Instagram Stories and Reels

Introduction

Instagram Stories and Reels are easy, fun and different way to share content than regular Instagram posts. Stories and Reels differ a little.

Stories are easy way to show followers what is happening right now, they are easy way to share for example new products or customer experiences. You can post pictures or short videos on Stories with different filters, stickers, GFI: s or music. Stories are shown only 24 hours, but they can be pinned to profile as highlights. Stories should be kept simple, easy to read and mostly visual because if there is a lot of text on stories, people might skip them.

Reels are way to share 15-, 30- or 60-seconds long videos. They are great way to entertain followers and make them interested in the business. With right content on Reels, it is also easy to make customers feel closer to business and inspire them. You can also add different filters, stickers, GFI: s and music in your short videos. Reels can be more informative than Stories, but they should also be kept quite simple.

How to use

To use Stories and Reels in Instagram you need to have mobile device or tablet and of course Instagram.

When posting stories, press button on frontpage and choose Story. Then you can take photo or video with Instagram’s own Stories tool or bring photo or video from photo gallery on your device. After taking photo or video you can edit them by dawning on them, adding text or your location and much more. You can even add links to products or websites and make donation suggestions to nonprofit organizations.

Reels work almost same as Stories, press button on frontpage and choose Reels. There you can also film video or videoclips on Instagram’s own Reels tool or bring video or videoclips from your video gallery on your devise and post it. When filming Reel on Instagram’s own Reels tool, you get more editing tools so you can add sounds, edit length of the video, speed or slow the video, add filters and texts and more.

How to use it in tourism business

In tourism, Instagram stories and reels are a perfect way to bring the life and beauty of the destination closer to customer. You can show people what the destination has to offer; activities, history, culture, people, nature all of it. You have the opportunity to show the best parts of your destination or more specificly your hotel or restaurant. You also get to give more detailed info in these videos, for example about the specific spot on the map and the names and prices of the places you recommend.

One good example is also having short of a diary kept by the employees of the company. For example Tjäreborg has had the policy of giving one employee per day or week to show the followers what their destination holds. There the staff tells what they recommend to see and do on their holiday. They can give tips and ideas for restaurants, beaches, sightseeings etc.

Target group

Instagram is mostly used by a lot of young adults. They use it to connect with each other and people around the world. Instagram is also a great way for marketing and especially dor celebrities or for people who use it because of their job.

Your account is what you want it to look like and what your account looks like/what you posts then it´s what kind of audience or followers you get.

If you have your own business it is hard to get a big audience, because there are Instagram accounts which are popular and have the same goal as you have so you should have something unique.

What type of content

As told Instagram stories and reels are usually visual and short videos or pictures. In the center creating content is time limit because one story can be 15-seconds long and reels bit longer. You can upload longer videos to stories but they are shared in multiple pieces. But a large number of different tools alouds to create a wide variety of content. Reals have some differences to stories and the key thing is some music or sound in the background. To the stories reels content are more creatively.

Different content types

• Questionnaires: You can attendance your users and have valuable feedback
• Storytelling: Can bring your company closer and promotes engagement between the company and customer. For example behind the scenes material.
• Information: Sharing details, discount codes, new products or anything of your products or goods.
• Sharing others’ or own content: Example @visitlapland shares followers’ content where they are tagged (Photo 1).
• Cooperations: Very popular content in stories. You should consider carefully with whom you make it. So the content adapts to your company. A good example of cooperation (Photo 2).

 

Communication with the followers

Instagram Stories and Reels are great channel to communicate with your followers. Especially stories which can show your followers more and fresh content about your day or the activities that you are doing right now. Instagram stories can be used kind of as a diary, where you show and explain to your followers what you are doing at that moment or during your day. You get to show and explain where you are, what you are doing and who are you with. This is a way to make your followers feel more close to you and your day. It is also way to recommend different products, restaurants, accommodations etc. Depending on the type of your followers and what they are interested of.

