We live in a digital age. Businesses know it's important to keep up with current trends for more online visibility. Those who fail to stay up-to-date with marketing trends will soon fade into oblivion.
South African people aren't immune to global trends. The African country has millions of Instagram users and the social media platform is seeing double-digit growth in its users every year.
The current data proves more and more young people are joining Instagram each year. The consumption of video content is also on the rise. This has prompted many local businesses to add social media and video content in their marketing mix.
Here are four ways that South African businesses are using Instagram Stories to win in the marketing game:
1. They are sharing their day-to-day happenings
Instagram Stories only stay on the timeline for a day. This gives you plenty of opportunities to get creative with your posts. You can use videos or photographs (or both) to create stories.
Since they disappear after 24 hours, you can post
daily stories for your business. These daily videos need to be more authentic than professional. Film the video with a smartphone, use a
video editing service to amend and arrange the scenes and upload the video on Instagram.
One of the top tourist attractions in Cape Town, the
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, makes excellent use of social media. On Instagram, it has around 80 000 followers. It was one of the earliest adopters of Instagram Stories.
With more than 6 000 posts, the V&A Waterfront engages its audience with posts on community projects and cultural activities. It also uses Instagram to
market local events online.
The venue maintains a constant connection with the followers by making clever use of Instagram Stories. Short videos and flash notices of day to day happenings at the tourist location attract scores of eyeballs every day.
2. Businesses are adding local elements to their Stories
There is
no point in blindly mimicking what other businesses do.
Video Marketing and Instagram Stories allow you to display your unique value proposition creatively.
Combining the local flavor with your marketing message will help customers differentiate you from the competitors. You might be an international brand but refining your message to accommodate local flavor and culture will pave way for the success of your marketing efforts.
Dear Rae, a famous jewelry design studio in Cape Town, often posts Instagram Stories comparing the beauty of the locally produced goods with the natural beauty of South Africa.
Similarly,
Red Bull South Africa has taken a similar approach. The energy drink brand highlights the local athletes and sporting events in its Instagram Stories. It uses extreme sporting events to introduce its new flavors and promote its energy drink in the local market.
3. They show their product in action
Online activity, especially the time people spend on social media, has increased during the COVID-19 period. You can use
social media to market your business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instagram Stories are a
great way to keep in touch with the customers and show them what the product can do. Furthermore, the videos can also give the customers ideas of how best to use the product or the many ways it could be used.
Woolworths South Africa is one of the largest retailers in South Africa, with a strong presence on Instagram with nearly 700 000 followers. It uses the platform and the Instagram Stories feature to share videos of the products in action.
Videos on how to use beauty products, make up tutorials, the latest fashion releases and information on events are regularly used on Instagram Stories. The use of video content is not
just helpful in promoting physical products; Woolworths also posts images and videos of recipes to engage the customers.
4. Businesses put their customers in the spotlight
Combine photos and videos of customers to tell an
engaging story about your business. People readily connect with a business when they see an image or video that shows a lighter and a humane side.
For
TalkRadio702, a radio station in South Africa, using Instagram was 'a no-brainer'. It managed to create a large community on the photo-sharing app within a short time.
Unlike other businesses, it has taken social media marketing to a new level.
702 posts daily happenings of the station on Instagram Stories. Apart from that, it has opened the doors of the station to the listeners, allowing them to be part of its daily functioning.
When the followers see videos of common people in the station, a casual, friendly and humane side is brought to the fore. This helps to build trust and long-term relationships.
Similarly, Tourism South Africa initiated the '
MeetSouthAfrica' campaign on Instagram. It requested its citizens to travel within the country and share their experience. Tourism South Africa also uploaded many of the videos it received on Stories.
Businesses can emulate
702 and Tourism South Africa and request their customers to share their experience about using the product. You can hire a video editing service to tidy up the customer videos and share them as Instagram Stories.
Finally, to get the best out of your marketing plan, it's imperative to use Instagram tools to track engagement and monitor the progress of the campaigns.
For more information, visit
www.veedyou.com.