Here's how you can use Instagram stories to make more profits

There are many steps to curating an attractive timeline Instagram. Thanks to updates, it even makes it easier for consumers to purchase products straight off your feed.

But how best can you keep consumer loyalty and purchase power strong on your Instagram or Facebook stories?

Speaking to Head of Creative Shop sub South Africa, Aviv Weil, he shares that there are no exact steps to follow, however, here are some of his top tips to consider when using stories to sell your products:

Tell your entrepreneurial story

“It can’t always be about the sale, otherwise I am just a pocket book, I’m just a credit card that you want. Make me feel like I matter and then I will start following you and maybe you have an incredible story about how you make your product, how you sell your product and who buys your product.”

Be aware of what you are trying to sell

“Make the stories about your product. Give me the benefits. Give me a reason why you’re getting my attention. Remember that everyone out there is paying to see what you have to show. So make it worth my time and data.” 

Make interactions simpler

“You need to have e-commerce, otherwise you make it very hard to close that sale. The other thing you are dealing with is very low attention span with humans.  You can’t take a long time to get to the point, you’ve got to whet the appetite and make that sale if I am in that mode.”

While it is easier to note the best moves one can make towards a successful Instagram stories, here are some pointers you might want to avoid:

Keep it real

“Be real, be authentic and don’t try to act young and youthful and use words that you would never use.  I’ve had to speak to a number of big corporations who would put a post or an ad and go “this is hella cool” but I’m like – you’re a bank. Don’t say hella cool. That’s not authentic. As much as the feed is very curated and beautiful there is still an authenticity to it, especially younger people who are posting with fewer gizmos and being quite real about it without being over-produced.”

Beware the selfish brand

“If you are an entrepreneur and you are on Facebook or Instagram you have this opportunity to act like a big brand. You have the same ad tools, you have the same opportunity to be in someone’s feed as an advertiser where it never used to be the case. You couldn’t afford a newspaper space or a radio spot but now it’s democratised. So it’s really important to use that opportunity well.”