4 Easy Ways To Show Up on Instagram Stories
Why Bloggers Must Use Instagram Stories
For the month of March, my closest blogger friends and myself are making it a point to utilize Instagram Stories each day. With social media moving toward authenticity and a less curated feed/persona, now is the time to really allow for your personality to shine on stories!
Plus, Instagram has so many tools now that allow for increased engagement and involvement within creators audiences. It is with this back and forth that pages can grow and evolve into something that both audience and blogger love! To see how to show up on stories and begin that growth, keep reading!
Post Daily Instagram Stories
My biggest tip is to show up every day on stories!! This can be as simple as reposting a photograph; but you should show your face daily and really interact with your audience. When new followers visit your page, they ought to see a ring around your profile picture which encourages engagement and allows for these new followers to understand what you bring to your brand. If you don’t post each day, Instagram might find you inactive and your audience won’t be as invested. Regardless if you post static content, always be sure to have some sort of story!
2. Create Story Themes/Topics
Now that you are posting every day, you will need content! While it’s always great to reshare your posts or add memories, the key to successful stories is to post themes and provide consistency for your audience. Personally, I do this through two series. Marketing Monday goes up each Monday and this is where I share marketing tips and tricks. Those of my audience who follow for social media tips love these posts and always learn a lot! My other main theme is Try On Tuesday, a series where I talk through all the new clothing I got in a given week. People love hauls and if you are a fashion blogger in particular, I highly recommend posting this sort of content!
Similarly, I also post anti-mlm content around once a month to honestly boost story engagement. Most of my audience takes issue with multi-level marketing; as they should because its a seriously damaging business practice. By sharing topics you know your audience likes (which of course comes from a lot of trial and error!), you can start to hit a story stride if you will.
Also, when you share themes, it’s easier to decide on content and as a creator it makes stories a bit easier. I sometimes hate coming up with new story ideas and enjoy updating themes and sharing information I know will do well!
3. Embrace Vulnerability on Stories
With stories, there is also a great value in embracing vulnerability. When I’m not at my best, I try to somewhat let you guys in and while I try to keep my page a place of positivity, I never want to lean into toxic positivity. Thus, it’s incredibly important to showcase vulnerability every once in awhile. It reminds your audience that you are human and brings another aspect of your personality into your content.
Again, stories are a great way to let your audience know who is actually running the page they follow! If you can share authentic experiences/emotions every so often, people are more likely to stay engaged and connected to your page.
4. Utilize Story Features
Finally, creators need to be utilizing story features! From polls to question boxes, there is so much value in questions and responses. When you know where your audiences heads are at, it’s easier to evolve your content to meet their needs. While your page should be filled with content you are personally proud of, you also are serving your audience and brand in whichever way they need.
Recently, I did a question box on what my audience wanted to see from my stories. I guided the conversation by choosing the questions, but their responses showed me what was most important. I now know I need to share more hauls and food! When you receive this feedback, the key is to then take action and truly show up.
Happy Creating!
I hope these story tips helped you out! I think stories are such a great way to further your content and really engage with your audience. As I continue to grow and interact on my page, I plan on utilizing my stories and really growing viewership. When your stories are popping, you can then use those analytics to pull higher brand deals and in turn monetize your work. How do you plan to evolve your stories?
Best,
Lauren
