Instagram Stories are only effective for growth if they are engaging and captivating! It is an excellent tool to connect with your audience since over 500 million users use this feature every day. Powerful Instagram Story ideas for business make all the difference in increasing your engagement rate.
Creating Instagram Stories may seem like a daunting task, but all you need is a good social media marketing strategy. Not to toot our own horn, but here at Infinite Management, we can help you craft the perfect marketing plan for the growth of your business! Our social media management packages include creating content strategy plans every month, so reach out today to see what we can do for your business!
What are Instagram Stories
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details of the best Instagram Story ideas for business, let’s take a look at the fast facts about this feature. The Instagram Story feature was launched in 2016 after being inspired by Snapchat… Since then, it kind of took over! Stories allows users to post in-the-moment photos and videos.
Initially, Instagram Stories only last for 24 hours before they “expire” and get stored in the account’s private archive. Instagram Stories Highlights allow users to post their stories on their profiles in the form of collections. These are then saved forever until the user decides to edit the Highlights. Instagram Stories can be browsed on a separate feed on top of the original feed. Simply click on the profile picture of a user and you should be able to view the Stories they posted before these expire.
Instagram Stories can be edited using in-app photo editing tools. Users may draw, add filters, put text, or even use stickers. Stickers are great for engagement since they may be used to ask questions, hold quizzes, create polls, share links, gauge sentiment, and gather direct messages. Overall, Instagram Stories are highly engaging partly due to the sense of urgency to engage with them since they are only active for 24 hours. The 15-second timeframe is easy to consume and digest.
Instagram Story Ideas For Business Accounts
Answer frequently asked questions from followers
Have you noticed repetitive questions from your audience? Instagram Stories is an excellent avenue for answering those questions. You may respond to queries by posting a picture with text or in video form. You may take a private message or a comment and answer in Story form. Add a Question sticker to solicit more questions and to keep the conversation ball rolling. Compile all of these stories in a FAQ Highlight so that they will be accessible to new profile viewers and followers.
Another way to answer questions is to go on Instagram Live. Going Live notifies your followers so that more people can come to the live stream and post their questions in the comment section.
Employee takeover
Employees give a face to the brand. They may also have some fresh ideas on what to talk about on Stories. Let your employee take charge of the account so that they may bring your followers along for the day. This lets your followers have a look at what happens behind the scenes during an average workday. This encourages views and engagement because people love exclusive access.
Giveaway or contest
A giveaway or a contest is one of the fastest ways to grow your Instagram account. You can tweak the rules to what works best for your business. Generally speaking, giveaway rules include:
- A challenge that involves your product or service
- An invitation for participants to post an Instagram story with your product, service, and hashtags
- Your brand must be tagged in the post, and you can only be tagged if they follow you
Make sure to keep a close eye on Instagram notifications. These stories are only up for 24 hours so you must check out the tagged stories and screenshot them. After the giveaway period, announce the winner and send them their giveaway prize.
Customer takeover
Let a happy and loyal customer take over your Instagram stories to catch the attention of fellow customers. This is an effective strategy since consumers are more likely to trust a fellow consumer compared to a brand. User-generated content is powerful for converting leads to sales. You may do this by reposting the Stories of customers that mentioned you. You may compile all of these Stories in a Highlight labeled “Customer Feedback.”
Behind-the-scenes
It is very interesting for a consumer to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes! You can always post stories on how your product is manufactured or take your viewers on a tour of the office or warehouse where their orders are being processed. You may also create videos of arts and crafts related to your product. These videos will give your viewers ideas on how to maximize what they bought from you. Overall, these types of content help build a personal, one-on-one relationship with your customers.
Post informative content
Instagram Stories can be used to educate your followers on your business or anything else. Create value-adding content such as hacks or tutorials related to your product. This is highly engaging since followers will save your post or even share it with their friends. This will also incentivize them to follow your account since there is an opportunity for them to learn more in the future.
For example, cosmetics companies can show the best makeup hacks for a flawless base. Skincare companies can show the best types of products for specific skin types. Clothing companies can show the best fashion trends to try this season. The possibilities are endless.
Ask suggestions
Asking for suggestions allows you to spark another conversation on your account. This also makes the viewer feel included in your decision-making processes. Use the Poll or Quiz stickers for this. For example, ask your followers for insight on which company logo looks better or which color scheme works best for your website.
This also doubles as free research for you. These polls provide insight into what your customers prefer so that you can make the necessary adjustments to your material.
Promote blog posts
A great feature on Instagram Stories are Link stickers! These allow the viewer to tap on it and be redirected to any website you choose. Cross-promoting your latest blog posts will increase the post’s visibility and website traffic.
Geotagging
Instagram Stories allow you to tag the location of where the photo was taken. The location sticker lets your followers know where you are and allows you to reach new audiences, particularly those that browse by location. This sticker also gives your Story a chance to be featured on the location page.
Sneak peek
As we mentioned, people appreciate the exclusivity of special access to your business. So, another way to get them reeled into your brand is you can post fun little sneak peeks. If you are planning on launching a new product or service, give your viewers first dibs by posting details about the project. You may also use the Countdown sticker so that the people who tapped in will get notified on launch day.
Exclusive deals
This is another way to offer exclusivity to your audience. Post a code for free shipping or 10% off. You may pair this with a couple of customer testimonials to convince your viewer to purchase from your business.
Conclusion of 11 Instagram Story Ideas For Business
As you can see, there are so many ways to maximize Instagram Stories to your advantage. However, it is not as simple as simply posting everything on a whim. As we mentioned earlier, here at Infinite Management, our packages include content strategies… So, working with us will allow you to have polished and effective Instagram Stories that are guaranteed to boost your engagement! Contact us today for more information.