Pushing through the constant flux of digital marketing trends can be daunting, especially when it comes to Instagram stories.
To stand out in the crowd, it is imperative you present unique and engaging content.
Despite the sea of competition, there are proven strategies to increase views and engagement.
This piece will explore these in depth.
From leveraging user-generated content to taking advantage of Instagram’s built-in features, myriad opportunities for growth exist.
Let’s dive into the treasure trove of techniques that enable you to command attention in the buzzing world of Instagram stories.
Contents
- Instagram Story Ideas For More Views And Engagement
- 1. Behind-the-scenes office tour
- 2. Share Customer Testimonials
- 3. Teasers for Upcoming Product Launches
- 4. Live Q&A Sessions with Followers
- 5. User-generated content showcase
- 6. Product Reviews or Demonstrations
- 7. Tutorial or How-to Guides
- 8. Share Company Milestones
- 9. Day-in-the-life of an employee
- 10. Fun Pop Culture Quizzes
- 11. Charity Involvement or Community Service
- 12. Photo contest announcement
- 13. Weekly ‘Meet the Team’ Features
- 14. Highlight Customer Success Stories
- 15. Sneak Peek of Events
- 16. Popular Industry News Updates
- 17. Interactive polls or surveys
- The Bottom Line
Instagram Story Ideas For More Views And Engagement
1. Behind-the-scenes office tour
Social media is an increasingly important tool for businesses of every size and industry.
One of the most engaging ways you can utilize your business’s Instagram stories is to offer a behind-the-scenes office tour.
By offering this kind of sneak peek, you’re able to increase transparency with your viewers and showcase the culture and environment of your workplace.
This can foster a deeper person-to-person connection and help humanise your brand at the same time.
To start, you could feature different areas of your office, introduce key team members in each department, or even highlight some of the unique elements that make your office special.
Keep in mind to keep it fun, casual and authentic – users love to see the genuine aspects of businesses, rather than overly polished and staged versions.
This tactic is especially great if your company has a unique office culture, say, if you have a fun, colourful workspace or regularly bring in guest speakers for employee enrichment.
The office tour is not just about show-and-tell, it’s about incorporating elements of storytelling and novel, intriguing tidbits from your day-to-day office life.
This will pull viewers in and make your office tour something they won’t want to miss.
For optimal engagement, consider including a Q&A element, where followers can submit questions about your workplace and culture.
Answer these queries within the story to facilitate a more direct interaction with your audience.
By watching the featured video, you’ll understand how a behind-the-scenes office tour can be conducted practically.
It gives a glimpse of how you can craft an interesting and interactive story that resonates with your audience.
Using a wide lens or a gimbal for your smartphone can improve the quality of your videos and add a professional touch.
However, don’t get too caught up with the technicality, the authenticity of your story is what truly matters.
Ensure to include text or voiceovers in the stories to explain what’s going on, and don’t forget to tag people for increased engagement and reach.
The goal is to make it as appealing and relatable as possible to your audience.
To conclude, an office tour story is more than just a look at your physical workspace, it is also a reflection of your brand personality.
Giving viewers a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes enhances brand trust, engagement and can be an attractive factor for prospective customers and employees alike.
When it comes to establishing trust and showcasing the quality of your products or services, few things are as powerful as customer testimonials.
Instagram stories offer a unique platform for displaying these testimonials in a compelling, visually appealing manner.
A well-executed customer testimonial story can effectively highlight the benefits of your offerings, as experienced by your satisfied customers.
In order to optimize your testimonial stories, make sure to seek permission from your clients prior to sharing their feedback on public platforms.
This not only allows you to maintain a professional relationship with your clients but also enhances your brand’s authenticity.
It’s crucial to tell an engaging, client-centric story rather than just showcasing a quote.
An engaging testimonial story caters to both the rational and emotional facets of consumer decision-making process.
It must not only present the facts (what your product or service did for your client) but also stimulate a positive emotional response.
Consider incorporating relevant images or videos in your story to make it more visually appealing and engaging.
Do incorporate the photo of the person behind the testimonial, if you get their permission as it can enhance credibility.
