Welcome to the second part of our comprehensive guide on how to use customer success stories on Instagram. In this segment, we will delve deeper into strategies and techniques that will empower your brand to harness the power of customer testimonials and success stories on the popular social media platform.
By leveraging these authentic narratives, you can boost credibility, engage your audience, and ultimately drive more sales and conversions. Let’s explore the actionable steps that will help you make the most out of your customer success stories on Instagram.
5 Tips to Get More Customer Stories on Instagram
Now you have a better idea of what kinds of customer stories to tell and how to share them on Instagram. But if you don’t have a library of testimonials, how do you start collecting them? Here are a few ideas for building your customer files.
Check Your Story Mentions
Are your customers tagging your business in their Instagram stories on a regular basis? If you usually respond privately, you might be missing out on a valuable opportunity to share this content with your wider audience. Here’s an alternative approach:
After sending a private reply, take a moment to share the story on your account’s Instagram stories. Depending on your brand’s style, consider adding a customer shout-out, an animated GIF, or another interactive sticker to enhance the story’s appeal. By doing this, your followers will have the opportunity to see authentic customer reviews and user-generated content as they browse through their stories.
To further maximize the value of this content, consider saving the best customer stories to a highlight on your profile. You could label it as “Reviews” or “Customer Love” to entice potential customers to tap and view the collection.
By adopting this approach, your potential customers can read testimonials and explore case studies while contemplating the purchase of your product or service. The beauty of story highlights is that they remain pinned to the top of your Instagram profile until you decide to remove them. As a result, they continue to showcase your happiest customers for weeks, months, or even longer, ensuring their positive experiences are always accessible to your audience.
Include Customer Posts in Your Content Strategy
Promptly share Instagram stories for time-sensitive content, but don’t overlook static posts by happy customers. Use Tags & Mentions filter in notifications, flag negatives, and engage with positives.
Save positive posts in a dedicated folder and add them to your content calendar. Showcase the best in story highlights on your profile and mention in your bio that you feature customer posts.
For feed sharing, request permission from original posters via a DM with a brief form letter expressing gratitude and seeking repost permission.
Encourage Customer Engagement
For brands with high awareness and plenty of happy customers, spontaneous user-generated content works well. But if your brand is newer or lacks mentions and tags, run a UGC campaign.
Ask followers to share their thoughts and experiences, either through DMs or by tagging your account in their posts. Pin rave reviews or testimonials from comments to highlight your best feedback.
Use question stickers in stories to prompt specific experiences and share testimonial responses in a series of stories. Guide customers on how to share testimonials by tagging your account or using your branded hashtag for features in your stories.
Keep an eye on hashtag feeds to respond promptly and add shared content to your calendar.
Collaborate with Relevant Influencers
Influencer-created content differs from user-generated content as influencers have a connection with the brand, often sharing positive experiences with its offerings. Partnering with influencers can yield more customer testimonials.
When collaborating, request influencers to include prompts in their content, asking their followers about preferred products or recommended services. Reach out to these commenters, seeking permission to share their testimonials on your Instagram feed.
Connect with Your Top Customers
Looking to gather customer testimonials from your happiest repeat buyers? Reach out to them directly with a friendly interview request, using the examples above as a reference.
Start by creating a list of your top customers using your point of sale system or eCommerce platform. Then, utilize the contact information you have on file to get in touch with them and inquire about their experience with your company, product, or service.
While you don’t need to script their response, asking thoughtful questions can lead to more impactful testimonials. Consider inquiring about why they chose your brand, their favorite product and why, or the results they’ve achieved with your business. Utilize their experiences to create compelling social media content.
Customer stories and testimonials play a crucial role in establishing trust and offering invaluable social proof. Embracing testimonials and collaborating with customers to share their experiences can significantly strengthen your brand and cultivate a loyal customer base.