Contents
Facebook Stories Size And Duration
Why Do Facebook Stories Matter To Your Business?
10 Facebook Story Ideas For Businesses in 2022
Suhith Kumar RN - May 2, 2022 - Leave your thoughts.
Stories were a Snapchat feature introduced in 2013. It allowed users to publish a series of ‘Snaps’ that were active and viewable for 24 hours.
Stories have since widely been adopted by other social media platforms, including Facebook, the world’s largest social network with 2.9 billion monthly active users (MAU).
According to Facebook, “With Facebook Stories, people have a place to show and express more of life’s moments as they happen, not just the highlights they post on News Feed.”
For brands and individual content creators, Stories help drive user engagement and, as Facebook says, “inspire action”.
If you’re thinking about how Facebook Stories might benefit your business, data offers key insights.
Fifty-eight percent of users who saw a product or service in a Facebook Story proceeded to browse the brand’s website to gather more information. One in two users visited websites where they could purchase a product or service, while 31 percent visited a shop or store.
“People love Stories because they're a playful and authentic peek behind the curtain into your business,” Facebook says.
It further emphasizes the impact Stories can have on your brand if you do it right.
What Is A Facebook Story?
Stories are a Facebook feature allowing users to share visual content in the form of photos, videos, and animations that are visible to the audience for 24 hours.
Stories appear at the top of the Facebook newsfeed on mobile devices and desktops.
Facebook Stories Size And Duration
The video duration of a Facebook Story is 20 seconds, while a photo is displayed for five seconds. As for video ads, Facebook allows Stories a time duration of 15 seconds or less.
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Facebook Stories are designed to occupy the size of a full phone screen and their resolution is 1080x1080 pixels. An aspect ratio from 1.91:1 to 9:16 is supported by the platform.
Why Do Facebook Stories Matter To Your Business?
Facebook's organic reach has dwindled in recent years, prompting content producers and social media marketers to explore other avenues to engage their audiences.
Stories are displayed prominently above the Facebook newsfeed. It means audiences can consume Stories from their favorite brands without scrolling and as soon as they enter the Facebook app on their mobile phones. What also makes Stories a great content type for brands is that they are set to autoplay.
Brands can use Stories to drive awareness and showcase their personality. In addition, they can display their product and service offerings that might be of interest to their audiences and customers.
As a feature, Facebook Stories are among the most popular with users. According to data from Facebook, more than half-a-billion people are using Stories each day. Brands, therefore, have an enormous opportunity to reach and engage with their audiences at scale.
How To Create Facebook Stories For Best Results?
Facebook recommends employing certain best practices to ensure your Stories perform to their full potential.
Grab Audience’s Attention “From The First Frame”
Stories are consumed faster than other pieces of content.
Facebook recommends that you capture your audience’s attention “from the first frame” and retain their attention by ensuring your Story progresses at a smooth pace.
Full-screen Vertical Display
Use a full-screen vertical display when shooting or creating your Facebook Story.
Why?
According to Facebook: “People hold their phones vertically about 90% of the time and Stories are optimized for a vertical, full-screen view that feels natural and allows people to enjoy videos and photos quickly.”
LEARN: How To Create And Edit Designs On Picmaker?
Create A Story With Multiple Scenes
Instead of one full, slow-paced scene, Facebook recommends packing your Facebook Story with “short, concise scenes” as they tend to perform better. Also, make sure your Story has a clear objective and is easily digestible for your audience.
Use Sound To Enhance Your Story
Make the most of audio, whether as a voiceover or simple music, to deliver your brand message. Audio-enhanced Stories perform better than those that don’t have sounds.
User-generated Content
Take advantage of user-generated content to showcase the perks of using your products and services and gain your audience’s trust. User-generated content allows you to gather new audiences and customers as they become aware of your brand and learn how your offerings will benefit them.
It’s essential to take the permission of your customers before using their content in your Facebook Story.
Use Appropriate Calls-to-action (CTAs)
Guide your audience to take the desired action with the use of appropriate CTAs. “Shop here”, “Book a demo”, and “Swipe up” are some examples of precise calls-to-action guiding your audience to take the next step.
Facebook Story Ideas
Whether you’re a large or small brand, a Facebook Story that appeals to your audience is incredibly powerful. Let’s look at the types of content you can use in your Stories to achieve your marketing and business goals.
Idea #1: Highlight Special Deals
This is especially true for B2C brands such as restaurants, retail stores, and others. Use Facebook Stories to promote new products and food deals, alerting your audience and encouraging them to visit your store or restaurant.
