Whenever a new feature comes out on social media, I am usually a late adopter.

Back when Instagram launched Stories, a worthy Snapchat opponent, I thought, “Hm, I don’t know about this.” Perhaps it’s because change, even if slight, is uncomfortable or just because I’m naturally a cautious person.

But here we are a few years after its launch and I barely look at my newsfeed. Where am I? You guessed it, endlessly swiping through Stories.

The feature gained steam on Instagram but was then integrated on Facebook. Now, every brand with a Facebook Business Page has gained another marketing tool to reach users.

So, what exactly can you post on Facebook Stories? Get inspired by these eight brands.

Examples of Facebook Stories for Business

A Look Behind the Scenes

Back when Facebook only allowed brands to publish posts, brands were probably more selective about their content, knowing it would stay there permanently.

Now that Facebook Stories is here, brands can have a little bit more fun with what they post knowing the content will only be available for the next 24 hours.

That’s why behind-the-scenes content is perfect for Facebook Stories. It’s not necessarily important enough to be featured on the news feed but it can be a great way to create some buzz around an upcoming release.In this example, Woven Nook, a home decor company, posts a Story to tease an upcoming project. The Story allows the brand to create some anticipation around the project and also gauge the audience’s interest in this type of content.

Another important element in this Story is that it features one of the founders of the company. In recent years, studies have shown that consumers connect more with brands who pull back the curtains and show the faces behind the business.

Woven Nook could have posted the sneak peek without the founder. However, having a human featured in the image can leave a stronger impression than just a setting.

Polls and Surveys

Facebook Stories isn’t just another publishing channel, it also has great features that help brands connect with and engage their audience. Engagement is vital for building brand loyalty and understanding your consumers.

The better you understand them, the better equipped you are to deliver content that resonates.

The grocery delivery company Instacart hosted its own trivia game on Facebook Stories to test its audience’s food knowledge.

While this may not necessarily give the brand valuable insight into their audience, their engagement with the post may tell them a lot about the type of content their followers enjoy.

Want another way to use polls? Tie them to a product or service.

Alaffia posted a simple poll asking its audience about its product.

This accomplished two things at once: It introduced followers to a product they may not yet know and it had an interactive element that encouraged audience engagement.

User-Generated Content

One of the most popular uses for Facebook Stories is user-generated content (UGC). UGC provides what’s known as social proof, a psychological phenomenon where we tend to look to others for guidance on what to do.

Adjourn Teahouse leverages UGC to show the various ways in which consumers use its products. Because of the Facebook Stories repost feature, the brand can fill its Stories with content already created by others, saving both time and money.

One thing to note is that because Facebook now owns Instagram, you can repost another user’s Instagram content to your Facebook Stories – something that’s not available between other social media platforms.

The brand Curls uses this same approach to promote its products.

What brand doesn’t love free promotion? This type of UGC helps brands gain credibility and earn new customers.

Direct to Website Traffic

Have an article on your website you want your Facebook followers to read? Take advantage of the “‘See More” feature on Facebook Stories. Blavity, a news and media company, often uses this feature to lead Facebook users to its blog posts.

While this brand mostly directs traffic to its blog posts, businesses can use this feature to lead their followers to landing pages, product pages, or any other webpage.

What’s great about this tool is that it makes it easy for users to navigate to other channels from the brand without ever leaving the Facebook platform.

Giveaways

If you’re hosting a giveaway, you’ll likely create a Facebook post so that users can access it beyond the 24-hour window. However, it’s important to promote the giveaway on other channels to give it more visibility.

Note how beverage company BLK & Bold promoted its giveaway on Facebook Stories. Instead of posting all of the giveaway details, like the rules and eligibility requirements, the brand highlighted what its audience is most excited most: the giveaway itself.

If your giveaway is hosted on another social media platform – say Instagram or Twitter – you can still promote it on your Facebook Story and use the “See More” feature.

There’s no right or wrong way to post on Facebook Stories. It’s all about finding what stories resonate best with your audience.

Every Story you post is an opportunity to connect with your audience and learn more about them.

While some of these strategies may not work for your brand, they’re worth trying out. Because even stories that don’t perform well give you as much insight as those that do.

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