39 Instagram Story Concepts for Engagement

Tales have change into as synonymous with Instagram because the time period “link in bio.” And their reputation speaks for itself. In the event you haven’t refreshed your Instagram story concepts in a bit, that is your signal to take action.

Instagram tales are a strong function to make use of to have interaction together with your viewers. Not like in-feed posts, you may put up Tales all through the day to remain top-of-mind on your followers with out annoying them.

And extra alternatives to put up means extra alternatives to creatively have interaction together with your viewers. It is sensible that over 33% of respondents to our recent Twitter poll mentioned they use Instagram tales over 5 occasions per week.

On this article, we’ll provide you with 39 participating Instagram Story concepts to assist spark extra content material concepts, with out burning your self out within the course of.

Simply discover all sections right here:

39 Instagram story concepts to spark your creativity

In the case of what sort of Tales you can also make, the alternatives are limitless. In a current LinkedIn ballot, 52% of respondents mentioned they used Tales to share different content material, hyperlinks and interact with their viewers.

The secret’s to encourage engagement. Similar to in-feed posts, engagement issues in relation to rating Tales.

Getting your viewers to work together together with your Story can imply the distinction between being featured on the high of your followers’ feed, or being pushed to the again of the road.

There are all the time suggestions and tips you should utilize to spice up engagement, like utilizing stickers (which you’ll see plenty of on this article) and posting as much as 5 occasions a day. However in the end, the bottom line is to create content material that your viewers will need to have interaction with. Let’s dive into some Story concepts that do that properly:

Instagram story concepts for enterprise

Create a “this or that”

These are a straightforward, interactive strategy to seize engagement. They maintain individuals tapping to see what others voted for, and what comes subsequent.

Sometimes, these Tales embody a Ballot sticker so viewers can vote for “This” or “That.” And with infinite methods to make use of them, they all the time really feel contemporary.

You may even use them for product analysis. Clothes firm Rawson used this format to higher perceive buyer preferences.

Promote a reduction with stickers

Tales are among the finest locations to advertise limited-time reductions. Publish about your promotion by the week to maintain it top-of-mind.

Pairing that with a hyperlink that may take followers on to your merchandise is even higher.

Embody a reduction code and name to motion in your Story, together with a hyperlink sticker in order that viewers can store together with your code proper out of your Story. (Together with cute animals like Chewy does helps too.)

One step additional: Use UTMs codes in your hyperlinks on your Story stickers to trace any gross sales you make by your Story. This can provide help to join your efforts again to enterprise objectives, and show ROI.

Countdown a product launch

Making a countdown main as much as an upcoming product drop or announcement builds severe hype. And Instagram countdown stickers permit viewers to allow a reminder when the countdown is over in order that they know when to buy, verify again in and extra.

Chicago model Misplaced Ladies Classic created a countdown to advertise their vacation costume store—particularly attractive for a corporation with unique, restricted classic inventory the place you must store quick.

Share your weblog or article content material

Even when you have a strong hyperlink in bio software, driving individuals from a put up to your profile is an additional step that may value you a reader.

Use the hyperlink sticker we talked about to hyperlink to weblog posts, articles, information studies and extra out of your Story. This additionally goes for sharing information about your organization from different web sites and media retailers.

Pet insurance coverage firm Figo has a spotlight devoted to Tales with hyperlinks resulting in their weblog. That is particularly helpful for manufacturers who depend on long-form content material, like media corporations.

One step additional: Tease your weblog put up to peak viewers’ curiosity. Create a Story that poses an intriguing query. When viewers faucet to see extra, hyperlink them to the weblog put up to search out the reply.

Use stickers to emphasise your content material

The time period “sticker” can imply plenty of various things on Instagram—from interactive polls, quizzes and questions packing containers, to trending vacation stickers.

Right here, we’re particularly speaking about cute graphic stickers, just like the one in Sprout’s Story beneath. These can be utilized so as to add emphasis and create intrigue.

Share evaluation of your product

Actual buyer opinions matter. In actual fact, 39% of customers say they wish to see buyer testimonials or demos from manufacturers.

Sharing opinions in your Tales not solely builds belief with potential patrons—it additionally celebrates your prospects who took time to depart a evaluation. And that’s all the time a win-win.

One step additional: Save these in a Story Spotlight like Nuuly did in order that opinions of your merchandise all the time dwell in your profile.

Share your online business plans for the day

Sharing your online business plans or routine for the day places your work on show, however may encourage others to strive your time administration suggestions or change how they set up their day.

