Storified Guide: Instagram Story Ideas for Business Beginners

In case you haven't noticed that story format has slowly taken over the internet, let us remind you once more: web story format is here, and it's not going anywhere.

True, Snapchat (the first social media app that put this format on the map) is not as popular as it used to be, but web stories continue to live their 24 hour-cycle and prosper on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and other platforms. Everyone and their grandmother is hooked to this easy-to-digest, tappable, quick-to-disappear-content-format, and - for a good reason.

That being said, it's no wonder that most of the marketers in the US already reap the benefits of all that storified exposure, and the rest of the world is quickly catching up. Stories change the way we use the internet, interact with people, brands, and customers.

At the risk of sounding too dramatic:

Stories Are Changing the Online World

Ten, fifteen years ago, the internet as a whole was a completely new concept that people and businesses alike had to embrace and adjust to. Nowadays, email, social media, posts, hashtags, storified ads, blogs, vlogs, filters, notifications are a vital part of both professional and personal lives, just as much as newspapers and landlines were needed/appreciated fifty years ago.

Whether you're in the social media game for business or pleasure, it's in your best interest to utilize each option any platform gives you. In this post, the Storifyme team will blast you with the best ideas for Instagram stories for absolute rookies. Everything laid out will help you learn how to personalize and fine-tune, but also have fun with your stories!

Sneak Peeks and Teasers

Don't act like you haven't seen this coming, stories are an amazing promotional tool. You can promote your heart out without seeming ostentatious or throwing a snooze-fest for your audience. After all, if you don't decide to put it in your "Highlights" section, it will be long gone in the day's time.

Without the hassle of deleting a bunch of unnecessary posts that will spoil that carefully crafted look and "feel" of your Insta feed, you can go all out with Stories! Announce the newest product, boast about your next storified article, show off our services, give them a little prevue of things to come even if they are still work in progress!

You can even promote your next feed post! It sounds and looks silly to the untrained ear and eye, but there's a method to this self-promoting madness. Unfortunately, you can't predict or control each user's algorithm, which posts it will show first, and when they will appear. What you can control is how often you remind people that your next piece of content is up.

You don't have to go overboard with production though, a simple screenshot with right captions, stickers, gifs, and such will do wonders…. Speaking of stickers:

Stickers Galore

When you go "add to my story" route, you'll see that you have plenty of colorful and customizable stickers to choose from. From "DM ME", "SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES" to "QUIZ", they make your web stories look alive, inviting, and spark engagement. Although every one of them is lovely and interesting, from our experience these three proved to be most helpful when it comes to product storytelling and "all-things-business":

POLL sticker

It lets you ask "two option" questions, so you can observe if your audience leans one way or another. It's a simple format that helps you get to the bottom of things fast and easy, learn about their preferences, and simply have fun!

Example: What do you like more: apples/oranges, Netflix/Hulu, a storified landing page, or a plain one?

QUESTION sticker

This one is similar to the polls, but it doesn't limit you to two possible answers; rather, it lets your followers "type something..." instead of choosing one or the other.

You can be specific in your questions, as in "What is your favorite storified microstore?" and have them voice their opinions. Or go completely in a different direction and try your luck with "ask me anything" type of question.

This offers you a peek into what your followers' truly fancy when it comes to your business, personal life, and everything in between. If you ask the right things, you'll have a rare insight into their thoughts, opinions, and feelings about your service, products, approach, appearance, customer service… Put your question in the internet-universe and see what comes up.

COUNTDOWN sticker

Which does exactly what you expect it to do - it counts down to… something! It can be a "final countdown" to the release of your new product, sale, event, anniversary, holiday celebration, weekend, contest, or even you can go all meta and set a countdown for your next Instagram post. Welcome to storyseption!

A Splash of #

If used correctly, in this days and age, #hashtags are always a good idea. Using popular ones increases the likelihood of reaching your target audience and people worldwide. Research the relevant tags for your branch, products, services, (hash)tag your location, and/or invent your very own hashtag (ours is #storifyme).

On the other hand, you can try the "good old": #MondayMotivation, #TuesdayTips, #ThrowbackThursday, #Sundayfunday, etc to test the waters and see how they work.

Share What Inspires You

Go to town on your explore page and find all the beautiful pictures, inspirational quotes, funny videos, and useful information, and then put it in your Insta story. As long as it fits your message, your brand, and your audience, you're good to go. This move will show your audience how you think and operate, what you find useful, funny, or gorgeous. Besides, it will inspire them too.

You Can Storify Your Business, Too!

You may have your fabulous storified landing page set up and ready to go but without a constant, charming, and smart presentation across vital social platforms, the chances of your target demographic landing on them are slim.

If you want to tip the scales your way in the most simple way, and don't know how or where to start, use this little storified scoop. On the other hand, in case any of these ideas are just too #basic for you, be aware that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the possibilities you have with web stories on Instagram.

Storifyme team will soon(ish) present other, a bit advanced options, so you better stay tuned!

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