Last week was all about Pokemon Go (like, so last week), and so this week we’re off and running again like excitable little kids to jump onto the latest micro macro trend that is Instagram Stories.
If you’ve missed all the fuss, in simple terms Instagram Stories is rather like Snapchat.
Launched yesterday to equal fanfare and skepticism it’s an extension of the Instagram app that lets you create ‘stories’ from your photos and videos and put them together as a sequence. Your story then stays up on Instagram for 24 hours for your adoring fans to watch on repeat before disappearing into the Insta ether (though you can save it for prosperity).
In fact it’s totally like Snapchat. Except, that unlike Snapchat where you’re more likely to be following people you know personally (so making the content more relevant and fun), on Instagram Stories you’re more likely to be following people you admire for their lovely photos and occasional videos, but probably don’t know personally.
World of Wanderlust is one of Travel’s biggest influencers
Which is where the problems start if you’re an ‘influencer’ that’s built up a sizeable following (Ie: over the 50k mark) and perhaps claimed yourself as one of the numerous Influencer Pro’s that now makes a living from your high ranking ‘grams’.
You’ve done well to build your brand and worldwide reach around a perception of your travelling lifestyle with your gorgeous considered shots, neat filters, some well crafted narrative and story and strategic, timely consistency to your post delivery.
Your fans love you for it and have in their own minds created a picture of what you represent to them as an aspirational brand and a person. (Remembering that the true definition of a brand is a persons gut feeling towards you. Positive, negative or indifferent – its the key reason Influencers are so successful because of this ‘humanising’ effect for brands).
So what happens when you then go spouting off ad nauseum with frequent Instagram Stories? Acting goofily and sharing scribbled moments and on the fly opinions about your life that shall we say are banal at best. You thought it was funny and really interesting at the time but was it? Apparently not.
It’s akin to what may have happened with that attractive person you always used to see on the bus to work. Over a period of time, you painted a utopian picture of them in your mind of how to you they appeared to exist so beautifully in the world. Even though you had never had any contact with them.
And then you sat next to that so called special person on the bus one day, heard their voice which wasn’t what you expected and learnt their real story, warts and all.
It was then that you’re whole fantasy world came crashing down.
The love affair was over and It was heart breaking. For a few seconds anyway.
It’s what we as people do. We naturally form opinions based on human cues. It’s a biological thing and we can’t help it. It just happens. It’s how brands live or die.
Such is the danger for Influencers with Instagram Stories and posting ‘stuff’. Let temptation get the better of you and you as a ‘brand’ could be in trouble. Which would mean goodbye followers and potentially goodbye livelihood.
Not a good outcome.
There will be some great success stories for those that execute well in line with their brand, but for many others – there will be tears.
So my advice to all you smart Instagram influencers out there is to follow the old maxim: “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.
If you’re already winning on Instagram. Hold em.