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Why Use IG Stories?
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From a simple, photo-sharing app in 2010, Instagram has grown today to over one billion monthly active users and counting.
The platform has opened up a lot of opportunities for users to find information, share, and learn. So, no matter where your customers are in the world, most of them are likely on Instagram.
As a digital marketer, you need to look for ways on how to build and manage an incredible Instagram page. It is also important that your IG page can incorporate with whatever e-commerce platforms you are using.
You need to make sure that your brand aligns with the value of your company. That’s why you need to fill your social media platforms with eye-catching content. Doing so can turn your page into an excellent outlet that encourages audience engagement.
You also need to make your IG Stories worthy of swiping up to generate your return on investment (ROI). So, how can you do that?
About Instagram’s “Swipe Up” Feature
Before we move on, let’s first know more about Instagram’s “Swipe Up” feature.
This is a popular tool that brands use to share features, blog posts, events, and so much more! This feature is available for verified Instagram accounts with at least 10,000 followers.
Accessing Instagram’s Swipe Up feature is a game changer. That’s because it can help you drive more traffic and sales to your e-commerce website.
The Swipe Up feature is also excellent if you want to share a content preview with your followers. A great example would be sharing a blog post with your IG followers.
You can do the same when promoting a product. Upload photos of your product via IG story, and let your followers visit your online store using the Swipe Up feature.
Adding Swipe Up Links to IG Story
Now that you know what Instagram’s Swipe Up feature is, the next question is: How can you add these swipe-up links in your Instagram Stories?
First, you need to convert your account to an Instagram Business Account. Then, you need to step up your social media game to reach at least 10k followers on the platform.
Once you achieve the required number of followers, you can then use the Swipe Up feature in your stories. All you need to do is to add the link to one of your product pages when you upload your IG story.
If you do not know how to upload an IG story, here are the quick steps:
- On your Instagram feed, click on the camera icon on the top left corner of your screen so that you can make an IG story.
- Make an Instagram Story by taking a picture, video, or Boomerang. You can also swipe up to access a library full of content that you have captured.
- Click on the chain-link icon, then put your URL.
- Do not forget to always place a call to action on your IG story. That way, your followers will know when to Swipe Up!
How the Swipe Up Feature can Drive Engagement
Next, it is time to talk about the benefits of linking to your website using Instagram’s Swipe Up feature:
1. Use it to promote blogs
Do you want to promote your most recent blog post on Instagram? Why not create a graphic and share it through IG story?
That way, you will be getting more social traction with your content.
Make sure that when creating visuals, you are going by Instagram’s ideal story dimensions. Not all smartphones and mobile devices have the same dimensions, either. So you need to keep the ideal image size in mind.
Also, do not forget to create content that you know your audience will love. If you want to increase the number of users who will Swipe Up to your story, then make sure that you come up with something that resonates with them.
Do not use captions that have some generic quote you came across online. Use that space to capture your followers’ attention. And then make sure that you are offering them something valuable.
This will compel your followers to swipe up.
2. Use it to show your brand’s other side
An IG story is only available for 24 hours. Hence, it is important that you make the most of it.
One way to do that is to showcase your brand’s personality. It can be a behind-the-scenes video, a photo update about your product, or a photo of your products that are ready for delivery.
As much as you can, make it more spontaneous and real so that it is easy for them to relate to what you are doing as a business.
For a lot of brands and businesses, IG Stories provide an opportunity to humanize themselves in front of their followers and customers.
Swipe Up posts, without a doubt, help you boost your site’s traffic to sell more of your products. It is also a way for you to connect with your audience in a personal way.
Most modern customers these days, especially the ones that are using social media, like to keep up with their favorite brands. It helps them “know” a company or a brand better and at a more meaningful level.
3. Use it to promote products or services
You can also use the Swipe Up feature to raise your audience’s awareness of your latest promotions, discounts, and services.
You can create a whole Instagram marketing strategy with this feature and maximize what IG stories can do for your business.
When utilizing this feature, what you are doing is encouraging your audience to swipe up so that they can “learn more.”
Moreover, use it as an opportunity to direct people to your website. That way, they can learn more about the products and services that you provide. This will convince them to buy.
The Swipe Up feature also has the potential to enhance your sales by streamlining the entire purchase process, from taking a customer’s order to forwarding it to a 3PL fulfillment company.
