How to Use “Stories” on Your Website to Increase Sales
Why “Stories” Are So Effective and How You Can Easily Implement Them
Why “Stories” Are So Effective and How You Can Easily Implement Them
With most social media platforms riding the bandwagon on the short video content “Stories” function, everyone seems to understand that the function increases user engagement. Some even go as far as to say it is the defacto format of communication for Gen Z and Millenials.
“One day, stories will be as synonymous with the web as text. Before stories, every platform was text-first,” Ash Read, head of content at Buffer
The trend started when Instagram added Stories in 2016, essentially copying it from Snapchat who originated the format in 2013. Ever since, all the major social media platforms have followed. 2017: Whatsapp and Facebook. 2018: Youtube. 2020: Spotify, Linkedin, Twitter.
Below are some stats of why your brand should start considering Stories:
Instagram estimates that users spend between 24~32 minutes watching stories every day.
Gap used Instagram Stories to get a 73% higher click-through rate.
However, there are a couple of issues. First, you need to make an account on the major social media platforms where competition is fierce and gaining followers cost money and time. Second, the current experience is strictly on mobile and not on the web. Implementing the stories on your website is costly as you need to re-engineer your website.
Noticing this demand gap, Firework came up with a solution for even SMBs to efficiently implement the stories function on their websites, and it has been a huge hit.
Firework takes as little as 30 seconds, and they even have a free plan.
Why Stories Are Powerful and How You Can Maximize Impact
Stories or short videos have revolutionized information search and evaluation of alternatives in terms of the customer consumption process. It is easy to search for information with Stories and compare many alternatives in a short period.
Also, Stories are a great way to capture in-the-moment experiences. It’s easy. The feature requires as much or as little production as you’re willing to put into it. Stories are experimental, fun, and casual, making them highly consumable.
According to “Research on the Influence of Content Features of Short Video Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intentions,” there are three measures you can take to increase the consumer's willingness to purchase using Stories.
Perceived Usefulness: If you can give the consumers the impression that your content can help them understand and evaluate products without taking much effort and time, they will be more susceptible to the content. The key is to be succinct and provide as much information as possible in a brief period.
Playfulness: Yan Lei (2019) found that playfulness and entertainment are essential as people usually watch short videos during commuting hours. The richer and eye-catching the content is, the more attention the content will get.
Involvement of Influencers: Yang Anna (2017) studied the impact of influencers in social media on the purchase intention of college students. The paper concluded that there is a significant positive correlation with the purchase intention of customers.
How Firework Created A New Market and How You Can Benefit From Their Services
Firework itself is an interesting business case on how they made an ingenious pivot in their business model. Some Tech nerds may be familiar with the name.
Launched in 2018/4, the Short-Video sharing app had 100 million users within five months. The growth pace is quicker than that of Instagram and Twitter. It offered a service for content-creators to make 30 seconds videos. Google even put in an acquisition bid. However, Firework CEO Vincent Yang declined the offer.
Shortly after, TikTok entered the US market and invested billions in marketing and user acquisition. Firework lost a ton of market share as TikTok users climbed higher than 20 million by the end of 2019.
Given their dire condition, Vincent Yang made an ingenious pivot from B2C to B2B. They saw the prominence of the Stories function and the need for enterprises to incorporate it into their website.
"About 70% of people want to know the product through short videos instead of image. But there is no easy way to implement it and the cost is a bottleneck. Companies simply said,"I was only thinking about creating an account on TikTok and Instagram” — Vincent Yan, CEO Firework
ESPN paved the road when they re-engineered the FOX Sports and ESPN website to accommodate the Story-esque experience on their website.
Firework allows the same functionality within 30 seconds and with a small cost. There is a free plan, a $17/mo plan, and an enterprise plan. All you have to do is select the short videos and the layout in which you want to present them.
Globo, the most extensive media network in Brazil, rejected an offer from TikTok and decided to use Firework on their website. The website gained 10x more adoption. On other websites, the Firework application has increased time spent on the website by 2.8x and engagement by 4.0x.
Also, Firework is building an ad network. As a website owner, in addition to increasing user engagement, other companies can also show their ads on your website based on your web demographics. Hence, it can give you the power to earn extra money.
On the other hand, you can also show Short Video ads on other websites if a specific business shares the same demographic.
As communication shifts more to the ephemeral and eye-catching form of Stories, it is worthwhile for your business to consider using Firework on your website. It can increase brand recognition and potentially earn you some extra income.