Stories: How to Use This Tool in Marketing

In 2013, Snapchat introduced a new format for publishing content — stories. It was uncertain at the time if this innovation would become popular. However, ten years later, stories remain one of the top marketing tools. Users of Instagram* have appreciated this "quick" content format. Stories were introduced to Instagram* in 2016 and remain relevant to this day.

Users, experts who conduct personal marketing, and brands all share their stories. There are even dedicated people — story makers — responsible for creating stories. According to Instagram* statistics, 85% of users discover new products and services through stories. Therefore, a company's online marketing strategy must include this direction.

In this article, we will explain what stories are, their types, how they work, and why businesses need them.

Stories: what they are and why they're needed

Stories are short vertical content formats (up to a few seconds) with horizontal scrolling options, published for a limited time (usually 24 hours). Depending on the platform, you can post images, videos, add text, music, links, hashtags, stickers, masks, and even draw. Stories are broadcast only to followers.

There are also dedicated apps for creating stories with extended features, offering a variety of fonts, templates, and other tools. The idea behind stories is to create easy and native content, where perfection isn't mandatory. Aesthetic pictures and videos are more suited for posts that don't disappear from the feed — this is an unspoken rule of social media.

Stories can be found on Instagram*, VK, and other mobile apps, messengers, and even websites. The themes and formats of stories are similar to other publications: from direct advertising, case studies, and tips to polls and reposts of posts and videos.

Advantages of online stories for business

Increased engagement. Stories offer a quick and easy way to consume content, equipped with tools for marketing communication with users. Brands engage their audience through storytelling and content that evokes emotions, conduct surveys, collect feedback, and other interactions. Stories on a website also increase the time a user spends on a web page, which positively impacts search engine ranking.

Conveying information to customers. Through stories, companies share information about new promotions and products, events, and news. This format does not overwhelm users and, due to the FOMO effect (fear of missing out), encourages them to watch stories repeatedly.

Brand awareness growth. Although stories are primarily seen by followers (with no external reach), this type of content also expands the brand's audience. Advertising in stories by bloggers and on other platforms remains a popular promotion tool. Interestingly, the cost of integration into stories is often lower than in posts or video publications.

Social media stories feature tagging tools that users love to use for brands. For instance, when they visit a restaurant and then share about it on their page. Encouraging the audience to create such stories and then reposting their stories increases brand awareness and provides free user-generated content.

The effect of personalization. Stories seemingly reduce the distance between the brand and the customer due to their native format. Companies show their internal life and communicate with users in a live format, creating a sense of personal connection. Personalization is a marketing trend that continues to gain momentum.

How does personalization work? And why is it needed? Read the article "Personalization: What It Is and Why Personalized Marketing Matters"

Types of stories

Based on goals, there are several types of stories, which align with the types of other social media posts:

• Informative and educational — communicate brand news, new products, changes, and product features.

• Selling — lead to conversion: the purchase of a product or service.

• Engaging — motivate the user to interact with the brand's content.

• Entertaining — lift the audience's mood, convey company values through humor, and tell about the product.

Based on formats, the following types of stories are distinguished:

Images (usually with text). Several photos can form an entire story or reveal one idea through cards. Sometimes it’s just text on a background without a picture.

Video stories. These are short clips (usually 15-30 seconds) that convey an idea on their own (e.g., announce a promotion) or form a sequence of several clips.

Animated stories. The functionality of many platforms allows adding moving stickers to images and videos in stories. Animation adds variety to the content.

Rules for creating effective stories

Stories are more native content compared to other posts, and creating them doesn't take much time. However, to make the format effective, you should follow these rules:

1. Create a unified style for your stories that will be associated with your brand: think about colors, fonts, and the style of images. Avoid turning your storytelling into a "mess."

2. Keep your stories simple and clear. Don’t overload them with text and philosophical themes that require thoughtful study of the content.

