Engaging Instagram Story Ideas
I see you showing up on your static IG feed, I see you showing up on Reels…but what about showing up on your Instagram story? From what I see online, people are either winging stories in the moment or just ignoring them all together. Trust me, I’m no saint here, so this is serving as a great resource for all of us! Let’s talk about why showing up on stories is just as important as creating any other type of content, and brainstorm a few ways to really get your audience engaged on stories.
Why Instagram Stories?
The whole reason we are on social media as business owners in the first place is to connect with our audiences, sell our products or services, and create a space where people feel they can turn to for expert advice. Creating content for the sake of creating content and leaving it to sit on your profile, hoping people will come along and look at it simply isn’t enough of a strategy.
In order to get people to want to connect with you, they need to feel totally connected to who you are as a person, why you created your product or service in the first place, and understand how your unique life experiences can apply to their situation. The best way to do that is on video, on Instagram stories!
Ideas for Your Instagram Story
If you need a little extra push or inspiration, try any of these ideas when showing up on stories!
Share Your Opinion On Something In Your Industry
People want to know what your take is on certain news, standards, or myths in your industry. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love to read a hot take! By sharing your opinion on something, people will be better able to understand how your brain works, what your values are, and your level of expertise in your industry.
Behind the Scenes
I love a great piece of behind the scenes content. For your stories, this could be in one video created for the story itself or you can take your followers along in real time to see the behind the scenes aspects of your work. This allows people to get a personal look into your life, work, and routine and can help them better understand the ins and outs of what you do.
Question and Answer
People may have questions about what you do or about a product you offer, and stories are the perfect place to dish out the answers. You can drop a question box from Instagram right onto your stories, share the responses you get, and provide answers in only a few clicks. Once you’re done, you can save them to a Q&A highlight for folks to refer to when they stumble upon your page.
Ask for Opinions On Something
Ok, you dished out your industry opinions, but you should also give your followers the opportunity to share their industry opinions! Just as people could leave you questions about your business in the question box, you can also utilize a question box to allow your followers to share their opinions with you. Then, you can share the responses publicly or keep them confidential and talk about general feelings on your stories later.
Share Your Client Results
Sharing client results on your stories shows people looking to work with you that you are actively out there on the scene and doing amazing things for people. You can share stats, testimonials, off the cuff texts of praise you get- anything that lets people know that you are nailing it! Creating a highlight from your stories of client results and testimonials is also a great thing to do.
Bust An Industry Myth
Every industry out there comes with its myths that everyone has heard. Maybe those myths are holding people back from actively seeking out service providers in your industry. You have the power to turn that right around. By busting industry myths on your stories, you are giving potential clients the permission to trust you and your expertise. Talking about or showing how your work is in direct opposition to those myths will only do wonders for your credibility.
Share a Mini Tutorial
Your product or service is awesome- I know it, you know it, other people know it. It’s also probably a huge commitment! Making a commitment of your time, resources, or energy can be scary, and sometimes the decision isn’t always easy to make. If you host a mini tutorial showing people how you work, your approach, and have your audience applying it to their lives or businesses, this may be exactly the thing that proves to them you are worth the commitment. A little sneak preview into who you do and how you do it may be all it takes!
Share Why You Created Your Offer
Everyone loves a good ‘why’ story. I’m sure you didn’t just wake up one day and decide you wanted to create the business you have today (or maybe you did, which is also amazing). You probably experienced some kind of event that felt cataclysmic in your life and propelled you onto the path you’re on now. And I can promise you- your story is never going to be the exact same as anyone else's. Sure, there may be similarities for people to relate to, but your unique story is what people are interested in seeing!
Ask Your Followers What They Want To Know
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re providing your audience with value is by directly asking them what they want or need to see from you. That question box is about to be your best friend on stories! Drop one of those boxes and ask your audience what kind of content they prefer to see from you, throw out some “this or that” options, and ask them what they are interested in learning about or need tips on.
Share Some Accounts or Posts You Love
If showing up on stories gives you pause, just know there are ways to do it that don’t always involve you showing your face. Take advantage of Instagram’s share features, and share content from accounts or people that you love right to your stories! This gives your audience a bit of insight into the kind of people you look to for inspiration or guidance yourself. Plus, if you’re sharing the love, that person/account might share it right back and share something of yours, expanding your reach!
Share What You’re Doing Outside of Work
Yes, I’m sure a bulk of your audience follows you for your work, but at the end of the day you are also a human being! Showing off the more “human” side of your life makes you more relatable! Be sure to share a few “life” moments with your audience too, whether that’s getting away from your desk for a walk or errands, a date night, or a weekend getaway! They want to know you’re prioritizing those things, too (and that they are capable of doing the same).
Tell An Interesting Story
Everyone loves a good story, whether it has anything to do with your business or not! I can guarantee you have at least one interesting, or crazy, or unlikely story from your life experiences that not one other person in this world has- so share it with the world (if you’re comfortable).
Maybe you have a story about your early experiences in business, what led you to where you are now, or how you pivoted your life and goals. Someone will relate to that! Maybe you have a story about something funny that happened on a trip or a bad dating experience that you can tie into your business. Someone will relate to that! And even if you can’t tie it to business, again, it’s a story that’s unique to you and maybe you’ll be the reason someone laughs today. That’s important too!
Which one of these ideas are you taking with you right to your stories? Comment your favorite below and tag me in your stories on Instagram so I don’t miss a single one!
