How to Use Instagram Stories for Business (with Examples)

Instagram Stories help businesses connect with and engage their audiences in real time.

Since Stories disappear after 24 hours, they create a sense of urgency or fear of missing out (FOMO) in people. Even those who don’t spend much time scrolling through their feeds often check Stories because of their short and engaging nature.

According to the Instagram stories report, those aged 25 and older spend more than 24 minutes a day. 70% of Instagram users check Stories daily. This represents an untapped opportunity for businesses to capture the attention of an engaged audience. That’s one of the reasons why there are over 200 million business accounts on the platform.

But how do businesses use Instagram Stories? In this post, we’ll discuss some of the most effective ways to use Instagram Stories for your engagement and revenue growth.

14 Ways to Use Instagram Stories for Business (with Examples)

In this section, we have put together a list of the most effective ways to use Instagram Stories for business. Go through these and choose the ones that are most relevant to your business.

1. Share Ongoing Promotions and Discounts

Instagram Stories are perfect for announcing flash sales, special deals, or exclusive discounts. Since Stories disappear in 24 hours, they create urgency, compelling customers to act fast.

As such, you can use Instagram Stories for business growth by sharing ongoing promotions along with shopping links.

You can:

• Use a “Swipe Up” link or add a direct link sticker to drive traffic to your website.
• Add a countdown sticker for limited-time deals to build excitement.
• Use bold text, GIFs, or stickers to grab attention.
• Use branded templates to ensure your promotions look consistent and professional across all Stories.

In the Story below, the popular beauty brand Fenty Beauty has announced an ongoing sitewide sale. It has also added a “Shop now” CTA to let people click on a link and go shopping from the sale.

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2. Highlight Positive Customer Reviews

Showcase real customer feedback to build trust and credibility. When potential customers see others vouching for your brand, they’re more likely to make a purchase.

Here are a few tips for featuring customer reviews on Stories:

• Repost customer reviews from DMs, Google, or emails.
• Add a personal thank-you note to make it more engaging.
• Use a visually appealing template to make reviews stand out.
• Create a “Highlight” to keep these on your profile permanently.

Glow x Grow By Dr.Su has a permanent Highlight of all the Stories where they showcased a positive customer review. By regularly sharing positive reviews, the brand reinforces the belief that it’s trustworthy and loved by its customers. This encourages more people to buy from the brand.

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3. Create an Engaging Poll

Use the “Poll” sticker on Instagram Stories to interact with your audience and learn about their preferences. Polls are easy to interact with, resulting in higher engagement on your Stories.

You can create polls in the following ways:

• Ask your customers which of your product variants they like better.
• Let followers vote on new feature ideas.
• Get customer preferences on which products they’d like you to launch next.
• Ask simple questions that directly relate to your audience’s interests.
• Add relevant visuals or stickers to make the poll more engaging.
• Ask fun or playful questions to spark curiosity and foster interaction.

Check out this Story by the skincare brand, Simple, where it uses the “Poll” sticker for audience engagement and nothing else.

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4. Promote a Giveaway or Contest

When done right, giveaways generate excitement and increase brand visibility. To ensure more people learn about and participate in your Instagram giveaways, promote them on Stories instead of announcing a giveaway contest through just one single post.

Here are a few tips to gain traction for your giveaway campaign:

• Mention the participation rules and the prize to encourage participation.
• Add a link to your initial announcement post where people can participate.
• Collaborate with influencers and ask them to promote the giveaway on their Stories.
• Once the giveaway closes, announce the winner in a Story.
• If you’re randomly picking a winner, show a live video using a random picker to maintain transparency and build trust.

Here’s an example where the brand extended a successful giveaway and announced it on Instagram Stories:

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After the giveaway closed, it also announced the winner in a Story.

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5. Share a Snippet of Your Latest Blog Post

This strategy is perfect for driving traffic from social media to your website. It involves promoting your latest blog posts on Instagram Stories, with a direct link to the post.

Here are some tips to do this right:

• Mention the post title and a short description to intrigue your audience.
• Add a CTA asking people to read your latest post.
• Always add a direct link to the post that people can click on to read the entire post. 