3. Don’t stretch a single thought across too many stories. Users will get bored and might not finish watching.

4. Add variety. Use different formats, not just one: images, videos, polls, etc.

5. Check the story for spelling errors, design correctness, and afterwards, for the functionality of links and other tools before publishing.

6. Motivate users to interact or take a specific action, rather than waiting for them to take the initiative themselves.

7. Create interesting plots so that the audience watches your stories to the end. Use storytelling tools that engage viewers in the narrative.

How to promote your products and services through stories

Bloggers particularly excel in selling through stories, using various scenarios for product presentations and calls to action. Brands also adapt their techniques and collaborate with influencers for integrations. There are no strict boundaries here; methods depend on the authors' creativity. However, some popular promotion types exist.

Advertising. The most straightforward and direct format where a product or service is sold without any storytelling. These are ad posts adapted for stories, featuring an offer, product benefits, and a CTA. It’s important to approach this creatively to stand out.

Native advertising. The product is mentioned in the context of a story where it plays a crucial role (solves a problem) or is casually mentioned. This format is very popular among bloggers for brand promotion.

Warm-ups. A favorite format of bloggers. Unlike native advertising, this strategy is more extended. The product is usually introduced indirectly at first, mentioning it from various angles. For example, the problem is first highlighted. Suppose a blogger wants to lose weight and tries different methods: diet, home workouts, fitness centers, and then finds the right course (or creates their own). Warm-ups can last from several weeks to months, depending on the product.

Building trust is not as quick a promotion method as advertising, native integrations, and warm-ups. However, it is the established communication with the audience that turns followers into customers. Broadcasting your values, product advantages, and its worth leads to loyalty and sales.

Stories on different platforms

Instagram*

The concept of "stories" became popular thanks to this social network (although it was originally created by Snapchat). Instagram offers a wide range of features in its editor. You can use various fonts, draw, create polls, set timers, ask questions, participate in challenges, add animated stickers, include music, mention other users, use hashtags, and add links to other resources. You can choose to publish your stories for everyone or for a specific list of followers.

Example of Instagram stories*

VK

VK stories offer background templates, stickers, GIFs, a text editor, drawing tools, and the option to set the availability time for stories: one hour, 12, 24, or 48 hours. Music can be added from the catalog, and there are mentions, polls, and themed hashtags.

Telegram

Stories on Telegram appeared relatively recently and are available to users and channels (but only if they receive enough boosts) from Telegram Premium subscribers. They can be posted for a duration of six to 48 hours. The built-in editor includes features for adding text, filters, stickers, reactions, drawing, and privacy settings.

Example of stories in Telegram

WhatsApp*

Stories on WhatsApp are called "Status" and disappear after 24 hours. Users can post photos, videos, GIFs, add text, and even voice messages. Reactions to stories are available, as well as the ability to choose the audience who can see them.

Stories on apps and websites

Brands actively use the stories format not only on third-party platforms but also on their own. This way, they announce promotions, talk about products, and deliver useful information to users.

The famous news media Der Spiegel gives news announcements via stories

Also, stories here come personalized.

Personalized stories on apps

Interactive stories work in the apps. For example, polls are conducted or you are offered to add a product to your cart at once.

In another example, a customer is asked to evaluate his most recent purchase.

Stories on websites serve the same function as they do on other platforms.

Summary

Stories are a vertical content format that disappears after a few hours or days. Stories in the form of images, videos, and text are supplemented with stickers, animations, links, interactive elements, and other features in platform editors. The functionality across different platforms is similar.

Stories are used in marketing to communicate with customers, increase engagement, enhance brand recognition, and even for personalization. They inform, entertain, sell, and motivate users to interact with the brand. Storytelling, direct and native advertising, and warm-ups work well here.

Today, stories are supported by Instagram* (owned by Meta, banned in Russia), VK, Telegram, and WhatsApp* messengers. Companies also add stories to their websites and apps.

* Products of Meta, recognized as an extremist organization in Russia.