Equally, should you or your organization are outstanding names, Tales like this present a invaluable peek behind the scenes.

That is particularly efficient for people, creators or corporations centered round serving to professionals. Or, this merely supplies a behind the scenes second.

Create shoppable tales

What higher approach to make use of Instagram for enterprise than to make gross sales out of your Tales?

There are two essential methods to promote gadgets instantly out of your Story:

• Use a hyperlink sticker: As we talked about, this can hyperlink viewers on to your web site.
• Use a purchasing sticker: Whereas a hyperlink sticker takes viewers off the platform, purchasing stickers permit them to buy instantly from Instagram, like Nisolo’s story beneath. To do that, you’ll have to arrange Instagram Procuring.

Behind the scenes

In a digital world that craves authenticity, bringing your viewers behind the scenes could make waves.

This is among the best methods to humanize your model and convey your viewers into your day-to-day.

We love this behind the scenes photoshoot by clothes model Alice and Surprise. In addition to taking prospects alongside on the images journey, this Story highlights upcoming merchandise in a non-promotional approach—chef’s kiss.

Introduce your crew

Folks need to see the faces behind a model. In actual fact, 76% of engaged social media customers say it’s necessary for corporations to put up about their workers.

Have fun and share tales about your organization tradition with an worker highlight Story collection. These can function quotes, an off-the-cuff video collection Q&A, worker suggestions—the choices are limitless.

Cute Instagram story concepts

Create a sport

As we talked about, the Instagram algorithm prioritizes Tales which might be well-liked, and based mostly on interplay historical past.

Creating enjoyable video games retains individuals coming again, and encourages them to work together together with your Story. They’re entertained, you rack up engagement—it’s a win-win.

From hook to finish, this sport by Crumbl Cookies is a powerful instance. The precise sport forces viewers to stay on the display or faucet again for a more in-depth look. They usually observe this up with a sticker viewers can faucet on to submit their guess (Spoiler: a purple umbrella emoji is within the sprinkles.)

Write a thanks on your followers

Engagements, followers and conversions are extra than simply metrics—they’re actions taken by followers. Your account and enterprise wouldn’t be the place it’s with out your viewers.

While you obtain a brand new milestone—from hitting a brand new follower depend, to promoting out of a product—thank them in your Story like Misplaced Ladies Classic did right here.

Share uplifting or inspiring content material

Sharing inspiring Story content material creates emotional, uplifting moments. To not point out, it’s hyper-sharable.

Inspirational content material may be so simple as sharing encouraging quotes. However you can too go deeper and share human tales of triumph. This Story from Lurie Kids’s hospital contains a former affected person who grew as much as elevate cash for the hospital.

Embody pets

The ability of cute animals can’t be overstated. Once I was a social media supervisor at Shedd Aquarium, nothing mentioned “go viral” like a cute otter or penguin.

That includes pets provides a cute, attention-getting issue to your Tales. That includes them constantly for a “Fuzzy Fridays” or “Working Like a Dog Wednesdays” collection that may maintain audiences coming again? Even higher.

One step additional: Create an engagement second and leverage user-generated content material by that includes your audiences’ pets in your Story. Figo created an interactive Story template that inspired followers to share their pets, and data about them.

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursdays have been round for the reason that early days of social media. And but, they’re evergreen.

#TBT Tales provide you with a daily collection to put up each week. Listed here are just a few methods to get further intelligent with it:

• Present your storefront if you first obtained it
• Spotlight your first workplace earlier than your online business took off
• Share the primary model or blueprint of your product
• Showcase your artwork from just a few years in the past, vs at present
• Share your pet if you first obtained them, vs now
• Spotlight your house—whether or not that’s your private home decor, desk setup or workplace—just a few years in the past vs now
• Present early model content material, like throwbacks to your authentic merchandise or previous campaigns and put up kinds
• In the event you’ve ever had a viral put up, Throwback Thursdays are the proper time to reshare it and provides your self a lift

Share your outfit of the day

An particularly efficient kind of content material for style manufacturers, influencers, sports activities groups (suppose: followers carrying the newest gear) and universities that includes college students displaying their faculty delight.

However that is additionally a straightforward strategy to lean into user-generated content material. Share an outfit of the day—or #ootd—from followers and followers who tag you of their posts and Tales. And if that content material options your product, keep in mind to make use of a hyperlink or purchasing sticker.

Share viewers FAQs

Your viewers will inform you what sort of content material they need—proper right down to the questions they ask.

While you craft Tales round viewers FAQs, you instantly have a foot within the door and supply worth by fixing their issues and offering solutions.