Here’s an example of a brand promoting its educational blog post on Instagram Stories.

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This strategy also works for promoting your latest Instagram posts, as many people may see your Stories even if they miss your post.

6. Ask a Question

Ask followers for their opinions or insights to engage with them and build stronger connections. People love sharing their thoughts, so this is a great way to learn more about your audience.

Here’s how you can do this right:

• Instead of asking a question in text format, use the “Question” sticker on Instagram Stories.
• Keep questions relevant to your business but fun and easy to answer.
• Share the best responses to keep the conversation going.
• You can also ask people to rate an idea or product by using the “Slider” sticker.
• Feel free to add music to your question Stories to set the vibe.

Here’s a great example of a brand asking people about their Sunday self-care plans while showcasing an image of their product that could be a part of that routine. It’s a subtle suggestion to use the product for self-care while also giving people a chance to talk about their plans.

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You can also give followers a chance to ask questions about your business, products, or industry by starting an “Ask Me Anything” thread. It also involves the question sticker but works in the exact opposite manner — you answer questions instead of asking them.

An executive from Owlcrate started an AMA conversation on the company’s Instagram account. They shared a Story with a question sticker and answered all the questions in the subsequent Stories.

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7. Create Shoppable Stories

Instagram’s shopping features let you tag products directly in Stories, making it easier for customers to buy instantly. Use this feature to create shoppable Stories to promote your products and boost sales.

Follow these best practices to use Instagram Stories for selling:

• Use high-quality product images and tag specific products so users can tap and shop immediately.
• Use images of products in use or short product demo videos to make them more appealing.
• Keep the design clean so the shopping tags stand out.
• You should also use a CTA button with a direct purchase link

Amazon, for instance, regularly uses Instagram Stories for business marketing by sharing Shoppable Stories. They use minimal designs and typically feature a product or range with a shopping link in Stories.

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8. Thank Your Customers

Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most useful, and thanking your customers for their patronage is one such strategy. 

A simple thank-you message goes a long way in building customer loyalty. Recognizing and appreciating your audience makes them feel valued.

You can:

• Repost customer testimonials and reviews on your Stories to show appreciation and build social proof.
• Create a quick video message thanking customers and sharing how their support drives your brand forward.
• Use Instagram’s thank-you stickers or GIFs to add a fun, personalized touch to your Stories.
• Run a “Customer Spotlight” series that features a loyal customer each week, sharing their Story and thanking them for their support.

Here’s an example of a brand thanking its customers for shopping its latest collection, the proceeds from which went to a charity.

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9. Start a Countdown to an Event

Use the “Countdown” sticker on Instagram Stories to build anticipation for an upcoming launch, sale, or event. It creates a sense of anticipation and excites people about the upcoming event or launch.

Follow these best practices to get the best results.

• Announce the event early and remind followers regularly.
• Encourage followers to turn on notifications for your countdown.
• Offer an exclusive deal for those who engage with your content or sign up for the event early.
• Include a clear call to action so viewers know what to expect when the countdown ends.

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10. Provide Sneak Peeks of Upcoming Products

Share sneak peeks of new products to generate buzz and give your loyal customers something to look forward to. It creates a sense of anticipation and excitement that drives future interest and engagement.

Follow these tips to use Instagram Stories to create a buzz around new product launches.

• Show close-up shots or blurred images to create curiosity.
• Ask followers to guess what’s coming next to spark interaction.
• Drop hints over multiple Stories leading to the reveal.
• Share behind-the-scenes clips to highlight the development process.
• Once you’ve launched the products, announce them on Instagram Stories and share the purchase link. 

Here’s an Instagram Story where the retail brand ASOS promotes its new sunglasses collection and shares a shopping link.

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11. Answer Frequently Asked Questions

One lesser-known way to use Instagram Stories for your business is to share answers to frequently asked questions. This helps you answer common queries and provides essential information about your brand or products. 

It’s also a great way to help customers solve the common challenges they face when using your products.

You can then create a permanent highlight to provide a one-stop FAQ resource for your customers on your profile.

Here are some tips to help you leverage this tactic.

