16 Methods to Increase Story Engagement

Instagram is a strong channel for companies to achieve a bigger viewers — the truth is, roughly 80% of the platform’s one billion customers observe a minimum of one enterprise on Instagram.

In case your model is on Instagram, it’s essential be speaking and interesting together with your viewers, and Instagram Questions may help you just do that.

Launched in 2018, Questions Sticker discovered inside Instagram tales is a function that makes it simpler than ever to interact with, and obtain suggestions from, your followers. Right here, we will discover 15 inventive methods to make use of Instagram’s Questions Sticker to interact together with your followers. However first, let’s assessment how you can use it.

Desk of Contents:

1. Go to your Tales function, and both add a photograph or take one (I took one inside the Tales function of my pizza field). Then, click on the sq. smiley face within the prime proper of your display.

2. Click on the “Questions” module.

3. The default for the Questions Sticker is “Ask me a query” however you may click on the textual content to sort a personalized query — for example, I typed “I like this pizza place! What’s everybody’s favourite pizza toppings?” When you’re performed, add filters or every other options you need to incorporate.

While you’re able to put up, click on “Ship To” within the backside proper.

4. Lastly, click on “Share” beside “Your Story” to put up your query to your Story.

5. While you’re able to see your followers’ solutions to your query, open your Story and click on the pictures of the profiles within the backside left (these are the individuals who’ve seen your Story).

6. You will see “Responses” above the listing of people that’ve seen your put up. To individually share one to your Story, click on on it.

7. Click on “Share Response” to share a person response to your Story to your different followers to see.

8. Subsequent, take a photograph or add one, and the follower’s response you selected will seem on prime of the picture. While you’re able to put up, click on “Ship To” within the backside proper.

It is necessary to notice — your followers will develop into uninterested in consistently answering questions in your Story, so use the Questions function sparingly. You do not wish to overuse the Questions Sticker and threat answer-fatigue from individuals.

Moreover, you have got a “Ballot” function if you wish to ask your followers a binary query, like “Which pizza topping is healthier, cheese or pepperoni?” Save your Questions function for extra complicated questions — and attempt to make them enjoyable. Bear in mind, your followers are on Instagram for leisure, so they do not wish to really feel quizzed by powerful questions.

Lastly, think about what forms of questions would possibly really assist you recognize extra about your viewers. This may take some trial-and-error, since each model’s viewers is exclusive, so check a couple of completely different codecs. As an illustration, in case your model is within the tech business, maybe you wish to put up a Query asking your followers’ their suggestions on an revolutionary new tech product.

Alternatively, in case your model is within the retail business, possibly you wish to ask extra generic questions like, “Do you continue to observe the no-white after Labor Day rule? In that case, inform me why.”

For extra inspiration, let’s discover some inventive methods influencers, celebrities, and types use the Questions Sticker.

Influencers and celebrities typically use Instagram Story Inquiries to conduct Q&As with their followers. As an illustration, Ali Fedotowsky, a blogger and former Bachelorette, will sometimes inform her followers to “Ask me stuff :)” on the finish of the day.

Her responses are normally enjoyable, informal, and pleasant — like “At present? The wine” in response to “Greatest a part of being a mother?”. These Q&A’s allow Ali’s followers to really feel like they’re having an off-the-cuff dialog with a buddy. Moreover, the Q&A’s assist Ali create stronger relationships along with her followers and kit content material in the direction of what they wish to know.

2. Showcase your model’s values.

Away, a baggage firm with 577K followers on Instagram, used the Questions Sticker to indicate assist for Delight week whereas partaking meaningfully with followers. Within the first put up, they wrote “Pleased #Delight from all of us at Away”, and adopted the put up with a query — “How are you celebrating?” to additional interact with followers.

3. Conduct a pop quiz.

Corporations can use the Questions Sticker to check the viewers’s data or ask enjoyable questions associated to the model. Sample, an organization that sells merchandise particularly for curly hair, is increasing its product distribution and requested its viewers to guess what the primary worldwide retailer can be. 

This method will get the viewers concerned within the distribution dialog and helps potential prospects in that geographic location get enthusiastic about choosing up the product at a retailer close to them. 

4. Ask followers their ideas on a brand new services or products launch.

If performed correctly, you would possibly think about using the Questions Sticker to ask your followers what they give thought to a brand new services or products — however conduct these Questions sparingly, since they could appear too self-promotional.

Beardbrand, a line of high-quality grooming merchandise for males, successfully used the Questions Sticker to ask their area of interest viewers how they felt about Beardbrand’s new shampoo and conditioner merchandise. Beardbrand additionally posted their followers’ solutions, and used it as a chance to show the model’s humorousness — for example, in response to a follower’s “Crafted by the gods” reply, Beardbrand posted “Should you say so” with a side-eye emoji.

Should you do determine to ask followers about their ideas in your services or products, think about posting their solutions with humorous or distinctive responses as properly.

5. Share data from a thought chief or professional.

Your Questions function does not simply need to function your individual model — you may also use it to put up helpful content material from different consultants within the discipline, so long as you imagine your followers would nonetheless be focused on it.

As an illustration, Eva Chen, an writer and influencer with 2 million followers on Instagram, is aware of a superb portion of her followers are moms as properly — which is why she featured her sleep coach, @thebabycoachofficial, on her Story to reply a few of her followers’ largest sleep-related questions. This partnership helps @thebabycoachofficial attain a brand new viewers and develop her following, whereas offering Eva Chen’s followers with free, helpful ideas — a win, win.

6. Use Questions as a lead technology technique.

Megan Gilmore is a best-selling writer and creator of the Instagram account @Detoxinista, which posts wholesome recipes in addition to On the spot Pot tips-and-tricks. When Gilmore conducts “Ask me something” Q&A’s, her followers sometimes ask recipe-related questions, which permits Gilmore to organically hyperlink to recipes on her weblog — for example, in response to “A superb vegetable soup recipe”, Gilmore hyperlinks to her vegetable soup recipe.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to notice Gilmore does not simply hyperlink externally in her Q&A’s — she additionally gives helpful ideas and content material from inside the Story itself. When followers ask her about an On the spot Pot, for example, she posted the reply proper inside the Story for different followers to see.

Merely put, you need to use Questions as a chance to hyperlink to your web site, weblog posts, or different useful content material, however accomplish that sparingly, and guarantee a few of your responses to your followers’ questions may be discovered inside the Story itself. This may help drive site visitors to different content material, however does not require your followers to be able to click-away out of your Instagram web page if they do not wish to.

7. