How to make your Instagram Story Highlights work for you as your most effective salesperson
Websites are dead. Replaced by Instagram Story Highlights.
Didn’t you know websites got replaced by social media profiles. That’s where people hang out to do research before making buying decisions. So it makes sense for you to make your social profiles and Instagram Highlights optimized to act as your most effective salesperson working for you 24/7.
Here are some stats I found on Google.
👉nearly 9 in 10 consumers will buy products from a brand they follow on social media. (Sprout Social Survey 2020)
👉The survey also shows that when consumers follow a brand on social, 75% will increase their spending
👉 80% of Instagram users follow a business account.
👉73% of U.S. teens say Instagram is the best way for brands to reach them with new products or promotions.
👉72% of Instagram users report making purchase decisions based on something that they saw while browsing the app
The future of social commerce is already here with 68% of consumers making at least one purchase directly from social media in 2021. And social shopping isn’t slowing down—98% of consumers plan to make at least one purchase through social shopping or influencer commerce in 2022.
So let me share with you today one important way to give your website menu a new location: Instagram Story Highlights.
Yes, Instagram Story highlights are stories that stay on your Instagram profile even after the 24 hours. When used strategically, they can become a transparent and powerful way for your brand/business to build a connection and trust with your customers. They can act as your most effective salesperson working 24/7 for you.
Here are some tips on how you can use them strategically to showcase your company. Create Highlights with categories:
👉About Me/Us
This is where you show who you are, what you do and who you serve and why you do it. Show your personality. People want to know the face or person behind the brand or business they buy from. Ideally make it the Start Here highlight on your Instagram Story Highlights
👉Our Work / Project Portfolio
This is perfect place to show your work. How you have solved problems for your clients / customers in the past in the most genuine and authentic way.
👉Client love / Testimonials / Media Coverage
Social proof is everything when it comes to building your credibility. Go ahead and dedicate an entire highlight to a collection of testimonials that you have got from your existing clients / customers. Capture it whenever and wherever you receive it and share it on your stories. Add them to your highlights in this section here.
👉Resources / Tutorials / Tips
Share value with your people. Give them resources. Tips. A great place to add the most important and value adding content and give it prime real estate on your Instagram account is to add them to your highlights.
👉Our Culture / Behind the Scenes
Instagram is all about being authentic, transparent and genuine. This is what people are attracted to. Raw and real wins over slick and polished. Show your behind the scenes, your process, humanize your brand and business.
Our audience engages with organic social content that feels real. We take our photos on iPhones to feel natural and ‘not as polished’ for Instagram. We meet our customers where they are and work with influencers who share their everyday style. Our audience wants to see real people wearing us, whether that’s on our social channels or the influencers we work with. (Andrea Howard –Senior Manager of Social Media & Influencer Marketing, Kendra Scott)
A great place to handle those frequently asked questions is to dedicate an entire story highlight to them. Do you ship internationally? Do you accept returns? What’s your refund policy? etc. All can be easily answered right here on Instagram.
I share with you some examples of brands doing it right with their highlights on Instagram in the document below. Check them out.
Check them out for how effectively they are using their Instagram Story highlights. Just like a top level navigation menu bar of a website. Isn’t it?
Here is another example for your to draw inspiration from:
I love the creative way in which they use their Instagram Story Highlights.
Pro Tip: Keep them updated and refresh them from time to time. Delete old redundant information stories and add new ones as and when required.
You can enroll for my Instagram Influence Mastery 2022 and Beyond online course only for $1 for the first month and then $5 each month. And if Udemy is your go to platform for all learning, then you fill find it there as well at this link.
Now let me know in the comments below, if you have gotten down to organize your Instagram Story Highlights strategically? 👇