To raise the bar further, use interactive elements such as poll stickers or question stickers in your Instagram stories.
For instance, ask your followers if they can relate to the testimonial or have experienced similar benefits.
The magic happens when you weave these testimonials into a narrative that reflects the essence of your brand and resonates with your target audience.
Besides showcasing positive testimonials, don’t shy away from addressing and resolving negative feedback.
Remember, consumers appreciate brands that are transparent and willing to improve their shortcomings.
Moreover, alternating between various forms of testimonials such as written, video, and even user-generated content can maintain interest among your followers.
By sharing your customer testimonials in Instagram stories you’re not only highlighting the value of your product or service but creating an opportunity for more views and engagement.
One of the most intriguing and captivating Instagram content ideas is to reveal teasers for upcoming product launches.
This method offers an opportunity to ignite your followers’ curiosity and anticipation concerning your new product.
Sharing compelling sneak peeks of your upcoming product can create a sense of excitement among your audience.
An intriguing teaser can not only prompt your viewers to wait for the product, but also to discuss and share it in their social circles, eventually garnering more views and engagement.
Teasers are effective ways of creating hype and anticipation for a product, leading to higher visibility and engagement.
Research emphasizes that this strategy of revealing small parts of your product or service strengthens the bond with your audience, ultimately enhancing chances of higher collaboration in terms of shares, likes, and comments.
Instagram Stories, due to their temporary 24-hour nature, act as the perfect medium for you to share ephemeral sneak peaks without flooding your handled products.
Remember, the goal is to pique interest but not give too much away.
Create suspense and mystery around your product, giving your followers a reason to stay tuned for more updates.
Here’s an example of a product teaser:
By watching that video, you’ll gain an insight into how to build anticipation effectively.
Moreover, you might also pick up some creative ways to capture and maintain your audience’s attention.
Always remember to interact and engage with your viewers in the comments of these teasers.
Reply to their speculations and questions, keeping the buzz around your product alive for longer.
In conclusion, creating anticipation through a product teaser is a strategic way of leveraging Instagram Stories for higher views and engagement.
Unleash your creativity, involve your audience and observe how this strategy enhances your brand’s Instagram presence.
4. Live Q&A Sessions with Followers
Live Q&A sessions on Instagram Stories offer a unique opportunity for businesses to connect directly with their followers.
This interactive format allows you to answer followers’ questions in real time, providing instant value and demonstrating your willingness to engage.
While this can seem daunting, the key is to prepare beforehand.
Think about potential questions that could come up and be ready with informative answers that showcase your brand’s expertise.
For even greater impact, consider bringing special guests onto your live Q&A sessions.
These could be influencers in your industry, team members, or even happy customers who can vouch for the quality of your products.
This not only adds variety to your live sessions but also gives your followers the chance to hear from other voices associated with your brand.
Another tip is to promote your live Q&A ahead of time.
Use your Instagram Stories to let followers know when the session will take place and even encourage them to submit their questions in advance.
This ensures you’ll have pre-prepared questions to tackle, making for a smoother, more effective session.
Additionally, being transparent about the time of the session allows interested followers to plan ahead and tune in, boosting your live viewership.
Remember, the goal of live Q&A sessions is to engage with your audience, not to sell.
Keep your responses genuine, informative, and importantly, on-brand.
With the right approach, these sessions can be a powerful way to build relationships and nurture trust with your Instagram community.
Ultimately, live Q&A sessions are a chance to show your followers that you value their input and are eager to engage with them.
Properly done, they can significantly enhance your brand image and lead to more views and greater engagement on your Instagram Stories.
5. User-generated content showcase
Your Instagram story can become more engaging and interesting by showcasing user-generated content.
This not only increases your credibility but also builds a connection between you and your followers.
When you share content produced by your users, it shows them that their contributions are valued and appreciated.
This can significantly boost user engagement and even attract more followers to your page.
Featuring user-generated content also allows your followers to see real-life examples of people using and enjoying your products or services.
This strategy can make your offerings more relatable and appealing to prospective customers.
It can even spur your followers to start generating and sharing content related to your brand.
In this way, you can turn your followers into brand ambassadors and word-of-mouth advertisers.
