Facebook Stories – Stand out from the crowd

As a business owner investing in marketing, you are no doubt always looking for opportunities to set yourself apart from your competitors.

What if I told you that you have the chance to stand out from the crowd – and it is completely free! The opportunity is called Facebook Stories.

You are probably already familiar with both the functionality and the format. Facebook Stories are almost identical to Instagram Stories, and closely resemble the format we originally know from Snapchat.

Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories are user-generated content. They appear at the top of the Facebook app on mobile and at the top right column on Facebook for PC. Although Facebook Stories can be viewed on both mobile and PC, they can only be created via mobile – you will need to use your phone. You can create a Story using either a photo or a video, to which you can add various filters and effects such as frames, text, and emojis.

There are no restrictions on how many stories you can post. You can decide what makes sense for you and your business. Your Facebook Story will be available for 24 hours, and your followers can view it as many times as they like within that time frame.

Unlike Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories are not used nearly as often – and you can use that to your advantage.

Untapped potential

The fact that the feature is not widely used among Facebook users is your window for greater exposure.

I rarely see Facebook Stories being used by those I follow on Facebook – and I suspect that is true for most people.

Rather than dismissing Facebook Stories, you should see it as an opportunity. You can use Facebook Stories to showcase new products or simply offer a glimpse into the daily life of your business. In doing so, you can become one of the few visible in the Stories tab for your followers.

How to create a Facebook Story

1. To create a new story for Facebook, open the camera in the Facebook app. If you are logged in as a private individual, simply tap “Add” under Stories at the top of your app, as shown in the image below:

If you have a business profile on Facebook, you will find your Stories tab by scrolling down slightly, as shown in the image below. To create a new Facebook Story, tap “Add to Story”.

2. After you have pressed “Add to Story” and taken the photo or recorded the video you want to share with your followers, you can start having fun with filters and other effects. You can add frames, geo-filters, and effects you may already know from both Snapchat and Instagram. See the example below:

3. Once you are happy with the content you have created, just tap “Next”, select your page, and press the little blue paper plane in the bottom right corner.

Now you have created a story that your followers on Facebook will be able to click on and view as many times as they like within 24 hours.

Tip – Combine your Instagram Story with your Facebook Story

If you feel it is too time-consuming or resource-intensive to create different stories for Instagram and Facebook, there is a way around it. Facebook owns Instagram, which allows the two platforms to communicate with each other. A handy feature lets you automatically share your story from Instagram to your Facebook Story. All you need to do is enable a toggle.

To do this, open the story you have created and then tap the three dots in the bottom right corner:

Scroll down to the bottom and enable “Share your story to Facebook”:

You are now ready to make the most of Facebook Stories – enjoy!

P.S. If you have not yet converted your regular Instagram profile into a business profile, I explain step by step how to do so here.

Read also:
Facebook advertising – increase brand awareness and boost your sales
Instagram Live Video – why it is a smart move!
What is Facebook Business Manager? (2018 guide)