4. Use it as your call-to-action
Now that you are taking advantage of Instagram’s Swipe Up feature, you need to include a call-to-action or CTA to boost Story clicks. That’s because click-through is one way to measure if your IG campaign is working.
Place your CTA right in your story. Whether what you posted is a video or photo, you need to call your audience’s attention and ask them to swipe up.
However, adding a link in your Swipe Up posts is not enough. You need to entice users, draw them in your posts so that they can take action.
Here are some ways how you can add a CTA in your link:
- Make use of a GIF: There are lots of animated “Swipe Up” GIFs that you can choose for your Instagram Stories. If you are a brand, you can opt for a basic, flashing text or something more classic. If you are feeling a little bit creative, and you want to inject some personality, you can go for quirkier options.
- Add some texts: Although it is simple, it definitely works. All you have to do is to put something like “Swipe Up to See” or “Swipe Up to Know More.”
Once you are done, all that is left for you to do is to upload your Story for your followers and fans to see.
5. Helps you gather important data
If you want to track how many users swiped up on your IG story, you will need an analytics tool.
You can either use a URL tracking code so you can check it using a web analytics tool. Or you can opt to use Instagram Analytics. Whichever you use, what you need to check is how many swipe up you receive via your IG story. If you wish to save an Instagram story, consider using this Instagram story downloader app.
Doing so can help you make an informed decision for your future IG campaigns.
6. Use it to boost website traffic
Although you can place your business’s primary website link on your IG bio, that will not be enough.
From time to time, you would want to share a post and make it easy for your followers to click through.
Keep in mind that people’s attention spans have become shorter and shorter. Hence, a lot of them are going to click away from a post without any reason. Add to that the fact that you can only place one link in your bio.
That’s why you have to make sure that you maximize the Swipe Up feature to showcase your new products.
Sure, you can do the same by posting on your Instagram feed. However, the Swipe Up feature allows your followers to visit your link straight from your post.
You can also use the same tactic when promoting limited-time discounts, specials, and flash sales. That’s because your customers will tend to act fast.
The easier you make it for your customers to click through your actual product page, the more likely you are going to generate sales.
The Swipe Up feature will help boost traffic to your site without exerting much effort. Not only will this incite people’s curiosity about your products and what you have to offer, but most of your followers will also use that opportunity to find out and know what you have to offer them.
This will ultimately direct them to where you wanted them to go.
7. It helps you stay visible and relevant
Posting consistently on your Instagram feed overexposes you because you are flooding your follower’s feeds with content that might not interest them at the moment.
Plus, you are never too sure that everyone will be seeing some of your time-sensitive posts, disabling them to act on time.
Stories help you stay in touch with your users’ feeds (and minds) at all times. They are a great way to alert your followers of all the important information, links, or news that are happening about your business.
IG stories’ format also makes it easy for users to flip through your posts. It also allows your followers to pay attention to the ones that they are more likely interested in.
Meaning, it is a fantastic way to add more range and flexibility to your presence on Instagram. That’s why the Swipe Up feature is worth exploring.
8. Prolongs your Instagram Story
Most users on Instagram like to consume information quickly. They do not want to waste their time to consume data that they hardly need.
That is where Instagram’s Swipe Up feature comes in handy. With it, you can prolong your Story, telling users more about your products and services by linking to your e-commerce website.
And if you have new followers, most of them would like to know more about your online business without having to go through all your previous posts. All they need to do is to follow the link you have provided them by swiping up.
The Swipe Up feature also allows you to engage with charity work, redirecting donors to particular sites that allow them to add contributions for a more noble cause.
Using the Swipe Up Feature Effectively
Although Instagram’s Swipe Up feature is a great tool that enhances online visibility and improves your site traffic, it is important to use it properly. Otherwise, you will not be able to drive the engagement that you are looking for.
When you add this to your Instagram Stories, users will instantly notice your aggressive advertising or marketing strategy and will not Swipe Up the next time you make a post.
So, overusing this feature can hurt your followers’ trust. That’s because it makes them feel that you are only socializing with them for profit.
Hence, the best option you can have is to alter your social media presence with videos, images, engaging polls, and quizzes.
Hopefully, the tips we have listed above have helped you discover ways on how you can maximize the Swipe Up feature.