This concept has gained incredible momentum in today’s digital era, where people love the fact that their content is being recognized and shared by brands.
From this video, you’ll learn why user-generated content is beneficial to your brand and how to leverage it effectively for improved engagement.
You can also get a sense of the different ways brands use user-generated content to their advantage.
You can implement this strategy by launching a UGC (User-Generated Content) campaign or organically sharing user-generated content that is relevant to your brand or niche.
Just remember to always ask for permission before sharing someone else’s content.
You should also give credit to the original content creator whenever you share their work – this is common courtesy and a good marketing practice.
All in all, showcasing user-generated content on your Instagram story can be an effective way to boost engagement, gain more views, and strengthen your relationship with your followers.
6. Product Reviews or Demonstrations
One of the most engaging ways to use your Instagram Story is by showcasing your products through reviews and demonstrations.
This method not only highlights your products specifically, but it also provides valuable insights and information that aid in the decision-making process of potential buyers.
An in-depth product review by a representative of your company can show authenticity and transparency about your product’s functionality and quality.
Alternatively, if your products are more complex and require some skill or knowledge to use properly, a step-by-step demonstration can be a great way to educate and engage your followers.
Complementing your product demonstrations with user testimonials can strengthen the perceived credibility and desirability of your product.
The key is to make your product demonstration or review interactive and engaging to your followers.
One way is to break down your product features into bite-sized information and reveal them gradually, creating suspense and stimulating curiosity among your viewers.
Another effective way is to integrate interactive features such as question stickers or polls where your followers can actively participate in the discussion about your product.
These interactive elements not only drive engagement but also yield valuable feedback about your product which you can use for future improvements.
Promoting your product demonstrations or reviews on Instagram Story also has a bonus feature – the “Swipe Up” option.
If you have a business account with over 10,000 followers, you can include a link that viewers can swipe up to be directly led to your e-commerce site or any other relevant pages.
This direct response function makes your Instagram Story not only a branding tool but also a powerful sales channel .
In fact, a well-executed product demonstration or review on Instagram Story could potentially be more impactful than a regular post since Stories are viewed in full screen, capturing viewers’ full attention without any distractions.
Engagement aside, this approach can also boost your brand’s trustworthiness as it showcases the transparency of your operations and the quality of your products.
Pulling off a successful product review or demonstration on Instagram Story requires planning, indeed, but the resultant boost in engagement, views, and even sales, is well worth the effort.
7. Tutorial or How-to Guides
Your Stories on Instagram can be a fantastic platform to share tutorial or how-to guides with your followers.
These guides not only provide valuable information to your followers, but they also showcase your expertise in your field.
It’s a way of engaging with your audience in a manner that is both informative and enjoyable.
Remember that Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours so make sure each tutorial is as concise and impactful as possible.
You could create multi-slide tutorials to guide your audience through a process step by step.
Not only does this keep your audience engaged, but it also ensures that they gain a full understanding of the process.
These steps can be educational and entertaining at the same time, keeping your audience glued to your story from beginning to end.
This video, for instance, offers a great tutorial on how to open, crop, and save images using Photoshop.
Through this video guide, you can learn about different techniques and tools, as well as some tips and tricks to make the most out of this popular image editing software.
Also, stickers, polls or question boxes can be used to make the tutorial more interactive and entertaining.
You can ask questions during the tutorial to test your followers’ understanding or ask for their feedback to involve them in your story.
Remember that the goal is to offer value to your followers while boosting engagement.
Tutorial content can be about anything related to your industry.
By making sure the information provided is useful and interesting, you can ensure your Instagram Story tutorials receive a lot of views and engagement.
Using Instagram Stories to share your company milestones is a fantastic way to forge a closer bond with your audience.
Transparency breeds trust, and sharing your company’s success stories with your audience not only builds credibility but also makes your followers feel like they’re part of your journey.
Showcasing your achievements and milestones is not about bragging; it’s about sharing your enthusiasm and gratitude with those who helped you reach those milestones — your customers and followers.
Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, reaching a certain number of customers, launching a new branch, or hitting a revenue goal, these are all worth sharing with your audience on Instagram.
