When you put up an Instagram story, it’s solely up for twenty-four hours… however in web time, that’s lots. Ask any social media supervisor who’s posted one thing accidentally: each minute issues.
500 million customers entry Instagram tales on daily basis. That implies that Instagram tales are a wonderful alternative for companies (58% of customers say they’re extra fascinated by a model after seeing them put up a narrative, and tales generate 1 / 4 of the platform’s complete advert revenues) to make some severe money.
Whether or not you’re utilizing Instagram in your firm or simply for enjoyable, tales are a key a part of rising your viewers. Posting a narrative is simple sufficient. However you don’t need viewers to simply faucet by way of your tales—you need them to hit that hyperlink button, reply your ballot, perhaps go to your Instagram store and deal with themselves or take heed to your new track on Spotify.
Listed here are 32 Instagram story concepts you possibly can copy to create high-quality, efficient content material that may get you extra views and engagement.
Bonus: Obtain a free guidelines that reveals the precise steps a health influencer used to develop from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no price range and no costly gear.
32 Instagram story concepts for extra views and engagement
Cute Instagram story concepts
1. Share a feed put up with a “new put up” sticker
You would possibly discover that your tales are getting extra views, likes and total engagement than your Instagram feed posts are. Some customers solely view Instagram tales and don’t scroll by way of their feeds in any respect.
To ensure your content material remains to be reaching these folks, you possibly can share new posts (or Instagram Reels) to your story — ideally, including one thing like textual content or a sticker to make it extra participating. There’s loads of “New Publish” stickers that completely sum up that motion.
Supply: @happybudsbrooklyn on Instagram
2. Conceal a brand new put up with a sticker
Much like the above, you should use a sticker to obscure a photograph that you just’ve posted or shared to your feed. This creates an intriguing picture that’s tempting to click on on and study extra about—like a lift-the-flap ebook.
Supply: @gggraphicdesign on Instagram
3. Share UGC with a sticker
Life hack: you don’t even must make your personal content material to put up a cute Instagram story.
UGC, or user-generated content material, is a wealthy supply of participating content material for manufacturers and creators alike. For instance, a style blogger that takes photographs in a cool pair of footwear after which tags the shoe firm has offered UGC for the shoe firm. It solely takes a second for the enterprise to share the put up, and it’s a pleasant change from the polished brand-generated content material that’s normally on an organization’s Instagram.
This sort of content material doesn’t must be too fairly, both. After a person shared a photograph taken in IKEA Canada’s cafeteria and tagged them, the model reshared the put up with a enjoyable sticker. It’s not the Scandi-cool vibe that IKEA is understood for, nevertheless it’s enjoyable and real. It additionally acts as social proof, subtly letting followers know that different customers love Ikea’s meatballs.
Supply: @ikeacanada on Instagram
4. Make a ballot
Asking your followers to vote or state their choice utilizing a ballot is an effective way to interact them, and it’s simple with Instagram’s built-in ballot sticker. In case your ballot references a product, you possibly can hyperlink to that product in the identical story.
Supply: @cocokind on Instagram
5. Make a quiz about your content material
Check your diehard followers (and get some invaluable engagement) through the use of a quiz sticker and asking them questions on your model. It’s a enjoyable means in your viewers to work together with you as a creator—and answering a query accurately provides all of us just a little increase of serotonin, proper?
For instance, New York Journal made a quiz about certainly one of their function tales: you’d must learn the story with a purpose to get the solutions. That is an superior approach to encourage followers to learn the function (and hopefully, different posts on the web site, too).
Supply: @nymag on Instagram
6. Say thanks to your followers
With out your followers, you’re simply shouting into the void (which has its place, for positive, however is just not actually what we’re going for from a social media advertising perspective). Present them some love by saying thank-you through your story.
Supply: @muchable.nl on Instagram
7. Share a coupon code and hyperlink
Saving cash is cute, proper? Sharing a coupon code in your Instagram story in addition to a hyperlink on to that product provides followers an extremely simple path to getting a reduction (and also you, an extremely simple path to getting some cash).
Supply: @florianlondonuk on Instagram
8. Share content material that evokes you
Whether or not you’re a enterprise or a creator, likelihood is that you just discover inspiration someplace—from a stroll within the park, from an indie track, a cool vase you as soon as noticed, and many others.
Sharing photographs or movies of issues that make you, you (and make your model, your model) is an efficient approach to talk a real humanity to your followers. You’re not a bot, show it.
This style model shared photographs from the founder’s journey to the material retailer—it’s fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes and never simply the ultimate product.
