On average, approximately 500 million users watch Instagram and Facebook Stories in 2020, while 186 million people log in to Snapchat. Although sites like Instagram and Snapchat have taught us what engaging social media stories can be like for the average user, LinkedIn’s product team has taken the same route and launched LinkedIn stories for business enthusiasts. LinkedIn revealed in February that it was beginning to test a new Story feature on its website internally. Apart from following the lead of Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat to see whether Stories can be useful for their current audiences, LinkedIn’s product team is also interested in discovering whether Stories will benefit and provide value to business owners. Now that LinkedIn has Stories, how can businesses across all platforms maximize it.
5 Ways You Can Maximize LinkedIn Stories for Your Business
1) Inform your audiences about specific content related to your business.
Generally, LinkedIn stories can be maximized to update digital resumes and search for work; however, many people search their LinkedIn feeds for insights relevant to their industry. Although some business owners have tried to build Story content on Instagram and Facebook to educate followers about an industry subject, this kind of niche content could be more useful to LinkedIn users, particularly when the insights are shared on your linked stories. If you’re sharing work openings or releasing a product, capitalizing on this new platform to reach more of your audience is certainly a smart move! If Facebook Stories can be fascinating, then early adopters of LinkedIn Stories will put themselves ahead of the competition.
2) Remix the contents of your blog to LinkedIn Stories format.
Not sure where to start with the Stories feature? Consider using text-based content that you already have to build a Story Guideline. This is a successful way to advertise your blog or other content. Additionally, it helps social media followers see that your brand provides accurate information to your industry’s target audience. Adapting content to Story format is a technique widely used by the Harvard Business Review, which frequently publishes Instagram and Facebook stories based on their web articles. Like the launch of Instagram Stories, LinkedIn Stories provides an enormous opportunity to build a more in-depth, direct dialog with your audience. But before you leap right into your latest LinkedIn Stories content plan, be sure to understand the audience you’re talking to, what they’re interested in, and what you want to accomplish. This can help shape your content plan and keep you on track for success!
3) Share videos or questions highlighting the opinion of thought leaders in your industry.
People love to track the opinion of influential leaders on LinkedIn. One way to draw LinkedIn viewers into Story content might be to feature a thought leader with a good follow-up on your Story platform to speak about an exciting subject. This will allow you to raise awareness of your brand and cross-promote it to reach a broader audience.
LinkedIn is a massive forum for technical leadership, and this new “snackable” story format is a perfect way to highlight your in-house expertise in a fun and engaging way. It could be a resume and cover letter guide from your HR staff, or innovative design tips. The truth is, sharing helpful information is a sure way to capture your audience’s attention. Just remember to keep the content in line with the quick and easy-to-digest nature of stories. For example, if you share “5 tips on professional networking,” you can prepare five slides between your video material, so your content is super skimmable for your audience!
4) Share customer testimonials and reviews.
The truth is, as each generation becomes more mobile, product research becomes more vital. However, despite the shift in channels, younger generations are like older age groups, relying more on reviews and testimonials than any other content marketing type. As millennials become company decision-makers and Gen-Z join the workforce, they may finally be searching for a product with positive reviews that have been shown to make work easier. That’s why satisfied customers’ thoughts and reviews on your story might be a perfect tactic on a platform like LinkedIn to increase your engagement and sales.
5) Share Real-Time Event Updates
LinkedIn Stories have just a limited life span, making them ideal for sharing less refined information right from a live event. From big company announcements to the awards ceremony, sharing clips from live story events can be a great way to create an awareness on what’s going on in your business or brand. You can build an extra buzz around the LinkedIn case. Host a corporate question and answer like many do on Instagram Stories, but on LinkedIn Stories. It’s a perfect way to show your brand’s more human and genuine social side. Hosting a Q&A on stories would show the brains behind your brand, which is a perfect way to share your brand story and help create brand loyalty.
Interested in growing your brand on social media, or still have any questions? Reach out to [email protected] and he’ll give you a hand.