Pulse November 2018 | Page 58

Cameras Are the New Keyboards Instagram Stories are leading the way on social media. Here are my top tips for your followers’ attention. BY ERIN GARGAN KING WITH MORE THAN 200 MILLION DAILY ACTIVE USERS, Instagram Stories are on the way to surpassing the outdated newsfeed as the preferred social media format of today’s digital native. Instead of scrolling up and down, which is native to the desktop design of a decade ago, Instagram and Snapchat Stories embody a more mobile-optimized experience of swiping left and right. Smartphone cameras have truly become the new keyboards. Instead of telling others using text- centric, edited “perfect moments,” Instagram Stories show others with frequent, authentic and highly visual micro-moments. Unlike traditional Instagram posts, Instagram Stories are only viewable by your followers for 24 hours. This makes them more ephemeral, but also more impactful and intimate—they are a real- time, real-life snapshot of what’s going on at your spa. Furthermore, Instagram Stories are more intuitive for mobile and encapsulate feelings and moments in ways that words simply can’t. Couple that with the understanding that Stories are meant to be “raw and real” and you have an addictive recipe for share-ability on steroids! While this fast-paced content is easy to create and consume, keep a few best practices in mind so your hard-earned views leave an impression long after your Story disappears: 56 PULSE ■ November 2018