One of society’s greatest tools in sharing the narrative is storytelling. However, it has changed a lot since the days of fireside chats and Shakespearean stages. In fact, stories in general are lost unless they are documented in the pages of books.
While the art of storytelling has reemerged over the last 6 years, the delivery method has changed significantly. Individuals and businesses have the ability to share their stories on a broader scale through the use of Facebook and Instagram Stories Ads.
On August 2nd, 2016, Instagram created a feature that lets you share all of the moments of your day, on a more casual basis. It allows for you to add text, use drawing tools and really bring your story to life. These stories disappear after 24 hours. The following March (2017), Facebook introduced a very similar Story feature as well.
As a business owner, you have the opportunity to share your story through Social Media stories. Let’s take a look at how they work and then why they work.
Facebook Story Ads
Facebook Stories appear at the top of the News Feed. Your ad can appear between people’s “stories”, which are photos and/or videos that disappear after 24 hours. The ad that appears uses the same creative as your Facebook News Feed campaign, but it’s just formatted slightly different.
Instagram Story Ads
Since Meta owns both Facebook and Instagram, the Instagram Stories Ads actually work the same exact way as the Facebook Stories Ads do. Instagram, though, is mainly a mobile app only (although technically it can be accessed via laptop or desktop). According to Facebook, 1/3 of the most viewed Instragram Stories are from businesses.
Why do people love stories?
They are immersive, authentic, inclusive and attention grabbing. Stories match how people are already interacting with their phones. With most people holding their phones vertical, the stories are optimized for a vertical, full-screen view that allows people to enjoy videos quickly, and naturally.
What makes Story ads work for businesses?
Stories provoke customer interest. They give you a place to share your business message through video to engaged audiences, all in real time.
Stories inspire action. Data has shown that 50% of viewers visited websites where they could buy the product shown and 31% have gone to a store to check it out after viewing a company’s Story ad.
One of the greatest benefits of using Facebook/Instagram Story Ads is being able to take advantage targeting capabilities. Story ads can be targeted in the same manner as their News Feed Ads.
We now know about Facebook and Instagram Stories. We also know that the growth of Social Media is always on the move. Now, let’s introduce you to Social Mirror Story Ads!
Social Mirror Story Ads are brand new and are one of the creative strategies when using Social Mirror.
When someone clicks on the Story Ad call-to-action button, logo, name or image, it will take the user to your website (not the social platform). Your stories ads can be a combination of up to 10 different display images and/or videos with sound (less than 15 seconds), and each one can have different text description.
Keeping the creative process simple, we just ask for the elements or an existing post that you want to mirror. Then, we create the ad to look like social stories (except no social icons appear on the stories ads) and… these stories run on thousands of websites and apps (NOT on social media).
These ads have several engagement opportunities:
- Clicking on the logo or advertiser name is going to take the user to the advertiser’s website
- Tapping on the right side of the story, will take the user to the next slide of the ad
- Tapping on the left side of the story, will take the user to the previous slide of the ad or start over
- Tapping and holding will allow the user to pause the story
- Tapping on the last slide will take the user to the advertiser’s website
Some additional info about Social Mirror Stories Ads:
- Each slide of the stories ad can have a different description, and the call-to-action button, if clicked, will take the user to the advertiser’s website, as do clicks on the image.
- Clicking on the sound button allows the user to unmute the story (if you are using sound)
- These Stories Ads can be done in combination with Social Mirror regular ads
Benefits of Social Mirror Stories Ads:
- Using the same post from one of the 8 major social media platforms, we can create 2 different types of ads so you can A/B test. First, we’ll create your standard Social Mirror Ad, and then we’ll also create a Stories Ad from the same post.
If Stories Ads are an opportunity you want to take advantage of to help promote your brand or your business, here are a few takeaway tips for creative:
- Make it count: Stories only last for 15 seconds, which means you want to get your point across quickly.
- Be original: Use original content
- Know your goal: Keep the focus of your ad at the center of your ad creative
- Don’t tell: Use a story to show how to use your product. Tutorials or videos showing people using your product in fun and creative ways have show to catch people’s attention.
The art of storytelling has never died. It’s just reimagined itself to a new delivery method. Whether you’re choosing Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, or now the new Social Mirror Stories, let your potential customers become fascinated by the story you tell about your business.