Higher but—save these FAQ Tales in a spotlight. Your buyer care crew and social media crew answering the identical questions day after day will thanks.

Instagram story query concepts

Ask followers’ their opinion on a subject

Among the finest methods to change into a very interactive model that reveals they worth their followers is by placing them within the highlight.

Use a query sticker like Grammarly did beneath to immediate follower responses. Then, function their solutions (that are saved nameless). It’s interactive user-generated content material—with a twist.

Begin an “ask me anything”

An “AMA” is a goldmine for participating together with your viewers, and sparking future content material concepts.

For instance, once I managed social media for Shedd Aquarium, our viewers all the time had questions in regards to the animals, what working at an aquarium was like and extra. And responding to their questions with behind the scenes pictures or caretakers speaking on to them created shock and delight moments.

Use the query sticker to assemble viewers questions. Then reshare them in one other Story the place you reply to their questions.

Begin a ballot

Polls permit anybody who solutions them to see the ballot outcomes…however solely after they vote. This results in extra engagement by piquing curiosity.

Your polls may be in-depth with an finish aim of gaining viewers insights. They will also be used as a quiz: suppose, choosing “True or False.”

Or, they will simply be enjoyable. When Taylor Swift’s album Midnights was launched, Alice and Surprise created a ballot that tapped into this cultural second.

Begin a immediate

Instagram prompts are primarily a conga line of Tales.

This newer Story function means that you can set a immediate in your Story, just like the one beneath. Then, everybody who makes use of your immediate shares a photograph, reshares the immediate and in flip evokes their followers to proceed the pattern.

To start out a immediate, begin your Story with a photograph or video associated to the immediate you need to begin. Then, choose the “Add Yours” sticker, write your immediate and share. You’ll be notified when others add onto your immediate.

Begin a quiz

Pop quiz! Do you know Instagram has a quiz sticker?

Quizzes are a enjoyable strategy to take a look at your viewers’s information and interact them. The Instagram quiz sticker makes making a quiz simple. It even reveals the proper reply as soon as somebody makes their guess.

On this quiz by Unbounce, not solely do they observe up their quiz with a name to motion—in addition they have a magazine-style quiz outcomes evaluation on the finish as a enjoyable further contact.

Instagram story format concepts

Share a creative collage

Consider collages as visible catalogs on your Story. They supply a straightforward strategy to function a number of visuals directly—a terrific trick for reward guides, lookbooks, temper boards and extra.

You may create these in Instagram through the use of the “Layout” possibility. This lets you embody as much as six photographs in a single Story in a grid sample.

One step additional: To get extra inventive, use an app like Canva to create customized, extra malleable collages that convey your model to life.

Use a photograph enhancing software to create a customized format

Creating customized layouts and templates can convey your Tales to life, and add just a little further branding.

These are particularly helpful for brand-specific Tales, or collection that ought to all visually tie collectively, like Adler Planetarium’s “Space News” collection.

Work together with your design crew to create unique-to-you Story templates. Or, strive your hand at design through the use of an app like Canva.

One step additional: An added advantage of pre-made Story templates is scheduling them versus including them manually. Utilizing Sprout Social’s compose software, schedule Tales and posts forward to avoid wasting your self time.

And with our Canva integration, add photographs instantly out of your Canva account.

Layer one picture on high of one other

There’s a novel sticker that means that you can put up a smaller picture on high of your bigger Story background.

Faucet this smaller picture to select from quite a lot of body shapes—from circles, to stars and BeReal-esque rectangles.

Create a information

Making a information places the “story” component in “Instagram Stories.”

Create a step-by-step information, explainer or record that viewers will need to maintain tapping by. Mattress and bedding model Tuft and Needle has quite a few sleep and wellness suggestions saved of their Story highlights.

One step additional: Translate your longer-form content material, like weblog posts, right into a how-to or step-by-step information Story. This alleviates further work by repurposing content material and drives visitors to your website if you embody a hyperlink to the total article or touchdown web page.

Cool Instagram story concepts

Stroll by how the product is made

Much like creating behind the scenes Tales, displaying your viewers how your product is made offers them a peek behind the scenes second.

Exhibiting how an artwork piece is painted, how clothes is made, how truffles are embellished and extra brings viewers alongside for the journey and tells extra of a narrative, no pun meant, about your online business.

Use emoji sliders

Emoji sliders is perhaps probably the most “unique to Instagram” stickers out there. And whereas they’re very simple, they’re additionally efficient and enjoyable.

