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Marc Guberti

Instagram Stories vs Feed: A Guide for Social Media Marketers

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This is a guest post written by Tom Siani, the Content Manager at Blog Waves

Instagram Stories vs Feed: A Guide for Social Media Marketers

Today, social media, particularly Instagram, has become an increasingly vital medium for any B2B or brand awareness campaign.

There is fierce competition in the market between different social media platforms. They’re launching new features every day to get ahead of their rivals.

You can see several bold examples of recently introduced features that beat the competitors. Instagram Stories is one of the most important ones, which was released to counter Snapchat’s Stories.

This Instagram feature has become one of the most popular social media features globally.

What is the difference between Instagram Stories and the Instagram feed? As a marketer or influencer, if you know their applications, you can take advantage of them efficiently.

That’s why we tried to study them thoroughly to help you choose the best one for your content marketing campaigns.

What Is an Instagram Story?

Instagram launched its Stories feature in August 2016. It allows users to share pictures and video clips for 24 hours.

It quickly became prevalent among users and gained 200 million daily active users until April 2017.

The truth is that Snapchat had invented the Story function, but Instagram Stories soon gained control of the market!

Instagram Stories has become the number one tool for sharing personal moments. Apart from individuals, businesses are making the most out of it to broadcast their special events.

Instagram Stories Statistics 

Now it’s good to know some important statistics about Instagram Stories. As you know, all Instagram users browse through their feeds, but how many use Stories?

Here are some vital stats:

Instagram Stories has more than 500 million daily users

Among 1 billion Instagram users, 500 million users use Instagram Stories every day. That’s a great start for a feature that is five years old. 

More than 85% of users post Instagram Stories every day

Not all users post stories regularly. According to Instagram’s stats, 85% of users post stories daily.

70% of Gen Z and 60% of Millenials love Instagram stories

According to Instagram story views data, 60 percent of Millennials view Instagram stories while 70% of Gen Z love to watch Instagram stories.

More surprisingly, one-quarter of Gen Z and Millennials utilize Instagram Stories to find desired products and services.

36% of businesses post stories for product promotion

Instagram Stories is popular among businesses. 36% of them use it to promote their products.

The importance of this stat will be more apparent when you know more than 80% of Instagram users follow at least one business account. You can imagine the effectiveness of using Instagram Stories for promotion and marketing strategies.

Business accounts create one-third of the popular stories

Instagram claimed that businesses create one-third of their top stories.

This stat shows that businesses have put significant effort into stories creating high-quality content for their audience.

Instagram Stories vs Feed: Features

Finally, we will look at the differences between these two features. 

Evergreen vs Fleeting

Instagram posts will remain on the platform forever unless you delete them intentionally. On the other hand, stories will be live for only 24 hours.

Instagram stories are more suitable for sharing moments instantly. Also, stories make sense of urgency, encouraging users to watch them.

Top Menu vs Timeline

Instagram Stories posted by your following can get viewed at the top of your Instagram feed.

When they post a story, it will show up in a line of circles based on a chronological order, which starts with the most recent story. On the contrary, Instagram feed posts show up in your timeline.

So if you want to watch a story, you have to tap on it, but you have no choice but to see feed posts unless you change the setting for posts from that account.

Reach vs Engagement

Instagram Feed posts can be easily discovered by new audiences, so feed posts are best for reaching out to niche audiences and increasing followers.

On the other hand, stories are best for increasing engagement rates. So try to be as creative as possible on your stories.

Scheduling vs Moment

Instagram posts are usually scheduled, especially by business accounts. Feed posts are curated content that act as broadcasts to convey specific messages.

On the other hand, people and businesses primarily share stories in the moment. Business accounts usually use stories for alarming upcoming events, not sharing a curated piece of content.

Official vs Casual

Many regard the Instagram feed as the official face of a brand regarding business accounts. Stories are a place for casual engagement with users. That’s why the platform has put Live videos in stories.

