As many of you have probably noticed, Facebook has now rolled out their latest update, Stories for Facebook mobile. We all knew this was inevitable, considering they had already implemented this feature on Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
Obviously, Snapchat was the first app to have this feature, however, Zuck saw the power of this and began to create their own version. Instagram Stories has been a huge success so far and many people prefer it over Snapchat now in some instances.
The real question is how will people adapt to Facebook Stories and how can you leverage this to build your brand?
Bite-Sized Content
No one is going to debate that video content is on the rise. In fact, by 2019, global consumer Internet video traffic will account for 80 percent of all consumer Internet traffic. (SmallBizTrends)
Take advantage of this and use it to increase your brand’s reach by creating bite-sized content that people can consumer.
Get creative.
Facebook Stories allows you to record 20-second clips compared to Instagram which is 15 seconds and Snapchat’s 10-second limit. More time gives you the ability to share without over doing. You can do a lot in 20 seconds.
Be honest, how many times have you gotten finger fatigue from having to repeatedly tap on Snapchat’s stories just to skip to the good stuff. 6 taps (Snapchat) vs 3 taps (Facebook) to view a minute worth of content.
Sharing 2 Ways
You have 2 options to share your stories on Facebook: direct or with everyone.
Be careful though. You don’t want to accidentally share something with everyone that you only wanted one person to see. Facebook friends in many cases is an entirely different demographic compared to the other platforms.
A direct message can have a huge advantage to cutting through the noise as a brand. Our feeds have become riddled with ads and it’s only going to increase as more people start to create campaigns. At this moment, there are only 4 million advertisers on Facebook. (ExpandDramblings)
While this is more time consuming sending messages directly to potential customers, it definitely has the ability to create a more developed relationship.
See Who Has Viewed Your Stories
Knowing who has viewed your content tells you who is actually interested. Now if you only post once every blue moon you won’t get an accurate read on those individuals that you see repeatedly popping up.
Consistency is key but provides value along the way.
As Gary V would say “document don’t create.”
We often refrain from creating content because we think it has to be perfect before anyone sees it. The funny thing is that people usually prefer the raw and unstaged day to day moments.
Social media has given us the ability to share with people our journey. Everything from the daily grind to the monumental moments that make people say “wow, did you see that video?!”
Filters Are Fun And Can Build Awareness
Filters are nothing new but there’s a reason why these platforms have them.
How do you get people to post constantly? Make it fun.
The dog filter has become ubiquitous with Snapchat but what will Facebook Stories “filter” be? The interesting thing about filters isn’t the ones that these platforms create but the ones made by brands to promote their content.
For example, on Facebook Stories there are a few filters for movies like the new Alien movie. When you share a video using that filter it triggers people to think about going to see the movie.
Here’s the kicker. We as consumers or businesses can not create filters… yet. Hopefully, in the near future, the ability to develop a brand filter can be a sponsored ad just like the ads we can create at this moment for the newsfeed.
Being an early adopter has its major perks and jumping on them while they are still in their infancy can give you a huge advantage. Remember, fortune favors those who take risks. Building awareness around your brand is all about using the tools that are available to you.
Be strategic when you are developing a plan for how to reach your audience.
Get creative with your approach and get their attention by being where their attention is at.
Your brand can only grow with consistency so the more people interact and engage, the more likely they will remember you.
