To keep up with the ever-changing landscape of the Internet, social media platforms are continuously bringing out new features to engage their users with. Facebook released one such feature which is called Facebook Stories.
Facebook released Facebook Stories on March 28, 2017. It is a feature that allows anyone to directly share content in a more casual yet more frequent way. Although it is originally a Snapchat feature released back in 2013, Facebook and its Messenger managed to rake in 300 million daily active users.
Although 300 million daily active users are nothing to sneeze at, Facebook still has a lot to improve for their Facebook Stories. With over 1 billion active users on Facebook, Facebook Stories are used by only 10 percent of total Facebook users so far. This means there is plenty of room to grow.
On that note, a new feature for Facebook means a lot to business owners that have their Facebook page used to interact with customers. Facebook Stories is another avenue for a business page to communicate with its audience and let its personality shine more.
If you’re a business owner or a Facebook page manager for a business, then do remember to utilize Facebook Stories in your online campaigns on the platform. Not convinced about using them yet? Then read on below to find out the major benefits you would get from using Facebook Stories for your Business Page.
Share and engage more often
Although Facebook pages are a great way to have a more in-depth connection with your customers than traditional means, Facebook Stories are a different way of engaging with your consumers.
With Facebook Stories you can engage and share more frequently than with regular Facebook Page posts. When posting on one’s Facebook page, the tendency is that the post is more thought out and formal so frequency is not a priority.
Aside from that, posts have a different way of engaging with consumers than Facebook Stories. Facebook Stories are a more active, direct, and engaging way of communicating with your audience.
Facebook Stories also come in four different formats, namely the Normal format, Video format, Boomerang format, and, lastly, the Live format. Depending on how you want to engage with the audience, choose your preferred Story format.
When using the Normal format of Facebook Stories, all you need to do is take a photo by tapping on the white circle. This is the default setting for Facebook Stories.
On the other hand, you also have the Video format option. With a Video format, you can, of course, take videos instead of just photos. You can make videos that last for 20 seconds on this format.
Moving on, we have also got the Boomerang format. The Boomerang format crafts a repeating animation on a loop from a series of continuous photos. If you grow to love this format, it is best that you download its dedicated app for a more streamlined service.
Finally, you have the Live format. If you want to see the reactions and comments of your audience in real-time, then use this format. Just tap on the Start Live Video option, and your followers should be notified that you are currently streaming live.
Humanizing your business
Source: Lush Cosmetics
Nowadays, people want to be able to connect with a brand on a deeper level. However, it can be hard to connect with a brand that feels manufactured and formal. This is why the humanizing of your business allows people to connect with you more.
There are many ways that you can humanize your brand to be able to connect with your customers. You can create compelling content, communicate your brand personality, and so on.
One way to humanize your brand or business on Facebook is also through showing your audience the behind-the-scenes of your business. This is where Facebook Stories can come in.
Facebook Stories are best used frequently and more informally. Thus, by showing the day-to-day operations of your business, you are more able to show the humanity behind your every move.
Nothing feels more human and personal than knowing the everyday struggle and actions that lead to the manufactured image they see of your brand now.
Consistently reach your audience
When you use Facebook Stories, you do not only send random messages to random Facebook users. With Facebook Stories, you reengage with an existing audience who have chosen to follow along with your digital journey.
Live videos are particularly useful when it comes to consistently reaching the right kind of audience. This is because it sends notifications to your followers when you are starting a stream, and it gives them the chance to comment just as the video is happening.
Aside from reaching your ever-present audience members, Facebook Stories can also reach a particular set of followers of your brand. These are the passive followers who follow you but rarely interact with your brand.
With Facebook Stories, you can remarket yourself or reengage your audience so that they interact with you as a business on Facebook. It is much easier to engage with a brand through Facebook Stories, so it’s more convenient for a lot of users, especially passive ones.
Spread information
You do not have to spend a lot of money on posters and billboards and TV commercials to reach your audience and advertise your products or services. When you have a Facebook page and a decent following, you are more able to promote effectively for less of the cost.
Facebook Stories for businesses is an excellent way of advertising because you are sure that the audience you are advertising to support your business already. Thus, if you want to promote or spread the word about a product or service you are offering, then be sure to include Facebook Stories as a platform for your ads.
Keep in touch with audience to attract customers
Once you have sent your Facebook story out there for the world to see, you can see the number of people who have viewed it. Aside from that, you can also see the individual names of the people who have seen your stories.
According to Voy Media, a provider of Facebook marketing services, when you keep track of the people who view your stories often, you can personalize the experience for them. Plus, it is an easy way of keeping in touch with the important members of your audience.
It is crucial for a brand to nurture its relationships with active customers because if so, conversions can be manifested at a faster rate. Because the people who watch your Stories are already interested in you, it is quicker to get them to respond to your calls-of-action.
Your followers get to know you
It was covered beforehand how people these days prefer a more humanized view of a brand. Today’s world is filled with people who are easy to connect to but in an impersonal manner. This is why people crave a more human touch to the things they interact with.
Let your followers get to know you through your Facebook Stories by showing them the behind the scenes of you every day which was covered earlier. However, you can also let them get to know you with the creative ways you can design your Facebook Stories.
Let your brand’s personality shine through by all the different ways you can modify your Facebook Stories. From stickers to the different formats mentioned before, don’t be afraid to play around with these features available to Facebook Stories.
You can include ads in your Stories
Source: Facebook
Digital marketers everywhere should rejoice given the fact that Facebook launched the ability to have ads on Facebook Stories. Back in September 2018, Facebook introduces Facebook Stories Ads to drive more business results with Stories.
With Facebook Stories Ads, Facebook marketing has leveled up in the platform once again. As business owners, this is good news as it has given an added avenue to advertise your products and services.
Using ads on your Stories can generate more leads, increases brand awareness, website traffic, and, of course, conversions. Just make sure to listen to your audience to get it right.
Track and measure your campaigns
Speaking of listening to your audience, with Facebook Stories it is easier to track and measure how well your campaigns are going.
When you have a Facebook Ads campaign for Facebook Stories, you can track who views your Stories. You can then adjust accordingly based on the demographics you’re most likely to engage in with your Stories.
If you find that the audience you get is the ones that you were aiming for, then take note of the factors that made your Facebook Stories engaging to these kinds of audience. If not, then adjust and modify the Stories to better connect with the right people.
Final Thoughts
It is essential that a business invests in its marketing to be able to reach audiences they wouldn’t have otherwise. Thus, when a business is making use of a social media platform such as Facebook, it is crucial that one make use of all the features available to them.
Facebook Stories are one of these features that a business should take advantage of. If you do the job right, you’ll eventually be able to reap in the benefits of a well-practiced Facebook Stories campaign.
Aisha Gujral 
UPLARN 
