Instagram Stories have officially overtaken Snapchat in popularity. Over 300 million people use this platform every day. This is great news for the millions of businesses who use Instagram Stories to promote themselves. When used strategically this platform is a great way for venues to drive customer enquiries and bookings. Increase your insta-game with the following tips.
1. Promote New Menus and Seasonal Specials
If your venue has introduced an exciting new menu or you are promoting a special, Instagram Stories are a great way to spread the message about it and increase sales. Share appealing imagery such as videos and photos that tell the viewer something about the item you are promoting. This could be a series of images demonstrating the ingredients that go into a special or a video of a new menu item being made. Include a call to action text such as ‘swipe up for the full menu’ to increase engagement.
2. Behind-The-Scenes Look
As the digital market gets more crowded, the importance of venue personality is getting stronger. Customers want a venue they trust and can connect with. Instagram stories can be used to show small behind the scenes clips of a business. This can be done in a range of ways including;
- Quick updates of fresh produce by chefs
- Snaps of what’s going on in the kitchen
- Fun videos ie; cocktail making lessons
- Content documenting the set up for large events
Behind-the-scene looks give you the chance to communicate your venues personality and facilities. This increases the venues credibility and approachability drawing in customers.
3. Cross-Platform Marketing
If your venue has a blogroll or Youtube channel then Instagram Stories can be used to promote the content. Content marketing is an excellent way to increase your venue’s website ranking and draw in customers who are searching for function related ideas and tips. The story platform on Instagram will help increase your contents reach.
4. Promoting Events
The Instagram Stories tool is a great way for venues to promote events that they are hosting or are involved in. This could be anything from a branded event such as a launch night to charity events like balls and trivia nights. You can also promote community events, such as street festivals or private events like weddings and birthdays. Not only will this content be interesting and authentic, it is the perfect opportunity to showcase your venues services and facilities. We recommend using Instagram Stories live to share the event with your followers.
5. Instagram Highlights
Instagram highlights also known as pinned stories can be used by businesses to further promote themselves on Instagram. Highlights should be broken up into categories, for example, a restaurant might break their highlights up into food, wine and functions. When the restaurant posts a story that they believe is particularly interesting or effective they save it to the category it best fits. When a potential customer reaches your Instagram page they will be able to get a better idea of what your business is and what you are about thanks to the highlights pinned at the top of your page. If you haven’t used Instagram stories to promote your business yet, use these easy tips to get started. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but be sure your content is original, engaging and on brand.
