How to Use Instagram Stories Ads for Real Estate

Whether it's the memories a family made in their old home or a buyer's dreams for their new one, agents use stories to build emotional connections.

Instagram has a similar business approach. Originally a platform for posting pictures of lattes and fancy food, Instagram has evolved into a social media giant where people can create and share their own "stories."

Instagram Stories was first introduced in August of 2016. Stories allows users to create 15-second-long snippets of pictures and videos that are only available for 24 hours. With the popularity of Instagram Stories increasing, Instagram released new advertising features for businesses, making Stories a better connection tool than ever.

Find out how to use Instagram Stories to boost your business and discover tips to help you stand out below!

New Features

Instagram Stories has been connecting friends for years, but now businesses can join the fun by sponsoring ads that will appear in users' streams. Any business that sets up a business profile can take advantage of this feature to use the content-publishing options, target specific audiences, and create calls to action.

Best Practices

Stories is pretty simple and easy to use, but there are some best practices to follow when creating your post. The first segment of your story should be visually appealing and should grab your viewer's attention. Also keep in mind that Instagram Stories has traditionally been used to share personal, behind-the-scenes looks into the poster's life. It's also critical to have some kind of call-to action. Making your final slide say something like "swipe up for more information" is a good way to send leads to your company website or landing page.

It's also important to include your brand name at some point in the story to shows viewers who they're watching and to develop a connection between your brand and your content. You can accomplish this by wearing your company shirt or by standing in front of your logo.

Finally, your content needs to be relevant to your viewers. Try sharing a tip, offering a sneak peek at a how-to guide, or taking viewers for an inside look at your business. Instagram Stories advertising is immediate and time sensitive, so if you're releasing it around a holiday, try focusing your content around something suitable for the season.

Real Estate Applications

Real estate agents can use Instagram Stories to share a sneak peek of a new listing or to share shots from an open house they're hosting. Users also love to know what happens behind the scenes at a company. Snap pictures of new marking materials, introduce a new agent, or share footage of a recent office birthday party. Remember to include a call-to-action at the end of your story to send viewers to a landing page where you can capture their contact information. Something as simple as "swipe up to find more homes like this" or "swipe up to find your dream home" will serve your purpose.

Instagram Stories is a great way to promote your brand and your listings (just don't forget your other social channels)!

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.