These achievements resonate well with your audience because they highlight your company’s growth and reinforce your business’s value and credibility.
They also create a positive perception of your brand in the minds of your followers while inspiring potential customers.
For instance, you can share photos of your team celebrating a milestone, followed by a short video expressing your gratitude to your audience for their support.
You could also share a series of Instagram Stories highlighting key events that led to your milestone or achievement, essentially giving your audience a glance into your brand’s journey.
Using the ‘Swipe Up’ feature in Instagram Stories (available to business accounts with more than 10,000 followers), you can also link to a blog post or press release detailing your milestone or achievement further.
Besides, you can create a custom ‘Thank You’ message with a discount code or a unique offer as a token of appreciation for your Instagram followers, further boosting your customer engagement.
It’s always a good idea to incorporate emojis, gifs, and music in your Instagram Stories to make them more engaging and appealing to viewers.
So, remember, next time your company hits a major milestone, don’t shy away from showcasing it on your Instagram Stories.
Your followers would love to share your excitement and celebrate your success with you, which ultimately leads to more views, engagement, and a stronger relationship with your audience.
9. Day-in-the-life of an employee
Allowing your Instagram followers a sneak peek into a typical day at your company can be one of the most engaging story ideas.
This not only gives them insight into your company culture but also helps in creating a personal connection with your brand.
While this might seem mundane to the employees, for your followers and potential customers, this can reveal the authenticity and passion behind your brand.
It is like taking your audience on a virtual journey where they get to witness how the people in your company contribute to making it what it is.
People are naturally curious and providing them with a sort of ‘behind the scenes’ look into a typical day of an employee can be an engaging way to satisfy that curiosity.
This can, in turn, help to build a stronger emotional bond between your audience and your brand.
It can also lead your audience to be more understanding and forgiving when things go wrong, as they have a better understanding of the effort and processes that goes into your product or service.
However, the success of this idea largely depends on how it’s presented.
Rather than making it look like a monotony, focus on the interesting parts of the job.
It could be the collaboration between teams, the brainstorming sessions, the coffee breaks, the team outings, or even the struggles of meeting a deadline – anything that can make your audience feel more connected to your brand.
And while this idea might not work for all types of businesses, it’s definitely worth experimenting with.
After all, every employee has a story to tell.
Watching the video can give you an idea of how Google, one of the world’s most successful companies, shares a day in the life of their employees.
This can be a great inspiration for creating your own “day in the life” Instagram stories.
So, why not give your followers a glimpse into the life of your employees?
It could make for some really interesting and engaging content for your Instagram stories.
This might also inspire your audience and let them see what it’s like to work with you and add a human touch to your brand.
10. Fun Pop Culture Quizzes
Sharing fun pop culture quizzes as part of your Instagram stories is an innovative way to increase user interaction and engagement.
Having an understanding of your followers’ interests and tastes is crucial to framing relevant and exciting quizzes.
Not only will this spark intrigue amongst your audience but also create an opportunity for them to engage in a lighthearted and informal way.
This approach adds a fun element to your Instagram story, making it more appealing and memorable.
Creating a quiz focused on popular culture allows for a broader audience engagement as it involves trending topics and current events.
Truly, appeal to the listeners’ preferences and trends will always be a winning strategy for engagement.
After all, who doesn’t like to participate and show off their knowledge about something they’re passionate about?
If your followers are movie buffs or music lovers, ask questions related to recent movie releases or trending music albums.
Similarly, if your audience is into fashion, a quiz about new fashion trends or famous fashion icons would be impactful.
Add a variety to these quizzes: multiple choice questions, true/false statements, guess the image, and so on.
This way, you can gather information about their preferences and use it to guide your future content.
Moreover, the interactive element of these quizzes lets followers feel a part of your brand’s community rather than just passive consumers.
This is a fun way to make your brand’s Instagram Stories stand out and create buzz around your account.
Remember that it is also important to share the answers of your quiz on your story after a certain time period or the next day to maintain transparency and increase authenticity.
This will keep your audience hooked and eager to participate in your future quizzes, anticipating their results while enjoying the process.