And in addition to previous, it is very good way to find out what kind of content your followers are interested about. You can add different kind of questionnaires to your stories where your followers can show their opinions, yes or no, or even answer in open questions. Based on this kind of communication, you can answer their interests by giving them more content for example in a form of reels on specific topics. One way is also to make videos were you actually answer right in the questions your followers have given you. This is your way to answer them and make them feel heard and valued.

Metrics

Instagram offers a lot of analytics for business account users. You can discover Instagram Stories and Instagram Reels analytics through the Insights tab in your profile. Story analytics can also be found by swiping up on a specific Instagram story. And Reels from the specific Reel which analytics you want to see.

If you go to your feed and through the “Insight” tab, you find “Insight Overview”. Scroll down to “Content You Shared” and select Stories or Reels.

 Here are all the metrics you can use to sort the stories:

• Back (How many times someone taps to go back to a previous piece of your story)
• Call Button Taps (How many times someone taps Call button)
• Email Button Taps (How many times someone taps Email button)
• Exited (How many times someone leaves the story)
• Follows (How many new followers did you get)
• Next Story (How many times someone swipes to the next story)
• Business Address Taps (How many times someone taps the business address)
• Impressions (The number of views your story has received)
• Link Clicks (How many times someone opens the link in the story
• Forward (How many times someone taps to skip to the next part of your story)
• Profile Visits (How many people did open your profile)
• Reach (How many unique accounts saw your story)
• Text Buttons Taps (How many times someone send messages through the text window on your story)
• Website Taps (How many times someone opens your website linked in the story)

For a more detailed overview you can swipe up on a specific story and select the insights icon on the left side of the screen. Here you can see Interactions, Impressions, Follows and Navigation.

Instagram Reels analytics can be found in the same place but from the “Content you Shared” select Reels. You can also open a specific Reel and tap the three dot icon. Reels analytics include Plays, Reel interactions, Reach, Likes, Comments and Saves.

Here is a video about how to find the metrics from your profile. You can also find more information on what metrics to track and tips on what to do with the information that you find from Amanda Demeku’s blogpost.

Special tips

Here are some special tips to help you create content for your business.

• Create your own hashtag
  • By creating and using your own hashtag, you reach just the right target audience and potential customers. Creating a tag is easy, you only have to use # markin front of the word or phrase you want. The hashtag should not be very long.

• Stay up to date on what’s going on around you
  • It’s a good idea for a company to stay up-to-date on current trends on Instagram to create interesting material for the user. For example, if people are interested in watching more videos than pictures, it makes more sense to create that kind of material for your target audience.

• Keep it simple
  • The company should keep its content simple but recognizable. Too much content and too often not worth adding to your profile. Excessive content at once can make people ignore what a company publishes. Adding material of interest to people at the right pace ensures that the content of your profile remains high quality and people’s interest doesn’t go away.

• Be open to feedback on Instagram
  • As elsewhere on social media, on Instagram, users can comment directly on publications or provide feedback in private. The company should respond to public feedback in a matter-of-fact and comprehensible manner. Feedback should not be feared, it should be received constructively

 Tourism business account recommendations

• @visitlapland
• @gustav_rovaniemi
• @leviniglut
• @wildaboutlapland
• @auriravillage_ivalo
• @ourfinland

Own impressions

Instagram is a very modern way to reach the most important target group for a company. Instagram is used by many age groups, so content can be found for everyone and every taste, depending on the company’s offerings, of course.

The Instagram account is very user-friendly and you can learn to use the application quickly, and the use of the application is not limited to one device. All you need is an internet connection and you can manage your business account wherever you are. so easy!

Links to tutorials

So here are some links for websites/ Instagram accounts that have useful tips.

• shethespy, website
  • Joey is an Australian content creator who has an amazing website full of fun and easy templates, her own blog and shop. It has almost everything.
• Stephanie Kase, YouTube channel
  • Stephanie has tips for different social media platforms and she posts videos every week at the same time.
• Instagram story making tutorial
• Tutorial: Spotify Instagram Story Trend on Tiktok

 

Emmi Liedes, Henna Orjala, Henna Tauriainen, Jenni Isonikkilä, Aino Koivisto and Jessica Häyrinen