1. A Day in the Life

Instagram Stories are designed to be sequential, to tell some form of story from your day. So it only seems natural for a day in the life to be a part of that. As human beings, we’re naturally nosey, we want to know what other people’s days look like and how the owner of our favourite business lives their life.

The beauty of putting together a series of snapshots from your day for Stories, is that you’re automatically following a timeline of your day. So there’s no worry about missing out something that will confuse your followers. Just remember, always show the context of what you’re doing or discussing and you’ll get it right every single time.

Of course, I’ll give you big bonus points if you can add an element of interactivity. When you’re making your morning coffee, poll your followers to ask them how they take theirs. If you’re picking up your groceries, ask your audience how they prefer to shop – online or in the local store? Little by little you’ll learn more about your audience whilst they feel engaged and connected with you.

2. Behind the Scenes

Running an event? Share it with the people who aren’t able to be there in person and make them feel special by sharing exclusive highlights that other attendees won’t see.

Take your followers on a journey behind the scenes and show them the work that goes into setting up one of your events. Use this to build anticipation before sharing snippets of the day itself. 

Just remember, whenever you’re sharing highlights from a physical event on Instagram Stories, be sure to plan a beginning and an end to your Stories. Make it clear what the event is, who it is for and why you’re running it. Then wrap it up at the end with a summary so that your Stories don’t just end abruptly, even something as simple as your team waving goodbye adds a lovely personal touch.

Invite your followers to participate in the event, even if they’re not there in person. If you’re running a panel or something where the audience can ask questions, invite your Instagram audience to send in questions beforehand. That way they’ll feel valued and as though they’re a part of the event, even if they couldn’t physically attend.

3. Industry Updates

Instagram Stories are a great way to showcase quick updates from your industry in a way that keeps your followers informed but without overloading them with information.

If you’re attending an industry event yourself, challenge yourself to share your five biggest learnings from the day on Stories. Or perhaps you’ve been reading through industry news online, share what you’ve read and get your audience excited for what’s to come. You could even give some teasers about what they can expect from your business in the coming months.

This is also a valuable opportunity to get your audience’s input and ask them what they would like to see from you. Choosing between two new additions for your store? Poll your audience and see which one they’d prefer! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from your followers.

4. Quick Tips

Inspire your Instagram followers by creating quick tips series that are relevant to your small business. If you’re a homeware store, this could mean showing five different ways that customers can style one of your products in their own home. If you sell clothing, it might look like sharing different ways to wear a new trend. 

Be sure to make it engaging and show the passion that you have for this subject. Use Instagram Stories to educate your followers and showcase your expertise in a way that will have them coming back again to learn more. If your tips series goes well, you could even turn it into a weekly feature for your brand.

5. Take a Tour

Instagram Stories enable users to see things that wouldn’t be available to them in everyday life, either because they’re behind closed doors or physically impossible. Open up your door to your followers and take them on a tour of your workspace.

If you run a physical store or location, take your followers around to show them what’s new and what they can expect should they come to visit. Share snippets from your staff and employees, put faces and names to your business.

If you don’t have a physical location to showcase, share your home office instead. Help your audience to get to know your everyday and feel more connected to you. This is especially valuable if you’re running a personal brand as it helps your potential customers to understand your work life that little bit better.

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