiest to showcase through stories.
How to Publish Stories
How to post stories on VK
The blocking of Instagram in Russia has led many brands to promote themselves on VK services. Views of vertical videos have significantly increased over the past year, so stories on VK are best suited for business promotion. Posting such videos is only possible from a mobile device.
To post a story, follow these simple instructions:
- Click on the icon with your photo in the main feed.
- Take a photo or video, then upload it.
- Edit the story, apply effects and other graphical elements.
- Post the created content on your page or in your community. To do this, go to the "Recipients" section, then click "Publish."
Subscribers will be able to view your stories; they are available for 24 hours.
If you need to extend the period, use the "Narratives" section, where access is not limited by time.
How to post stories on Telegram
If you have an Android phone, there are two ways:
- Open the app and swipe down the screen. A special stories panel will appear. Click on the "My story" icon.
- Click on the camera icon in the lower right corner.
If you have an iOS phone, select the "Stories" icon in the top right corner or go to the "Chats" section and click on "My Story." You can adjust the privacy settings in the app settings both before and after posting stories on Telegram. To do this, open the story, tap on the three dots, and click on "Who can see the story." You can view stories after posting, edit them, as well as delete them and see the list of users who have viewed them. All photos and videos ever posted are stored and available in the "Settings" section.
How to Create Great Stories
Follow new trends and app updates, combine them, and see which tools work best.
Create interesting content. Unique materials and exclusives make your stories more valuable. A content plan is helpful, so plan topics in advance. For beautiful visuals, create storyboards.
Come up with a regular segment that will become a tradition. It could be humor, a funny meme, an inspiring quote, or something else.
Find your visual style. Choose something that sets you apart. Users prefer visually appealing stories. Work on your font, template, and graphic elements.
There are many examples of when designers create templates in Figma for companies, and then content creators add text and other graphic elements. This simplifies and speeds up the work. At the same time, all stories have a recognizable style.
Use stickers. Incorporating interactive stickers makes stories more engaging, adding more value for your audience. Various stickers can be useful for business accounts.
Engage with your subscribers. Use feedback: interact with your audience through a dedicated section, ask questions and post the best answers, organize contests, and give prizes for the most engaging comments.
Use polls. There is a sticker for polls that will help you quickly create a quiz, test, or survey. Study customer preferences and feedback about your product or service.
Hashtags to help people find you. Come up with your own original word or phrase, and also use popular hashtags so that a larger audience sees your story.
Music. Add popular, pleasant music. This will complement the story and enhance the impact on the viewer.
Tag event locations, office locations, and your stores. This will increase brand awareness.
Tag users. Highlight active subscribers and contest winners, they will appreciate it. This creates direct interaction with the audience.
Create highlights. Combine stories into highlights. Divide them by topic: menu, price list, product catalogs, prices, – so that users can access the desired section at any time and receive all the necessary information.
Attract subscribers to other platforms. Use online stories to direct your audience to your website, app, or social networks. This helps increase traffic and grow your following.
Make vertical content. Shooting vertical videos is easier than horizontal ones. This makes it easier to capture elongated objects: tall buildings, lampposts, trees; and also provides natural framing of scenes. The vertical video format focuses attention on the main subject and helps focus the viewer's gaze. It is more convenient for users, as they do not need to rotate their phones to view your stories.
Targeted advertising. Such advertising stories are visible only to specific users interested in your product. For example, on VK, such content may consist of no more than three photos or videos. To do this, go to your VK Ads account, select the goal "Ad visibility", then go to "Advertising in clips and stories". Work on the form that appears, fill in the fields. After moderation, the ad will become active and will be shown to users.
Publish stories regularly. Share new stories frequently, ideally daily or multiple times a week. The more consistently content appears in your feed, the higher the chances of successful promotion.
Conclusion
Stories are vertical photos and videos that are posted on mobile applications as well as social networks. Typically, they are available for 24 hours.
Stories are an excellent opportunity to promote products and services, engage with the audience, and share content.
For successful promotion, regularly post stories, keep track of updates and trends, analyze subscriber activity, and pay special attention to the quality of the content.
*The product of Meta, a company recognized as an extremist organization in Russia.