An added benefit is, these quizzes also serve as an indirect promotion of your products or services if done smartly.
You can subtly incorporate your products into the quizzes, getting followers to engage with them.
Whether it’s capitalizing on the latest social trend or tapping into nostalgia with retro-themed questions, pop-culture quizzes are a fun way to boost engagement on your Instagram Stories.
11. Charity Involvement or Community Service
One excellent way of captivating your audience’s interest is by showcasing your brand’s commitment to charity and community service.
Charity involvement and community service are not just an philanthropic act, but a powerful tool to enhance brand image, engender customer loyalty and amplify your brand’s reach.
Demonstrating your brand’s active involvement in social responsibilities via Instagram Stories can establish a connection with your audience on a meaningful, emotional level.
Not only does it show your company’s compassion and humanity, but it also speaks volumes about your brand’s values, principles, and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Moreover, you can use your Instagram Stories to inspire and encourage your followers to join your cause.
Share photos and clips of your team’s participation in fundraisers, volunteer work, donations, and other community outreach programs.
With each image, story or video post, you tell a story about your brand beyond your products or services – a compelling story about values, empathy, and humanity.
Remember, it’s not just about showcasing your charitable activities; it’s about communicating why it matters to your brand and, more importantly, why it should matter to your followers.
A great example might be stories from charity runs or fundraisers that involve your team.
Using Instagram Stories in this way adds a personal, human touch to your business and demonstrates that you’re not just there to sell products, but also do your part in making the world a better place.
Using Instagram Stories in this way adds a personal, human touch to your business and demonstrates that you’re not just there to sell products, but also do your part in making the world a better place.
This emphasizes the significance of your charitable involvement and community service activities, portraying your brand as more reliable, trustworthy and credible.
Fans and followers alike would view this initiative in a positive light, which could drive increased engagement and loyalty.
Utilizing charity involvement and community service in Instagram Stories is a powerful tactic for boosting views and engagement levels while also promoting the admirable efforts of charities worldwide.
Watching the embedded video can provide further insights into charity involvement worldwide and can offer inspirational stories from some of the most impactful charities in operation.
12. Photo contest announcement
A photo contest is an excellent way to get your audience engaged and active on your Instagram page.
Conducting such events can boost your Instagram story views and overall engagement.
What makes photo contests even more attractive is the fact that they are incredibly versatile and can be tailored to suit any industry or business goal.
For instance, you could prompt your followers to share images that showcase them using your products in unique or creative ways.
Announcing the photo contest on your Instagram stories is the first step to creating buzz and excitement around it.
Ensure to clearly outline the rules of the contest, including the contest dates, the way to enter, and how and when the winner will be announced.
Clear rules help in maintaining transparency and trust between the business and its audience.
They also ensure that entrants understand the stakes and what’s required of them to participate.
Providing an exclusive or attractive prize for the winner is another essential factor.
The reward should be something valuable that would directly resonate with your audience and incentivize them to participate.
You might consider offering your products or services as a reward, taking this opportunity to showcase what you have to offer.
Promote the photo contest regularly on your Instagram stories to remind your followers about it and to encourage newcomers to join in.
Every post you create pertaining to the contest is another opportunity to reiterate the value of participating, thereby driving more and more engagement.
Finally, announcing the winner on your Instagram stories wraps up the event successfully, drawing more views and potential customers to your page.
Running photo contests can be an effective strategy funnelling fresh followers and potential customers to your Instagram profile.
This high level of engagement can also thus propel the algorithm to further promote your content to new audiences.
13. Weekly ‘Meet the Team’ Features
Injecting a more personal element into your Instagram Stories is a great way to connect with your followers and build your brand, and one of the best ways to do this is through a weekly ‘Meet the Team’ feature.
An engaging ‘Meet the Team’ story can provide a glimpse into the faces, personalities, and unique stories behind your product or service, creating a stronger bond between you and your followers.
As you showcase your team members, let them share fun facts, their roles, or their perspectives about what it’s like to work at your company.
This seemingly simple step humanizes your brand and further strengthens the connection your followers feel towards your company on a more individualized level.
