How to Increase Engagement On Instagram Stories

With all of the Instagram updates occurring frequently, one of the most common questions in the online business space is how to increase engagement on Instagram stories. 

Maybe you’ve seen a dip in viewers on your Instagram stories or maybe you’re feeling like your account is just lacking in engagement overall. 

If you’re an online business owner or brand, here are some tips to help increase your engagement on Instagram stories, lead to connections, and boost sales. 

Let’s first go over some Instagram story ideas to help captivate your viewer, provide value, and connect with your audience.

9 Engaging Instagram Story Ideas

Engaging Instagram stories are a fun, free, and authentic way to create and build connections with people in your community.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟵 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀: 

Behind the scenes of your day- Everyone loves a peek behind the curtain. Show your daily routine, your workspace, or a little bit of something you're working on at the moment.

Question and answer- Ask your audience questions about anything! Step it up a notch and create a video of answers and post it as an IGTV. 

Engagement stickers- Use polls, slides, questions, music, and quizzes. They are so fun to use and are called engagement stickers for a reason! 

Mini Trainings- Provide your audience with a mini-training about anything in your industry. 

Daily agenda- Open up a bit and let people know what your day looks like. They might have some of the same things on their schedule, which is a great way to connect! You can even tag those who are a part of your daily agenda. 

Weekend recap- Post a photo dump of everything you did over the weekend. Showing a glimpse of your real-life gives your audience a more human angle to your business. 

Screenshots from client wins/results- Share all the wins!! Let's be real, who doesn't love a good success story?

Fun facts- Let your audience know a little bit about you or your business! 

Quizzes/ Trivia/ Games- This is always a fun way to engage with your audience. Post a game related to your industry or quiz your followers on their knowledge of your industry! 

Instagram stories are a great way to accomplish everything social media sets up to do: build the know, like, and trust through forming connections and building a community!

However, a lot of businesses still aren’t utilizing stories to truly make these connections with their followers.

In order to really boost engagement there has to be a reason your audience goes to view your stories in the first place, and this means making sure your viewers are involved and feel connected to your content.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝟱 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁:

1. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂 - Ask questions on your stories as market research to truly access what your audience wants to see from you on your social media channels.

2. 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗤+𝗔 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀- once a week, ask for questions from your audience for what they want to know about you personally or professionally.

3. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 - use your stories to showcase not your business life, but parts of your personal life as well like your hobbies, interests, favorite foods, and tv shows.

4. 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘀 - Once a week, host a series of polls on your stories like “This or That” or “Would You Rather.” This allows you to get to know your audience further and see why they follow you, where they can from, and what stage of business they’re at.

5. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 - Use your stories like a “vlog” and show the behind the scenes, real glimpse into what your day-to-day life is like. This will help get your followers invested.

Think about why you watch certain people’s Instagram stories and what value they offer you.

Now that we’ve nailed the purpose and content of your Instagram stories, let’s give into some quick tips and hacks for a quick engagement boost.

5 Quick Tips to Boost Engagement On Instagram Stories:

1. Go through your follower list and engage with 10-15 stories each day before and after you post on your own stories.

2. Ask your audience to tap and hold on your stories to read or view a lot of information.

3. Be active on stories after posting on your feed.

4. Ask your audience to screenshot your stories with high-value posts like tips, resources, etc.

5. Ask your audience to tap back in your stories to review information.

Feeling like an Instagram story pro now?

Try out these tips next time you go to post on your Instagram stories. Remember that consistency is key and growth takes time. 

Comment below which tip you’re going to try out first!