It’s more important than ever before to support small business. And while we’re all staying home, it’s a little tougher to interact with those businesses in person!
Thankfully, Instagram is doing everything they can to help make it easy to support our friends in the small biz community.
Right on the heels of the Instagram food delivery and gift card sticker launch comes a brand new sticker for your Stories!
Introducing… (drumroll please )… the NEW Support Small Business Sticker on Instagram!
Curious about this new feature that lets you share your favorite small biz finds with friends?
Or perhaps you’re a solopreneur wondering if it can help your Instagram marketing strategy for small business.
Either way, we’ve got the answers!
How to Promote a Small Business on Instagram with the New Sticker
Using the new Instagram Stories sticker couldn’t be easier. It works just like any other sticker, with the added benefit of promoting small business on Instagram of course!
Here’s how to use it:
- Choose a photo or video for your Instagram Story backdrop
- Tap the Stickers icon
- Tap the Support Small Business Sticker
- Search for the small business you’d like to promote
- Choose a version of the sticker you want to use
- Post your Instagram Story
See, we told you it was easy. However, there’s a cool bonus that isn’t included with other stickers – a shared Instagram story!
How to Find Small Businesses on Instagram Through Shared Instagram Stories
The shared Instagram story feature is what sets this sticker apart.
It creates a real opportunity for promoting your business, reaching new target audiences. Plus, you can even grow your followers!
When an Instagram user shares the Small Business sticker on their story, it’s added to a shared story.
That means that every follower of that user will see their post, along with any posts from other Instagram pages they’ve followed that have shared the sticker.
It’s basically a handy Story catalog of small businesses – right at Instagram users’ fingertips!
It’s a great way for Instagram accounts to find small businesses on Instagram to support.
Plus, the Support Small Business Shared Story appears at the top of the Instagram Story bar. Talk about being front and center!
Tips For Getting More Reach From Instagram Support Small Business Stickers
Here are a few fun ways to think about engaging your followers and expanding your reach with the new Instagram Support Small Business Sticker.
You won’t want to forget these small business instagram tips, and think about how you can incorporate them into your Instagram strategy!
1. Ask Your Followers to Share the Sticker
First and foremost, ask your followers to share! If this feels a bit weird, remember that the sticker was designed to help support you while the world is navigating COVID- 19.
Your biggest supporters are your followers – and one of your major assets on Instagram for small business.
Whether you ask your followers with humor, or put your heart on your sleeve and tell them why it’s important, we’re betting your followers will be more than happy to contribute to your cause in this small way.
2. Start a #SupportSmallBusiness Train
Reach, networking, and engagement all play a part in how to grow your small business on Instagram.
That’s why creating more opportunities across the board for these things are so impactful – for yourself and other business profiles!
Consider picking a specific day or theme to shout out favorite businesses in a niche or industry. in Stories.
Ask them to tag you in the post as well, so you can reshare!
When a business is tagged in the sticker, they receive a notification in DM allowing them to reshare the Story – and potentially get in on the action themselves!
It’s a low-cost, high-impact way. of getting more reach, networking, and creating a buzz in your social network. Plus, you’re helping to support an entire community of small biz – and we’re all in this together.
3. Use The Sticker In Your Instagram Contests and Giveaways
A lot of Instagram business accounts use group giveaways to expand their reach. The rules of entry usually include liking the post, following the pages of everyone participating in the giveaway, and tagging a friend!
If you have some flexibility in your next Instagram contest, ask your followers to share the sticker to shoutout a business in the giveaway. You can add this additional step into the contest rules – or replace one of the other entry guidelines!
Do you have any other tips or clever ideas to incorporate the new sticker into your Instagram marketing strategy? Share in the comments below for other readers!