As a result, many companies don’t have a strategy for stories. Many of them concentrate their marketing plans on feed posts. Incorporating Instagram Stories into your strategy will help you get more engagement. You will appear in more places for followers to see.

Conclusion 

Instagram has different features like Feed posts, Stories, IGTV, Live, and Reels. If you want to become successful in Instagram marketing, you have to use it to its total capacity. This article compared Feed posts vs stories to tell you which one is better for your purpose. Try to use both of them depending on your requirements. Creativity is key to succeeding in social media marketing. Never stop updating your techniques and content.

Want more insights to master content marketing? Make sure you pick up your free ticket to the Content Marketing Success Summit.

Should You Hire Someone To Write Your Content?

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Is it time to hire a writer? Many creatives and companies wonder if delegating content gives them a sufficient return on their investment. Some feel compelled to produce their content without any assistance.

However, many businesses pay writers. Some companies employ hundreds of writers at a time. I’ve performed writing services for others and delegated other parts of my business. Here’s what you need to know before hiring a writer.

What Is The Objective?

More content does not always produce more sales. Creatives who produce content for the sake of producing content will miss out on revenue. A vague goal makes content production less profitable. 

Writing content for your platform helps with building trust. However, an investment needs a potential payoff. If you invest $50 for a blog post, how do you get that $50 back?

Not all free content converts buyers right away. Content advances visitors to a different step in the customer journey. Some content shifts people from unaware to aware. Other content shifts people from interested to purchasers.

Promote a product or service in your content and on your website. This call-to-action turns free content into profitable resources.

What Will You Do With The Extra Time?

Handing off content responsibilities to others gives you extra time. You can use that extra time to pursue additional business projects. 

Many people hire writers to save time. They can produce the content themselves, but why do that when they can delegate that task?

You can promote your products more effectively and serve existing customers. Operating a business becomes less stressful as you delegate more tasks.

Do You Have a Long-Term Strategy?

Hiring people to write content will help your business grow. More content gives you an edge on search engines and builds customer loyalty.

Before hiring a writer, establish a long-term strategy. It takes several months to get notable traffic from SEO. Creating a library of content gives visitors more to consume.

Your content should cater to different stages in the customer journey. Various customer journey rubrics exist, but we’ll use AIDA for this example.

AIDA stands for Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action.

Create content that addresses each of these four stages. Some people are unaware of the problem. They are not actively searching for a solution. This content helps people recognize their problem.

Once people become aware, they may become interested in learning more. Create content that makes readers want to learn more about a problem. 

During the Desire Stage, consumers become loyal to the brand and are a few steps away from taking action. They’ve got the itch they want to scratch. They’ve been looking at the product or services for months without taking action. Each piece of content builds desire. Content brings the consumer’s desire front and center.

The more they see you, the more likely they will take action. At this stage, a consumer makes the full transition into becoming a customer. They acknowledge their intention to make a purchase and follow-through. 

Including a call-to-action at the bottom of each blog post fuels action. These actions can range from joining an email list to buying a product. You can experiment with several calls-to-action and see which one converts the best.

Looking for a Freelance Writer?

Hiring a writer can help you grow your business. A seasoned writer knows how to produce content that draws attention and boost sales. You can focus more time on other areas of your business.

If you are looking for a freelance writer for your team, I can help. I have written for clients across various industries. If you want to learn more about my services and how we can work together, send an email to marc@marcguberti.com 

3 Strategies To Attract Freelance Clients

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Freelancing provides writers with consistent income. For some writers, freelance work provides a full-time income. Some writers get enough freelance clients to work from home. They use their remaining work time to build their brand.

Attracting freelance clients helps you generate income and writing assignments. As you build your freelance client pipeline, you can pursue higher paying roles. Getting that first freelance client can be tough. That’s why we will cover three strategies to help you attract freelance writing clients.

#1: Submit Pitches

Some freelance writers don’t pitch to clients anymore. The clients come to them. Every freelancer wants this scenario, but it’s not a reality for beginners. 

