To give you a deeper look into some of the influencers we work with and the questions we receive on a regular basis, we put together a Q&A series addressing topics we knew our bloggers could provide expertise on. Want to hear more about something we haven’t covered yet? Let us know in the comments below!
Kelsey Preciado is the blogger behind Little Bits Of, a food and lifestyle blog dedicated to clean eating and an approachable lifestyle. This mom-to-be relates to her audience in a strong way with her “real talk” about balance, healthy eating and everyday life. She communicates frequently on Instagram and Instagram Stories, where she has built a community of almost 60,000 people. With the rise of Instagram Stories, Kelsey has been able to capture true connection with her audience that has allowed her to expand her reach and partner with brands in new ways. Read on below to hear a bit about how she’s using Instagram Stories to drive value for brands:
Q: Did you start using IG Stories as soon as it was released? What were your initial thoughts about it?
A: I started using it pretty soon after it was released! First with mainly pictures, then once I got more comfortable showing my face I added that in. I remember thinking it was great because I knew Snapchat was going well for so many people but I didn’t have a big following there so I didn’t see a benefit. I could tell from the start people liked being able to learn more about me through Stories!
Q: You do a lot of “day in the life content” on IG Stories; tell us why you’ve chosen this strategy and why it’s been successful for you.
A: It really wasn’t a conscious decision to do day in the life vs. just recipes and food. I started showing my daily life/normal things that were happening and got a great response from followers appreciating my “realness.” Showing my real life helps people relate to me so when I share products I am loving, chances are they will love them too!
Q: Do brands reach out to you specifically for IG Stories partnerships? If so, how do you communicate the value and success of these partnerships when the content disappears in 24 hours?
A: IG Stories are usually incorporated in other social or blog work! The biggest value in Stories is for people to hear from me about why I like a product or how to use it, and the swipe up function always gets the most traction vs. an instagram post. With the algorithms the way they are, regular posts are seen by maybe half of the amount of people that see my Stories, so it is a great way to boost those posts.
Q: You’ve done a bit of affiliate work with IG Stories; tell us how this works and what’s been successful for you. Any tips or watch outs for other bloggers?
A: The affiliate work is great for Stories because of the swipe up function. Being able to show someone a product I am loving and give them a direct and simple link to purchase it + a coupon code of some kind, makes it easy for them to buy. My biggest tip is to truly be authentic when sharing it. I usually only share an affiliate link when I am physically consuming the product so it is just a bonus that I happen to have a code for the delicious thing I am eating if you are interested!
Q: How are you using the IG Stories highlights (if at all)?
A: I just started using the highlights to show pages I get questions about or want to promote, like a link to my ebooks, how I became a full time blogger, or certain Stories on recipes I get questions about like cooking a whole chicken in my Instant Pot! I can’t quite tell if they are beneficial yet though.
Q: Experts say that having a strong presence on IG Stories can help you in Instagram’s algorithm. Have you found this to be the case? Have you felt impacted by Instagram’s algorithm changes?
A: This really depends! I think having a strong presence on Stories helps so when I share that I just posted something on my feed I can drive traffic there. Some posts just do so much better than others and I can’t quite tell the reasoning other than the pictures being the most eye grabbing!
Huge thanks to Kelsey for being willing to answer these questions! Keep an eye out for more Q&A series content throughout the month of April.
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