• Use the “Question” sticker and write FAQ instead of asking a question.
• Invite users to submit their questions in the answer box for the sticker.
• Answer questions using clear text overlays or short video responses.
• Follow up with polls or quizzes to gauge if the information was helpful.

Dollar Shave Club has a permanent “Highlight” on its profile, with a collection of all its FAQ Stories.

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12. Create and Share a Product Collage

If your key marketing goal is to drive product sales, then this strategy of using Instagram Stories for business can help. Create a collage of similar products and share it on your Stories, along with a link to the collection. 

A product collage allows you to showcase multiple product photos at once, making it easy for potential customers to view your range and compare options. The link lets them check out the entire collection if they find the products interesting.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Arrange product images into an eye-catching, well-organized collage.
• Use text and stickers to highlight the key features of each product.
• Tag products or share a single CTA to direct people to your collection.
• Experiment with different layouts to see which collage style drives the most engagement.

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13. Make Important Announcements

Instagram Stories offer a fast, effective way to share critical updates with your audience, ensuring that important information reaches your customers immediately. 

Even if followers miss your posts, they’ll likely see your Stories. So, it makes sense to post important announcements in both posts and Stories.

You can inform your followers about product launches, company news, or upcoming events.

If you need help with this, follow these best practices.

• Use bold text and animations to grab attention right away.
• Keep the message clear and concise and provide relevant details.
• Add a follow-up post that directs viewers to more detailed information on your website or feed.
• Consider using branded visuals to reinforce your message and maintain consistency.

Here’s an example where a brand has announced an upcoming event, along with event details like date and time. It shared a series of Stories to create buzz around the event, after the initial announcement.

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14. Share Customer Mentions

One of the easiest ways of using Instagram Stories for business promotion is to share positive customer mentions.

People often tag the brands they love when sharing content related to a brand’s products. You just need to find positive tags and mentions and repost them on your Stories.

This will make your customers feel appreciated and provide social proof to potential customers that your products are loved. 

It’s also a great way to frequently share content without creating content from scratch. 

Here’s what you can do.

• Check the “Tagged” section on your Instagram feed and find posts from people who’ve mentioned your brand. 
• Find positive mentions and share them in your stories. 
• Add a thank-you sticker or emoji to show appreciation for their support.

Here’s an example:

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Why Use Instagram Stories for Your Business

Better Reach and Visibility

Instagram Stories help you extend your brand’s reach in a way that traditional posts can’t. With Stories appearing at the top of the Instagram app, your content gets prime real estate, increasing the chances that your audience will see it.

Your Instagram posts may be shown to a portion of your followers based on their past activity and engagement with your content. However, your Stories will be visible to all your followers, irrespective of past engagement.

So, it’s a great idea to keep these in your content mix, along with other Instagram content formats.

Audience Engagement and Interaction

Stories offer a dynamic way to connect with your audience personally. You can use interactive Story features like polls, Q&A stickers, and emoji sliders to invite your viewers to engage directly with your brand.

You can keep your posts formal, but create Stories that are fun and engaging. It’s just a more interactive way of engaging with your audience.

Option to Add CTAs and Links

Instagram Stories allow you to include clear calls-to-action buttons with links that drive your audience to take the next step. 

Whether you want them to visit your website, buy your products, or sign up for a newsletter, you can add clickable links or use features like “Swipe Up” (if eligible) to direct traffic to your website.

Ease of Content Creation

Creating an Instagram post that will stay on your profile forever requires careful consideration and planning. Sharing Stories can be more impromptu and requires less effort.

You can share a product picture, repost a positive customer review, or share a quick update. Instagram Stories offers so many stickers and interactive features that you don’t need to put much effort into creating engaging content. 

It allows you to produce fresh, engaging content frequently without a huge time investment.

⇒ Use our Instagram Stories templates for quick posting.

Conclusion

Instagram Stories can help you connect with your audience, boost engagement, and drive sales for your business.
Use these tips on how to use Instagram Stories for business promotion to get the best results. You can experiment with some or all of these and then choose the ones that work best for your brand.

To simplify the process, try managing and scheduling your Stories with SocialPilot, a tool designed to streamline your social media workflow. You can explore its affordable plans on the SocialPilot pricing page.