In order to land freelance clients, you must submit pitches. Go to sites like UpWork and Freelance Writing to find freelance writing jobs. 

When you start out, submit several pitches per day. You do not make money from pitches. You only make money when someone hires you and gives you work. Submitting several pitches gives you quick experience and puts you in dialogue with several decision makers.

As you get freelance writing work, the focus shifts. Instead of applying to every freelance writing job, you must get more selective. You can only write so many articles in a given day. Look for higher paying freelance writing jobs so you can earn more in less time.

#2: Build Up Your Work Portfolio

Why would a company hire you? Business owners want to see examples of past content. They want to see you can produce a great piece. 

While submitting pitches, also write content for yourself. Start up a blog or write on Medium. This exercise will improve your writing skills and let potential clients see what you can do. 

Writing content for yourself helps you grow your platform. Platform income is scalable. You can make more money with 10,000 email subscribers compared to 1,000 email subscribers. You don’t have to put in extra hours to boost your income if your audience continues growing.

Some writers double as business owners and freelance writers. They grow their platforms and offer products. Freelance writing provides a consistent income source. Income from a platform can vary, but the consistent base gives you the ability to take more risks.

#3: Constantly Network

It’s not about what you know or who you know. It’s about who knows you. Constantly networking with freelance writers leads to intros. Join Facebook Groups with freelance writers and participate. Not only will you get intros, but you will also learn new strategies about finding clients and serving existing clients.

Networking opens doors you could not open on your own. No freelance writer is self-made. We get help from friends, family, colleagues, and everyone in between. 

Acknowledge this truth by networking with people in the industry. Networking create short cuts and help you build long relationships. Hosting the Breakthrough Success Podcast has opened many doors for my business. The show has introduced me to thousands of wonderful people.

Finding Freelance Writing Jobs

Start the process by sending as many pitches as possible. The more, the better. Continue building up your brand with content in the meantime. 

As you get more freelance writing jobs, you’ll have less time to submit pitches. This is perfectly fine. Focus instead of submitting pitches to higher paying work. 

Throughout the journey, connect with other writers. Start with a group and build from there. You may even start a podcast.

Some freelance writers work full-time. These writers can work from anywhere and on their hours. It’s a dream come true for many writers that is possible for anyone.

How To Write A Blog Post In Under 1 Hour

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Writing a blog post in under 1 hour is a game-changing skill for creatives. Pumping out content with ease allows you to reach more people and focus on other parts of your business.

You can spend the extra time promoting your brand and freelance writing for clients. Writing a blog post in under 1 hour turns blogging into a viable side hustle for full-time workers.

Writing a blog post in under 1 hour is a skill that takes time to develop. As you write blog posts more often, you will have an easier time achieving this goal. However, a few strategies will help you reach this milestone sooner.

Establish The Word Count

I set a goal for 1,000+ word blog posts. This word count provides enough depth without going overboard. I’m not a fan of writing 2,000+ word blog posts. I’ve done that before, but it’s a risky strategy.

Longer blog posts represent higher investments of your time. In theory, it will take you twice as long to write a 2,000 word blog post compared to a 1,000 word blog post. Not every blog post resonates. I’d rather see a 1,000 word blog post fail to resonate compared to a 2,000 word blog post.

Writing shorter pieces enables you to stay in front of your audience more often. If you cringe while thinking of your blogging process, you need to change your workflow.

It is perfectly fine to write shorter content. Shorter content is better than no content. 

Establishing the word count provides a WPM range for hitting your goal. Let’s say your blog post is 1,000 words long. If you want to write a blog post in under 1 hour, you need to write 17 words per minute.

This WPM is achievable for many bloggers. This “paragraph” alone is a little under 17 words.

Create An Outline In Advance

The outline is a writer’s best companion. A few minutes of outlining will save you plenty of time. Outlines give your blog post idea a sense of direction. You know how to start, continue, and conclude. 

