{"id":26163,"date":"2020-05-26T12:08:13","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T17:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=26163"},"modified":"2020-06-15T12:50:41","modified_gmt":"2020-06-15T17:50:41","slug":"facebook-instagram-stories-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/facebook-instagram-stories-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook and Instagram Stories: Why Your Business Needs Them and How to Make Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Emily Hill and Jana Thibodeaux<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is part of HostGator\u2019s Web Pros Series. In this series, we feature articles from our team of experts here at HostGator. Our Product Managers, Linux Administrators, Marketers, and Tech Support engineers share their best tips for getting the most from your website. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t use Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories, you\u2019ve probably seen them those short photo and video snippet displays that appear at the top of your feed. Maybe you\u2019re a fan, maybe you\u2019re already Story-proficient, but maybe you\u2019re wondering what the point of Stories is when you can already post videos and photos in your feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should your business use Stories? Here are our top 5 reasons.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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There are several big reasons why we recommend Stories to businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Your Story appears at the top of your followers\u2019 feeds.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you do a normal Instagram or Facebook post, it\u2019s up to the algorithm who sees it, and as new content gets published, your post moves farther and farther down where people are less likely to see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our No. 1 reason to use Stories is because they automatically show up at the top of users\u2019 home feeds the entire time it\u2019s available (usually 24 hours). You get optimized placement without having to pay for it just by doing an Instagram or Facebook story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Instagram, you can keep your Stories visible even after they expire by adding them to your Highlights. Then they\u2019ll live at the top of your profile page, just beneath your profile image. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Stories can take your followers behind the scenes. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it\u2019s a (safely socially distanced) event, maybe it\u2019s the server room at your business, or the kitchen where your restaurant crew is turning out to-go orders. Showing your followers something that they wouldn\u2019t otherwise get to see can build interest for your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Stories can get more people engaged with your brand. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So, your followers can find your Stories easily-right at the top of their feeds-and they can feel like they\u2019re right there with you doing something interesting. That leads to reason #3 to market with Stories: more audience engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we\u2019ve found is that people engage more with our Stories on Instagram than they do with regular posts. There are more comments and more responses to polls, for example. That\u2019s probably because there are more interactive Story elements, like stickers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Stories can raise your click-through rates.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When people interact more with your brand, they often want to learn more. You may find that you\u2019re getting more clicks through the link in your profile as you build up Story content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you grow your followers, you can unlock more features that can boost click-throughs. For example, once you have 5,000 Instagram followers, you can include a link in your Story posts, something you can\u2019t do with in a standard Instagram post. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 10,000 followers, Instagram lets you add its Swipe Up feature on your Stories. That lets followers go straight from your Story to your store or your blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n