Here’s What Every PR Pro Must Know About Snapchat And Instagram Stories

elebrities like DJ Khaled, Kim Kardashian, Toke Makinwa, Kylie Jenner and Bobrisky keyed into snapchat and instagram stories on time and have become major sensations.

Thanks to his inspiring mini-Ted Talks, DJ Khaled, has enjoyed movie deals, TV shows and endorsements. Toke Makinwa has helped her favourite juice bar increase sales, just by sharing with her viewers and Kim Kardashian exposed Taylor Swift's lies on snapchat to the public.

Kylie Jenner, on the other hand, has used snapchat and instagram stories to help sell out her cosmetics line over and over again. And Bobrisky? Let's just say Bobrisky's thousands of snapchat followers are in love with the unscripted series playing on the possibility of an openly gay Nigerian man and his billionaire boyfriend.

Media brands like Buzzfeed, Daily Mail, MTV and People have also shown the power of live stories, working with their own content and sponsored brand contents to get into the lives of young kids across the world. 

What do these people know that PR pros need to learn a thing or two from? How can we use live photos and videos; filters and IM to connect with consumers in cool, new ways?

Here's BHM's invitation to dig in. Have fun!

• It's Easy. Getting on snapchat and Instagram is as easy as getting an email or joining Facebook. You can download Instagram here and snapchat here. Posting snaps is even easier. It's like using your device's camera to take pictures and videos, except you're posting them to the platforms. You can post live content and already prepared content, so feel free.

 

• Don’t Be Afraid To Try. How can you know it won’t be any good if you don’t at least make an effort? Bold and risky players will have no trouble with this, but the safe ones should at least try.

 

• Be Consistent But Not The Same. This might be a bit complicated but your content and distribution must be coherent, yet dynamic. You have to tailor your content to the DNA of your brand so it is not confused and your brand is not lost. DJ Khaled has the same positive message everyday but presents it in different ways. His constant freshness keeps nothing less than a million fans glued to every one of his snaps.

• Live Stats Anyone? How cool is it that you get to see who and how many people have watched your snaps as they watch it? With snapchat and Instagram stories, you don't have to wait for stats, you get them live. Just go through your published snaps and you'll see the stats! You also get to know on snapchat when someone takes a screenshot of your snap! Let's just say you can't steal content on snapchat and get away with it.

 

• Innovate Constantly Or Risk Losing your followers. Because Snapchat and Instagram stories are relatively new you have to be vibrant and fresh. The messages don’t stay up for long anyway so why not leave a lasting imprint on the minds of your consumers? You must infect them with FOMO (Our SC expert Enitan says that means Fear of missing out).

 

• Show Your Audience What Is Going On Behind The Scenes. People love to see things they would not ordinarily get to see, so showing them exclusive content frequently keeps them coming back. Kylie Jenner, with the launch of her cosmetics line, involved her fans in every step, from selecting colours to actually trying out the products. This helped her sell out in less than a minute! And her older sister, Kim? Well, when Taylor was caught lying against Kanye West, Kim used snapchat toexpose her! Talk about exclusive right?

• Trust Us, Freebies Work. Consider offering special discounts or content only available to your Snapchat and Instagram stories followers and viewers especially. Make it surprising and elaborate. Don't just offer some of the stuff left in the store that you were trying to get rid of anyway.

 

• You're Not Restricted To One Camera. Depending on your device you can use both front and back cameras on snapchat and Instagram stories. All you have to do is tap the screen to switch between both and you're good to go!

 

• It’s Real Time. Before you get into snapchat or instagram stories, you have to understand that they are made for real time content. This means that you have no time to perfect your craft. These platforms are not for perfection, but for authenticity. Don't worry, there's more than enough filters to help you 'look good'. You must be careful though, to not abuse filters like some Yoruba actresses we won't be naming today.

You Get To Have Many Faces. Speaking of filters, snapchat and Instagram stories give you a chance to add some color and character to your snaps via the intriguing face filter on snapchat and the filters for sceneries on Instagram stories. All you have to do is tap your face, once or twice, while in selfie mode on snapchat and you can explore the many options. On Instagram stories, you record your snaps and swipe for a variety of filters.   Don't Take It Too Seriously. With the overnight success of people like Bobrisky on these platforms, you can understand that your audience don't want your content to be all too serious, but light and entertaining. Young people are often bored, idle and curious. That's what you're feeding. Don't be like the lecturer or boss they were trying to escape from in the first place.    You Can Transcend Unto Other Platforms. Bobrisky posted his sojourn to withdraw N7million from his bank, on snapchat, and he trended on twitter for three days straight because his snapchat followers were arguing vigorously whether to believe him or not. Success is when your content is so powerful, your followers are transporting them into other platforms without you asking. It's the stuff virality is made of.   Do Your Research. Plan. Keeping up with trends as they rise can often times be a gamble, so do your research and plan, first. Be sure you want to be on snapchat or use instagram stories. Work with a content calendar that taps into what people are likely to be talking about at any given time. It's okay to be silent or missing in a conversation if it's part of your plan. What you don't want to do, is jump into a trending discussion and have everyone descend on you.

And yeah, the only way to learn more, about these platforms, is to start snapping.

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About Unknown

BHM is Nigeria's leading Media and Public Relations Agency, using traditional and digital techniques to deliver best-possible results for clients and partners. Operating from Lagos in Nigeria and London in UK, BHM delivers the best possible results in a system that’s full of promises.