Before writing a blog post for a client, I always create an outline. I always followed this practice for content on my blog and Medium profile. This practice becomes especially important when you have little to no background on a topic.

I’ve written hundreds of blog posts for clients. I have written about notary services, NFTs, restorative dentistry, tile installation, 3D printing, and many other topics. 

Writing NFT articles made me bullish on NFTs, but that’s for another time.

Before writing those articles, I had limited or zero knowledge of those areas. Doing prior research and creating an outline helps me write content for my clients. Providing these services has expanded my knowledge in numerous areas. 

If you write for yourself, it’s best to write about a topic you already know. It takes less time to highlight your expertise. I can comfortably write well beyond 17 words per minute when covering what I know.

Conducting research prior to your articles will decrease your average WPM. For some articles, especially client articles, the extra research is well worth the time commitment.

Stay Focused On The Blog Post

Writing a blog post in under 1 hour is doable for many people. The main issue is a lack of consistent focus. We stay focused for a few hundred words and then browse on social media. 

When you write a blog post, only write a blog post. Do not check your email or scroll through your smartphone. 

Focus music will help you stay focused while writing. Listening to a song without lyrics will tune out your environment. Some people use this strategy to enter a deep workflow state. 

If you write without getting distracted, it’s easier to write a blog post in under 1 hour.

Stop When It Is Time To Stop 

If you’re struggling to find those extra words, stop. Sometimes, it’s best to finish a blog post early. 

If a client requests a word count, step away from the blog post for a bit before continuing. You can do some brainstorming to identify additional angles to cover for your client’s article. 

Do not add fluff for the sake of writing a longer blog post. Concise thoughts will keep your readers engaged and eager for more.

Want Help With Writing Blog Posts?

Writing a blog post in under 1 hour is a daunting but possible challenge. This process gets more complicated if you factor internal and external linking along with keyword research.

Some business owners have enough time to publish new blog posts consistently. Other business owners may benefit from a freelance writer. If you are interested in hiring a freelance writer, I can help. 

Send me an email at marc@marcguberti.com to see how I can assist with writing superb content for your brand. 

5 Steps To Making Your First $1,000 As An Author

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Every author aspires to make the first $100 from their books. It’s a milestone to celebrate as any progress is good progress. However, once you reach your first $1,000 as an author, you’ll start to see more possibilities.

All of a sudden, self publishing will appear as a viable path to a full-time income. You’ll start setting further out milestones such as your first $1,500 and your first $2,000. Each milestone you pass will fuel you towards significant earnings in the future.

But it all starts with the first $1,000 in earnings. That’s when we cross the bridge from hobbyist to a potential full-time author.

The authors I interviewed on The Wealthy Author Summit each surpassed $1,000 in book royalties. Some of these same authors make $1,000 every week from their books. You can get lifetime access to the Wealthy Author Summit here.

Identify Your Monetization Path

Almost no full-time author exclusively relies on their book royalties for income. An author’s monetization path features multiple assets combining together. The book is a pathway to begin the conversation and enable the reader to explore those assets. 

Books aren’t sales letters. No one reading dozens of pages explaining why you should buy something else. Books built trust, and by occasionally incorporating offer(s), you can substantially increase your average revenue per reader.

The end of a book presents the best opportunity to promote multiple products and services. Authors often use the final pages in their books to promote a book series, service connected to the book, training course, merchandise, and affiliate offers. These monetization paths require more creativity if you are a fiction author. A podcast can be a great choice for fiction and nonfiction authors alike.

Consider your available assets and what assets you’ll have by the time you publish your book. Some Podcast Domination readers end up becoming clients. Readers will recognize your expertise as they read your content and prefer you to guide them along the process rather than take the DIY approach.

Publish Multiple Books

If you want to make $1,000 from a single book, that book must generate $1,000 in royalties and backend deals. That sounds simple enough.