Consider introducing your team members one by one, and across weeks steadily build a complete picture of your diverse team.
By doing this, not only are you providing consistency in your Stories leading to greater viewer engagement, but you’re also indirectly reinforcing the shared sense of team values and spirit that make your workplace unique.
Using Instagram Stories to introduce your team to your followers is more than just creating content – it’s about telling a story that resonates with your audience.
Whether it highlights the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes, or shares feel-good stories of your team’s camaraderie, your followers will appreciate the authenticity that comes with it.
This tactic isn’t just about breaking down the impersonal barriers of business, but showcasing the truly valuable assets in any organization – its people.
Take advantage of this exceptional video showcasing how one of the world’s giant tech organization, Amazon, goes about its ‘Meet The Team’ series.
This video showcases a perfect example of how you can humanize your brand and engage your followers through behind-the-scenes tours, speaking with employees, and giving the audience an insight into the work culture.
Thus, a ‘Meet the Team’ feature can provide a weekly touch point that keeps followers engaged, helps them associate individual faces and stories to your brand, and instills a sense of familiarity and relatability.
Utilizing this Instagram story idea will not only increase viewership but will also enhance connection and engagement with your audience in a meaningful way.
14. Highlight Customer Success Stories
On Instagram, stories are powerful tools for illustrating the positive experiences your customers have had with your products or services.
By highlighting customer success stories, you’re not only advertising your offerings but also proving their value through real-life experiences.
This enhances trust and credibility in your brand, which in turn can encourage more engagement and potential conversions.
You can collaborate with the featured customer to create a captivating narrative, perhaps detailing their journey with your company or showcasing the lifestyle they enjoy as a result of using your products.
The art of storytelling is an effective way to create a bond with your audience, and customer success stories are perfect examples of such narratives.
This method of storytelling magnifies the human side of your brand, making it more relatable for other customers and prospects.
People often connect more with personal stories than corporate promotional materials.
Your highlighted success stories should always have the permission of the customer and be authentic, interesting, and engaging.
Remember, authenticity fosters trust, and trust leads to loyalty.
Next, you should try to make sure these stories are carefully curated and aesthetically pleasing to meet the Instagram standards of high-quality visuals.
This will ensure that they catch the attention of users and tempt them to engage.
Moreover, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just one type of content.
Mix it up with photos, videos, boomerangs or GIFs to keep your story creative and interesting for the viewers.
Remember, the use of successful customer stories is a way to reinforce how effective your brand’s product or service can be.
Don’t forget to add a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your customer success stories.
CTAs are prompts that encourage users to take action, such as visiting your website, purchasing your product, or even sharing their own success story.
CTAs can lead to greater engagement and potentially even product sales.
They should be clear, concise, and invite users to engage further with your brand.
Customer success stories might also include some sort of customer incentive, like discounts or rewards for sharing their own experiences.
This drives more user-generated content, allowing more authentic testimonials about your product or service.
Plus, people are generally more inclined to try a product that has been recommended by another customer.
15. Sneak Peek of Events
Instagram Stories can effectively be used to offer sneak peeks of the events that your company is hosting or participating in.
This might be a cultural event, a product launch event, an annual corporate meeting, or any other significant occasion.
A sneak peek not only builds anticipation among your followers, but it also establishes a sense of inclusion.
They feel as if they are being taken along on the journey, which can significantly boost engagement and loyalty.
This approach can be especially beneficial when the event in question has a certain prestige or exclusivity attached to it.
Allowing your followers at least a glimpse of what’s happening behind the scenes can be a great motivator for them to stay tuned for more content.
Through sneak peeks, you are in essence extending an invite to your followers to be part of something significant and exciting.
They would feel valued and important, which can further deepen their connection with your brand.
This also opens up opportunities for them to interact with your content, perhaps by commenting, sharing their thoughts, or taking part in a relevant poll or quiz.
However, it’s essential to strike a balance between revealing enough to pique interest and not so much that there’s no element of surprise left for the actual event.
Moreover, take care not to overwhelm your followers with too many sneak peeks.
While a sustained level of excitement is good, you don’t want to cause sneak peek fatigue either.