You may advertise special deals multiple times during the week or, in the case of restaurants, during the weekend.
Ensure that you highlight any discounts or offers that customers might be eligible to avail to make your deals even more attractive.
Idea #2: Share Customer Testimonials
Seventy-two percent of consumers admit that positive reviews and testimonials increase their trust in a business.
Testimonials are a staple of all marketing and branding efforts. And Facebook Stories are one of the better visual content formats to display customer testimonials.
Grab the most important detail of a testimonial and use it in your Facebook Story along with the image of the customer who gave you the testimonial.
As aforementioned, it’s paramount that you get the customer’s permission before using their image or quote for your company’s marketing and branding efforts.
Idea #3: Share A Motivational Quote
Motivational quotes are simple yet effective in driving audience engagement and encouraging your followers to share your message with their friends, which further amplifies your brand’s reach.
Whether it’s a word of wisdom or a quote from an inspirational figure, your audience will appreciate and re-share your Story if they relate to it.
It’s, however, paramount that the motivational quote is tied to your brand identity and the industry you’re in. This will help provide value and engage your audience in the best way possible.
Idea #4: BTS Content
Short for behind the scenes, BTS content gives your audience a sneak-peek into who you are as a brand and reinforces the connection between the brand and its customers.
What’s special about behind-the-scenes content is its uniqueness and authenticity, qualities that you would want to be known for. In a way, it also conveys your brand story: the personality traits and the values that make your brand stand out.
BTS content is also a great tool to gain your audience’s trust and build a rapport that transcends the traditional seller-buyer relationship.
Idea #5: Company Events
Whether it’s an annual conference or a festive celebration at the office, share photos and videos as part of Facebook Stories. This type of light-hearted content is a great way to drive audience engagement and helps you with your branding efforts.
When you share company event visuals, use relevant hashtags and tag people who are included in the photos or videos shared from your company’s social media handles.
Idea #6: Product Tours
As per a Facebook Stories survey by Ipsos, 62 percent of people said their interest in a product increased after seeing it in a Facebook Story.
Facebook Story, after all, is one of the most powerful formats for product tours. It engages and encourages your audience to explore and learn more about your products.
What’s more, according to Facebook, nearly 40 percent of people talked to others about a product after seeing it in a Story, while 34 percent said they visited the store.
Product tours via Facebook Stories can help generate leads and drive sales. Companies also shouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of this idea when they plan their campaigns.
Idea #7: Snippets From Articles And Case Studies
Highlight a snippet of your latest blog article or a case study in your Facebook Story to drive traffic to your website.
It’s a good idea to include facts and data points that form the crux of your article or case study.
Also, don’t forget to provide a relevant call-to-action such as “Read the article” or “Learn more” to entice your audience to click through and consume your content.
Idea #8: Contests And Giveaways
Grab your audience’s attention by announcing a contest or giveaway in a Facebook Story.
Contests and giveaways help drive brand awareness, gain new followers, and increase engagement on your social channels.
Reward your contest winners with suitable and personalized gifts to appreciate them for participating in the contest and amplifying your brand’s reach.
Idea #9: Festival Greetings
Spread festive cheer with festival-themed Facebook Stories that engage your followers and drive likes, comments, and shares.
Festive Stories can also be used to promote deals and sales that might be of interest to your followers.
Idea #10: Before And After
Use before-and-after Facebook Story content to showcase the benefits of your products and services.
For example, if you’re a skincare brand promoting products that remove dark spots on the skin, you can use Facebook Stories to visually demonstrate how a specific product has addressed your customers’ pain points.
Before-and-after content, when done right, can increase the uptake of your products and services. It also is a powerful method to establish the credibility and trustworthiness of your brand.
Conclusion
Facebook Stories are one of the most powerful types of content that businesses can use to engage their audience and achieve their marketing and business goals. Stories help build a positive brand image and influence people’s purchasing decisions.
As Stories appear on top of the news feed, content creators have the advantage of their audience consuming their content without scrolling down.
However, brands must follow best practices such as grabbing their audience’s attention early and optimizing for a full-screen vertical display, among others, to create an attractive and engaging Facebook Story.
Brands can choose different types of Facebook Stories, depending on their brand identity and the industry they are in, to reach the right audience and drive engagement.
Picmaker offers users hundreds of unique, inimitable Facebook Story templates that can be customized with ease. AI-powered design solutions such as MAD Button, Background Remover, and more help turn your Facebook Story ideas into reality in a matter of seconds. The best part is that you don’t need prior design experience or knowledge to create a Facebook Story that adds value to your audience and drives the desired results.
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