However, if you want to make $1,000 from two books, those books must average $500 in royalties and backend deals. A second book cuts the averages by half. Many full-time self published authors reached that status with dozens of books under their belts. Some authors rely on easy-to-create journals and workbooks while others publish traditional content focused books.

Either way, the self published authors with many books to their name end up reaching the $1,000 milestone sooner. Some of these same authors end up making more than $1,000/mo from the book royalties alone.

Writing books doesn’t guarantee you’ll make money. Publisher Rocket helps you conduct research so you can discover profitable book topics and keywords in your niche. Some of your books will earn more than others, but prior research gives each new title a better chance to outperform your catalog.

Most authors with dozens of books get carried by 1-5 books. A small percentage of their books make up a large percentage of their income. 

Writing routines will make or break your ability to produce several books. Write content at your peak hours and set reminders throughout the day with motivational messages to stay on track.

Grow Your Email List

Social media helps a little bit with book sales. So does running ads (we’ll talk about those later). Amongst the different strategies to generate sales, nothing works as well as your email list. 

Some authors use the first page of their book to promote a free opt-in. This free opt-in ranges from a bonus guidebook to a free chapter of another book you wrote. Fiction and nonfiction authors can both incorporate this strategy to grow their email lists. 

Writing multiple books puts your 1-page call-to-action in front of more potential readers. The upside to promoting your opt-in on the first page of your book is that previewers can join your email list even if they don’t buy your book.

Some authors go as far as offering the entire audio version of their books for free if you join their list. Considering the costs of acquiring an email subscriber through Facebook or Google Ads, some authors will forgo the royalty in exchange for a new email subscriber. I personally do not follow this approach, but it works for some authors.

You can use social media to grow your email list and create content to build your brand. Both measures will grow your email list, but all strategies pale in comparison to collaborations. Co-authoring a book, cross promoting existing books with other authors, and running events (i.e., virtual summits, book giveaways, etc.) will accelerate your email list growth in a way the other strategies can’t. 

Growing your email list (and engaging with your subscribers) is the most important step of reaching $1,000 from your books and making sustainable income from your work. 

Get Initial Reviews

Social proof impacts every stage of the customer journey. A potential reader may turn away from your book if it has bad reviews or not enough reviews in general. Getting initial reviews for your books is a critical part of demonstrating robust social proof.

Getting reviews boils down to asking enough people. You can reach out to some friends and encourage them to leave reviews. You can refine this starting point by checking who reviews your competitors’ books. Reach out to those reviewers and offer a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s important to ask specifically for an honest review. Asking for a 5-star review or a positive rating is sketchy and not allowed by Amazon. If you deviate from Amazon’s rules and a reviewer calls you out on it, you could find yourself in trouble. I’m not sure what ‘trouble’ looks like, but it’s best to avoid it. Asking for an honest review rather than a positive review will put you in good standings with Amazon and the reviewer.

Run Amazon Ads

Amazon Ads allow you to scale your book’s success. You can reach 100,000s of potential readers on a relatively low ad spend. Granted, some of those potential readers will scroll past your book and not click, but some of those potential readers will click on your ad and learn more about your book.

Your Amazon Ads will perform better if you first get initial reviews for your book. Many Amazon Ad experts recommend getting at least 10 reviews for your book before investing in advertising. You can use authors’ names and books as keywords in your ads. This strategy will help your books appear when someone searches for another author’s name or book. Publisher Rocket makes it easy to find these keywords, but you can create Amazon Ads yourself as well.

One of the Wealthy Author Summit speakers discussed how he uses Amazon Ads to generate thousands of dollars from his books each week. He’s truly mastered the system and gave us the full break down during our session. You can get a lifetime All-Access Pass to the Wealthy Author Summit here.

In Conclusion

Reaching your first $1,000 in book earnings is a big milestone. When you cross this milestone, you’ll see it’s possible to make a full-time income as an author. Then, it’s a matter of refining your process, writing more content, and marketing your way to success.