In this video, you will get to see a real example of how beneficial providing a sneak peek can be.
It depicts a behind-the-scenes view at a high-profile event, showcasing how to maintain a balance between creating hype while keeping some surprises for the main event.
It’s also worth mentioning that utilizing Instagram’s features like boomerangs, stop motion or even the simple additional of text to your Stories can amplify the sneak peek experience.
Thus, giving your followers more reasons to view your Stories and engage with your brand.
16. Popular Industry News Updates
Successfully crafting engaging, relevant Instagram stories goes beyond promoting just your brand or products.
One highly effective strategy is to provide popular industry news updates.
By sharing the latest happenings in your sector, you position your brand as a credible source of information, increasing the value you provide to your followers.
Plus, it’s a smart way to stay engaged with changes in your industry and relay those changes to your audience.
In turn, this can stimulate interesting discussions and engagement on your Instagram stories.
Consistently providing this kind of news content can even attract new followers who perceive your brand as a useful source of industry news.
However, you must ensure that the news you share is relevant and valuable to your target audience.
Consider their interests, needs, and preferences when selecting news stories to share.
For instance, if you run a digital marketing agency, pertinent topics might include updates on major social media platforms, new marketing tools, case studies, or even successful marketing campaigns.
This type of content is not only beneficial, but it ensures your brand remains relevant and top-of-mind for customers and prospects alike.
As much as possible, mix industry news updates with your original content to maintain variety on your Instagram story.
Although sharing news is beneficial, it’s important not to overload your audience with too much information.
Maintain a good balance by sharing a digestible amount of news – this will help keep your audience interested and engaged with your stories.
To make your news updates more interactive and engaging, consider using Instagram’s polling features.
This allows your audience to vote or give their opinion on a story, sparking conversation and increasing engagement.
Remember, the primary goal here is to deliver value to your audience while simultaneously boosting your brand’s visibility and engagement on Instagram.
17. Interactive polls or surveys
Adding interactive polls or surveys to your Instagram stories is a compelling method to raise engagement and gain valuable insights into your audience’s preferences.
This tactic not only provides your followers a chance to express their opinions, but also shows that their input is valued by your brand.
A scan of popular brand Instagram stories reveal that they’re frequently using polls to question their audience about various topics related to their products or the industry in general.
This casual, fun way of gathering data can lead to more informed decisions on how you can serve your audience better.
Topics for polls or surveys are limitless.
You can ask your audience’s opinion on new product features, their preferred type of content, their favorite products, or anything else that might be relevant to your business goals.
The primary goal is to engage with the audience and create a feeling of community and belonging.
Interactive polls or surveys in your Instagram stories aren’t just about fun engagements, they’re also potent tools for driving crucial business strategies towards growth.
As such, care should be taken to frame poll questions in a way that is engaging, but at the same time, brings you valuable insights for business growth.
You don’t want your audience to feel like they’re being subjected to a dry, mundane market survey.
Keep it light, engaging, and fun.
Interactive polls and surveys are tools that allow you to play with your creativity while also reaping significant benefits for your brand.
The video above provides tips on how you can make interactive polls.
By watching, you’ll learn the technical aspects of creating a poll and how to engage your audience effectively.
Furthermore, Instagram makes it significantly easy to create polls and elaborate surveys with their built-in tools, there are no additional apps to download.
And the best part about these features is that they’re available to every Instagram user, from the smallest personal account to the largest enterprise profile.
So the power to engage and understand your audience through polls and surveys is well within your reach, right inside Instagram.
The Bottom Line
Undeniably, robust and engaging content is key in establishing a strong presence in digital platforms.
Behind-the-scenes office tours, customer testimonials, product teasers, live Q&A sessions, user-generated content, product reviews, how-to guides, company milestones, employee insights, quizzes, community service activities, photo contests, team introductions, success stories, event previews, industry news, and interactive polls, all contribute to the creation of a dynamic and interactive online environment.
These elements not only offer value to followers but also foster a stronger connection between them and the company.
Ultimately, utilizing such a diverse content mix can significantly enhance customer engagement, loyalty and subsequently, facilitate business growth.