Supply: @by.ihuoma on Instagram
Cool Instagram story concepts
9. Share an important product photograph with a product hyperlink
Textual content, stickers and emojis have their place, however there’s one thing to be mentioned for a plain, clear, high-quality photograph. In case you have an important way of life shot of certainly one of your merchandise, think about merely sharing that with a hyperlink to the product. Effortlessness screams cool.
Trace: Fill within the “textual content” discipline when including a hyperlink in your Instagram story to interchange the hyperlink. As a substitute of your web site, the tappable sticker can say one thing like “READ THIS,” “LEARN MORE” or “SHOP NOW.”
Supply: @knix on Instagram
10. Share an aesthetic photograph with a tiny tag
Much like the above, sharing a single photograph that’s not so polished will also be tremendous participating. There’s a number of visible air pollution on Instagram—buttons, notifications, textual content, and many others.—and making a second of peace as customers faucet by way of.
Including a tiny hyperlink or tag is cool, too. Like a digital The place’s Waldo.
Supply: @savantvision on Instagram
11. Publish your out of workplace message
Once you’re happening trip (you deserve it) you possibly can let your followers know through an Instagram story. It’s a chance to share a extra private facet of your model, and to indicate off a cool trip photograph.
Supply: @mongeyceramics on Instagram
12. Share a photograph from one other Instagram account
It doesn’t at all times must be about you. Sharing content material from different accounts (with correct credit score, after all) lets you present your followers with a extra holistic expertise, and would possibly even foster some good relationships with different creators.
Simply ensure you’re posting content material that aligns with your personal—it ought to make sense within the context of your private model. For instance, this sustainable swimwear firm shared an academic (and uplifting) video in regards to the Nice Barrier Reef. It’s consistent with the model’s values and gives fascinating and optimistic content material for his or her followers.
Supply: @ocin on Instagram
13. Use a easy interactive sticker
Completely different interactive stickers require completely different quantities of brainpower (and total effort) to interact with. For instance, a query sticker is high-effort — it entails the person considering of a solution and typing it out. A ballot is barely decrease, because the person simply has to learn the solutions and faucet one.
A easy emoji response sticker just like the instance under is even simpler to work together with. It doesn’t present a number of data to you as a creator, nevertheless it’s a enjoyable and almost easy means in your viewers to interact with you.
Supply: @sadmagazine on Instagram
14. Make a countdown for an occasion
Instagram’s countdown stickers are participating as a result of they’re dynamic—the clock modifications each second. The countdown additionally generates a way of urgency, encouraging your followers to get excited in regards to the occasion.
Supply: @smashtess on Instagram
15. Name out particular clients
It’s good to ask permission earlier than doing issues like this (some people may not need to be tagged publicly), however calling out particular clients helps you create a connection along with your viewers.
This ceramicist tagged the one that ordered a selected piece in a progress photograph, sharing cool behind-the-scenes look into her apply.
Supply: @katpinoceramics on Instagram
Inventive Instagram story concepts
16. Give a sneak peek of a sale or particular occasion
Everybody likes feeling like an insider, and offering your followers with just a little pre-event content material helps to hype them up. This sort of story doesn’t must be polished: give your viewers an genuine take a look at what sort of preparation goes into your work.
For instance, this classic retailer proprietor took a video of themselves making posters for an upcoming sale.

Supply: @almahomevintage on Instagram
17. Announce a contest winner
Internet hosting a contest or giveaway on Instagram is an effective way to realize followers—however you too can create efficient engagement whenever you’re saying the winners.
Posting a contest winner in your tales is nice for 2 causes. First, it may well assist notify a contest winner that they’ve received, and second, it helps to show the legitimacy of your contest to your followers. In any case, what number of contests have you ever entered and by no means heard again from?
Non-winners (or people who didn’t enter within the first place) shall be extra prone to enter future contest when they’re reminded that there’s truly a winner.
Supply: @chamberlaincoffee on Instagram
18. Share a optimistic assessment
You’ll be able to promote all you need, however nothing hypes your small business up fairly like a optimistic assessment. Share one in your Instagram story to humbly present your followers how terrific you’re.
Supply: @michellechartrandphotography on Instagram
19. Exhibit your craft
For those who work in a artistic trade, you should use the story sticker to flaunt your expertise. This works finest when you’ve received a while in your palms. (Binging a senseless actuality present? This is likely to be the time to get busy.)
For instance, this artist devoted a while to doodling their followers’ options, creating a very participating lineup of Instagram tales.
Supply: @vaish.illustrates on Instagram
20. Share progress photographs
Rome wasn’t inbuilt a day, they are saying, and if Romans had Instagram you possibly can wager they might have been exhibiting progress pics. Sharing a number of photographs of the identical factor in several levels may be tremendous compelling (like this Porche illustrator’s story).
