Do you need ideas for your Instagram stories?

Instagram Stories give brands the amazing opportunity to connect with their audiences in an authentic and personal way. However, every once in a while, it’s possible to run out of inspiration for creative and effective content. Which is why, we’ve put together some great ideas for your Instagram stories, to keep your online presence intact. (You’re welcome!)

1. Share your life

Let people into your life by documenting interesting parts of your day or activities that you’d like to share through your Instagram stories. This not only helps humanize your brand, it also draws your audiences into a more personal interaction with you. Add to your stories consistently – not every few minutes, but every few hours or whenever you have something worth sharing.

2. Use polls

Polls are fun, but more than that, they can help you find out a great deal about your audience and its preferences. People love that their opinion holds value, and they will almost always choose to answer your questions in a poll. So, ask your questions for feedback, for insight, for discovery, or simply, for fun!

3. Share behind-the-scenes

Giving a behind-the-scenes peek is a great idea for your Instagram stories because this makes people feel special. Let your audiences feel like they’re getting an exclusive scoop on what you’re working on, before-and-after projects, and other interesting insights.

4. Share your location

Use the location sticker in Instagram stories to let your audience know where you are and what you’re up to. It’s especially useful when you’re attending an event. It’s also great for recommending restaurants and coffee shops that you might visit. People are always looking for new experiences, and your recommendations could be just what people need!

5. Keep it real

You might have many creative ideas and thoughts for Instagram stories, but remember, people are more interested in the ‘how’ rather than just seeing a perfect picture of something. So, instead of that picture of your amazing cake, show how you baked it. Or, show how you put together that beautiful flat lay. When audiences feel invited into your story with shows them that they can achieve the same beautiful results, they will feel inspired and better connected with you.  

6. Share a joke or an inspirational quote

Life’s always better with a little humor, so make someone’s day with a joke. Or, inspire your audiences with motivational quotes. It will keep them coming back to your stories for more!

7. Promote

Eventually, this is what we’re really trying to do, isn’t it? Whether you’ve got a new blog post, or selling your product or services, Instagram stories are a great way to reach people. Use the ‘swipe-up’ feature if you have it. Else, direct people to the link in your bio.

8. Give a shout-out

Tagging people in your story or posting a screenshot of an account you really like­ – perhaps a follower’s page, and then tagging them on it will let your fans feel appreciated. They just might tag you in their stories too!

9. Teasers

Give your followers an exclusive insight into what’s coming, and keep them excited and guessing about new projects through short teasers. Ask questions if you must, to increase engagement.

10. Share tips

People always love to learn from the experts, and one way of keeping your followers coming back is by sharing your technical know-how, professional tips or how-tos, or even simple life hacks. The idea is for your audience to derive some value, and to add to it so you can gain from their knowledge too!

Ideally, you could put down your creative ideas for Instagram stories in an editorial content calendar ahead of time so you don’t lose precious minutes wondering what to post each day. You could do the same for your Instagram posts too.

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