These present an interactive approach for customers to react to a query you ask or a subject you pose by dragging the emoji up and down a slider. Whilst you can add a query or immediate to your Slider sticker, like Shedd Aquarium does beneath, you don’t should.

This sticker suggests 15 default emojis to make use of, however tapping on the “+” signal on the finish of the advised emojis means that you can select from all emojis out there.

Share a fundraiser

Beginning a fundraiser on Instagram means that you can specific your model’s values by elevating cash for a corporation or enterprise you care about. It’s additionally an effective way to become involved on days like Giving Tuesday.

While you create your Story, navigate to stickers and faucet the “Donation” sticker. From there, choose the group of your alternative. When you put up, you’ll be capable of see how a lot you’ve raised, and who donated.

One step additional: In the event you’re elevating cash for a small enterprise, add the “Support a Small Business” sticker as properly.

Add your meta avatar

Meta Avatars present a enjoyable, social savvy approach so as to add some emotion to your Tales. And Instagram offers you a brand new approach to make use of them.

Choose the “Add your Meta Avatar” sticker for a full web page of reactions and expressions on your Avatar to be making.

Share a trending meme

The place would social media be with out memes? In actual fact, the place would any of us be?

Sharing trending memes or your spin on them is all the time a topical, enjoyable strategy to rack up engagement.

In case your Privateness settings permit your Tales to be shared, this may increase your model consciousness by viewers shares.

Present a earlier than and after

Instagram tales are the proper place for this sort of content material. With the faucet of a finger, your viewers transforms your earlier than into an after picture, like magic.

Inside design, artwork items, residence rehab, make-up, group and hair styling are just some matters that work extremely properly for earlier than and after Tales.

Get inventive and convey your viewers on a journey with you.

Instagram story birthday concepts

Do a birthday countdown

Whether or not you may have a private birthday developing or your model is celebrating its birthday, your loyal followers will need to have a good time with you. Create some hype.

Use a countdown sticker main as much as your birthday to fire up pleasure. Plus, viewers can decide in for a reminder when the timer is full, which may result in a lift of engagement on the precise day—blissful birthday to you!

After all, it’s all the time good to have an additional incentive on the finish of your countdown on your b’day kickoff. Contemplate a birthday product drop or low cost to reward these following alongside.

Create a digital birthday card

You have a good time your birthday with your pals. Why not invite your followers to do the identical on Instagram on your model?

This tactic is particularly efficient if that card features a name to motion or profit. First Sip Espresso created a birthday card Story for his or her birthday to advertise their celebration occasion to their followers.

Add customized birthday hashtag

Making a hashtag on your model allows followers to share their very own user-generated content material. The identical goes for a enjoyable, customized birthday hashtag.

Create a celebratory hashtag. Then, encourage followers to share their content material utilizing the hashtag. That is particularly helpful should you’re throwing an occasion that you really want individuals to attend and put up about.

Add blissful birthday music

Because of TikTok, including music to content material has taken on an entire new life. Apply this participating approach to your Tales so as to add a celebratory temper.

So as to add birthday music to your Story, head to your stickers and choose the Music sticker.

Instagram story selfie concepts

Use a filter selling a brand new present or film

AR is extraordinarily well-liked with the youthful era. Based on Snapchat, 92% of Gen Z need to use AR for extra immersive purchasing experiences.

Utilizing readily-accessible AR, like filters, is an effective way to advertise a brand new present or film.

That is helpful should you’re concerned within the media you’re selling, or should you simply need to share an upcoming present or movie you suppose your viewers will take pleasure in.

Selfie with a customized filter for your online business

You don’t have to depend on present Instagram filters and AR results alone. You may create your personal.

Contemplate creating your personal filters for occasions you throw. Then, encourage attendees to make use of that filter in their very own Tales.

No fingers function to do a dance

Dance tendencies exist outdoors of TikTok. However it may be troublesome to bounce to a tune or trending sound on selfie mode, until another person is filming.

Fortunately, Instagram’s “No Hands” mode helps you to movie your self with the front-facing digicam that features a countdown timer earlier than it begins filming.

Create and share your personal participating Instagram story concepts

The record of Instagram story concepts doesn’t finish right here. There are infinite methods to create participating, tap-worthy Tales that may increase your engagement and consciousness.

The ability to construct engagement, enhance viewers interplay and even make gross sales and show ROI is there. You simply want to make use of it.

Use this text as your start line. Then, degree up: take a look at our Instagram advertising technique article to seamlessly weave your new Story concepts into your advertising plans.