Supply: @b.a.v.z on Instagram
Instagram story query concepts
21. Ask for followers’ options
Benefit from your follower’s wealth of information and connections by asking them for options. This may be one thing that’s associated to your small business or model (“What scent of candle ought to I make subsequent?”) or one thing private (“Hairdresser suggestions in Chicago?”).
On prime of gathering invaluable perception, this has the added bonus of constructing your followers really feel such as you worth their enter—which, after all, you do.
Supply: @yelpmsp on Instagram
22. Encourage followers to ask questions on your occasion
In case you have an occasion developing, in-person or on-line, you possibly can generate some buzz by asking your followers if they’ve any questions on it. That is additionally an efficient approach to gauge how effectively you’ve been delivering data (when you get a lot of questions on what time it begins, for instance, you would possibly need to test that you just made that information public within the first place).

Supply: @greyscollective on Instagram
23. Create a selected “ask me something”
“Ask me something” or “AMA” is commonly used when creators ask questions on their Instagram tales.
However such a broad request can yield fewer responses. It’s higher to be particular in your ask. For instance, this artist challenged followers to ask his “High 4 Something,” which inspires them to essentially take into consideration a query. (High 4 canine breeds? High 4 pizza toppings? High 4 seasons?)
Supply: @liamdrawsdrag on Instagram
24. Ask for nameless questions or suggestions
Full disclosure: the web is usually a very imply, very indignant place, so ensure you’re in a superb psychological state when embarking on this type of Instagram story query journey.
By way of the brand new NGL app, you possibly can add a query sticker that permits anybody to submit a message anonymously. This may be enjoyable in your followers and would possibly lead to some shocking (and brutally trustworthy) suggestions. It’s additionally a chance in your viewers to ask questions with out judgement.
Supply: @eunicechanphoto on Instagram
Instagram story format concepts
25. Share an aesthetic collage
Not each story you put up has to have an actionable part—actually, posting too many tales with polls, query stickers and hyperlinks can get just a little exhausting in your followers.
Break it up by posting a good looking collage (way of life photographs of your model, when you like, and even just some fairly photos out of your digital camera roll).
Supply: @tofinosoapco on Instagram
26. Use a photograph modifying app to create a cool format
There are millions of photograph modifying apps which are designed particularly for Instagram. The choices may be overwhelming (and costly) however we’ve finished a rundown of the perfect instruments for Instagram in a useful dandy weblog put up.
Supply: @articulateproductions on Instagram
27. Collect outdated posts underneath a brand new theme
Consider this like a fast and soiled Instagram Information — you possibly can share a bunch of your previous content material underneath a brand new theme for a enjoyable, visually compelling story.
For instance, Canada’s Drag Race shared previous photographs of drag queens underneath the theme of parts (Au for a gold look, and many others).
Supply: @canadasdragrace on Instagram
Instagram story design concepts
28. Layer one photograph on prime of one other
By utilizing a fairly background photograph after which selecting one other image out of your cellphone’s album to layer on prime of it (do that by discovering the Digital camera Roll sticker), you will get a two-in-one look.
This can be a nice approach to share tweets through Instagram—it’s way more fascinating than the screenshot alone.
Supply: @thefilmscritic on Instagram
29. Share an informative graphic
Utilizing Hootsuite’s free Instagram tales templates, you possibly can mix photographs and textual content into stunning graphics that talk invaluable data to your followers (like what’s for breakfast).
Supply: @thebeaulab on Instagram
30. Share a number of tales underneath one theme
In case you have a lot of photographs to share, think about sharing them as separate tales as a substitute of constructing a collage. The person expertise is type of like flipping by way of a ebook—your followers have to show the web page (faucet the display screen) to seek out out what’s subsequent.
This vintage-inspired clothes model confirmed off an outfit that may be worn 4 alternative ways by posting a separate story for every model. They launched the quartet of tales with a canopy, which is a clear approach to ease your followers into the narrative you’re developing.
Supply: @store.lovefool on Instagram
31. Use an emoji to recommend tapping to the subsequent slide
An emoji or sticker pointing to the appropriate is a useful trace to customers that there’s extra in retailer. This can be a good technique to make use of you probably have a number of data to speak in your tales. It’s higher to share information in small chunks, so your tales don’t get overwhelming.
Supply: @poshmarkcanada on Instagram
32. Share a single photograph with some academic textual content
This is a wonderful approach to share digestible bits of knowledge along with your followers. It’s easy and clear, so it’s pleasing to the attention. Choose a single photograph and select just a few sentences to accompany it.
If the message you need to convey is just too lengthy, use a number of photographs as separate tales, so the viewer has to faucet by way of to learn—that’s what Patagonia does on this story.
Supply: @patagonia on Instagram
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