Instagram Stories draw more than 500 million users every day. They receive more engagement than photo posts in the original Instagram feed. Posting to Instagram Stories also increases the overall reach of your Instagram account. To succeed on Instagram, you need to post to Stories regularly. At Keep It Real Social, we know coming up with content ideas for Instagram Stories isn’t always easy, so here’s a list of our best Instagram Story ideas. Be sure to bookmark this post so you can return to it the next time you’re wondering what to post to your Stories.
1. Poll your followers – To do this, select the poll sticker, type in a question with a yes or no answer, and post it to your Stories. Polls are a great way to encourage your followers to interact with you.
2. Do a Q&A – Let your followers create content for you by hosting a Q&A in your Stories feed. Add the Questions sticker to your Story post. When a follower asks you something, you can share your response in the Story feed.
3. Share user-generated content – If your customers share a post about your business or product, reshare it to your stories. Ask permission to share first. Several free apps can be downloaded to help you reshare Instagram content.
4. Host giveaway – Host a giveaway in your Instagram Stories and use it to collect email signups, increase followers, or encourage user-generated content. Be sure to follow Instagram’s promotion guidelines.
5. Introduce team members – Customers are more likely to keep coming back if they feel a personal connection to your business. So help them get to know you better by introducing yourself and your team members in your Stories. Share a few fun facts about each person’s role in the business.
6. Behind the scenes – Sharing what goes on behind the scenes at your business is a great way to give customers insight into your company culture. It’s also another way to connect with them and humanize your business. You can tour your warehouse, show employees celebrating an office birthday, or share a day in the life of a team member. The possibilities are endless when giving sneak peeks of your work day.
7. Milestones – Celebrate milestones with your followers and customers by sharing them in your stories. Did you achieve a goal you set for your company? Did you reach 1,0000 followers? Let them know, and thank them for their part in your success.
8. Do an Instagram takeover – An Instagram takeover is when you let someone else post to your account for the day. For example, if you have a business that serves outdoor enthusiasts, invite a hiking expert to share their day on the trail in your Stories.
9. Share updates about your business – Do you have a new business location or a redesigned website? Use your Stories to get the word out.
10. Share customer reviews and testimonials – Self-promotion is necessary, but positive words are even more effective from a third party. You probably have customer reviews and testimonials collected on your Google Business Profile and Facebook pages. Choose some of the best ones and share them in your stories. To simplify it, create a simple template in Canva, then copy and paste each new review to share.
11. Products and services highlights – You don’t want your Story feed to be all posts about your products or services. But when it comes down to it, you are trying to sell something. So carefully choose items to share. Brand-new products or services or restocking a popular item are good options.
12. Sales – If you’re having a big sale, use your Stories to let your customers know. They appreciate a heads-up about the savings and a chance to get a deal before it sells out.
13. Tutorials – Share short tutorials. Of course, this varies depending on your business. If you own a fashion boutique, you could show your followers how to style the latest trend. Own a home repair service? Demonstrate how to do a simple project your followers can do independently.
14. Promote content on your other sites – You may have a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast. Use your stories to direct your followers and customers to your other content on the web.
15. Product Demos – Demonstrate how your products work. If you sell fishing gear, make a short video of someone using a fishing rod you sell. If you sell beauty products, do a before and after comparison.
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