Instagram has over 700 million users, and takeovers – where an individual or brand takes over another person or brand’s account temporarily to share content – can be an important component of a wider social media strategy. A successful Instagram story takeover can allow brands to diversify their content by sharing user-generated posts, while the host account can gain new followers and expand the brand’s reach. Here are a few tips to help you deliver a successful takeover.
- Promotion– As with any social media event, you want to maximize your viewership, and that means promotion. Good ways to promote your Instagram story takeover can include: posting a promo image or video on your Instagram grid; using Instagram Live to build buzz; direct messaging your followers; spreading the word on your other social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and so on); considering paid promotion of your post to boost the potential audience beyond just your followers; and creating a catchy branded hashtag.
- Journey – Plan your takeover in advance and take your audience on a journey. You need to start strong and stay strong to keep people engaged for the duration. Your content should be informative and memorable – reinforcing your status as a knowledgeable leader in your field – but it’s also important to be interactive. Post polls and encourage your audience to ask questions and be flexible enough to build answers into your posts.
- Unique – Think outside the box and give your audience something they haven’t seen before. For example, if the Instagram story takeover is tied to something like a product launch, can the product be showcased in an unusual or spectacular location? There are around 300 million Instagram stories created every day, and if you want your event to stand out you need to give people a reason to choose your content over others.
- Finale – Just as it’s important to start strong to pull in your audience, it’s important to finish your Instagram story takeover on a high, rather than just puttering to a stop. Like any social media campaign, your sign-off should include a strong, direct and unambiguous call to action, tying to the overall journey and message of the event.
An Instagram story takeover may not be at the top of some marketers’ lists of social mediastrategies, but it can be a surprisingly effective way to engage with an audience and get eyes on your brand. Follow the tips given above, and you can improve your chances of your next takeover being a success.