Instagram Story Ideas

Do you ever find yourself staring at your blank social media calendar, wondering what you should post about on your Instagram stories?

Instagram stories are very different from feed posts and reels and require a different approach.

Some might wonder if it’s even worth spending time brainstorming ideas and designing stories.

After all, they are only visible for 24 hours before disappearing. How many people will really see the story in such a short timeframe?

Well, let me tell you: Instagram stories offer amazing opportunities to engage your audience, humanize your brand, and keep people interested.

Let’s take a look at why Instagram stories are an amazing opportunity for your business, and at some Instagram story ideas you can try out.

Benefits of Instagram Stories

The algorithm loves stories

Have you noticed that whenever you open your Instagram app, the first stories shown on your timeline are from accounts that you frequently watch stories from?

This is because the algorithm wants you to watch stories, and it achieves this by showing you the ones you’re most likely going to be interested in first.

For businesses, this is great news. Once people get into the habit of watching your Instagram stories for a few days, the algorithm will learn that they are interested in your content, pushing it to them every time they open their Instagram app.

People love stories

Now it’s not only the algorithm that loves stories and will help your business stay at the forefront of people’s minds.

People also love stories. People love the idea of more authentic, less curated content. While feed posts are often styled, edited, and planned well in advance, stories have an element of spontaneity and authenticity.

In a world of heavily curated feeds, people crave the less-than-perfect insights gained from Instagram stories.

Whether you’re showing up as the founder of your business sharing the behind-the-scenes process of product development, or giving a sneak peak into new product launches, people want to see more.

drinking a Cappuccino in bed | Instagram Story Ideas

Instagram Stories Best Practices

Just because I said Instagram stories are more spontaneous doesn’t mean they should be haphazardly recorded and thrown out into the world.

Because here’s the thing: if your stories aren’t interesting or low quality, people will exit out of your stories (meaning they won’t click through all of your stories).

Of course, lots of people exiting your stories early will show the algorithm that they don’t, in fact, enjoy your stories anymore.

In the same way the algorithm gets trained to show your stories to people because they frequently watch them, the algorithm can learn that people don’t want to see your stories anymore.

So, following some best practices is important to ensure your stories are relevant and engaging and actually support your business objectives.

Do think of stories of an experience

I like to tell people that stories should be an experience for the user.

Take them along on a journey through your design process, introduce other team members, and ask users to help you pick the new flavor of your product.

Put yourself into your ideal customer’s shoes and ask yourself: what would you be interested in seeing/learning/knowing about your industry?

Do plan your stories

Having a plan for each day will make your life so much easier.

You don’t have to plan every minute detail of your stories, but having a general idea of what you want to share and how you’re going to share it will go a long way in decreasing your stress and improving your story experience.

Aesthetic nightstand | Instagram Story Ideas

Do switch it up

People don’t want to see the same content over and over.

Remember, just because your stories disappear after 24 hours does not mean you can get away with posting the same thing repeatedly.

Of course, as you get new followers and people to watch your stories, you can consider sharing something you’ve shared before, or (even better) making a slightly newer version of the same content.

But let some time pass in between repeating content, otherwise, you’ll lose people’s interest.

Do make your stories more exclusive

A great way to make your stories exclusive is to share a special discount code that people who watch your stories can use.

You can also share more in-depth educational content, product teasers, etc.

Do use story highlights

I’ve talked a whole bunch about the fact that stories are only visible for 24 hours before they disappear. And while this is true, you do have the option to prolong your story’s life by creating story highlights.

This can be especially beneficial for evergreen stories, or stories you want people to always be able to watch, like educational content.

Don’t reshare only your feed posts

If you’re thinking of starting to post on stories and your first thought is to share your feed posts, take a deep breath and stop.

There’s nothing wrong with promoting your feed posts on your stories, as long as that’s not all you’re sharing.

woman laying in bed | Instagram Story Ideas

Remember your stories need to be engaging, authentic, and fun, and reposts do not fit this description. Just because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’ll be good for your business.

Don’t post only promotional content

Yes, stories can be a great way to sell. After all, you can include direct links to products, making it as easy as a couple of taps to get to your product page and hit the shopping cart button.

But here’s the thing: just as it’s not recommended to only post promotional feed posts, your stories will not be engaging if you’re constantly pushing your products.

The key is to find the right balance between promotional and non-promotional content.

Also, keep in mind that promotional content is more than simply posting a product photo with a link.

You can make your promotional content fun and engaging, too.

This could be done as a whole story set showing the making of a product from start to finish: start off by showing a behind-the-scenes meeting brainstorming a new product, then show the process of producing the product, before explaining the benefits. As a last story, you’d share a link to the product.

Don’t post just to post

This really is a general rule when it comes to social media, not just exclusive to stories.

If you didn’t plan content and are trying to post something simply to stay consistent, consider not posting for a day.

No posts are often better than low-quality posts.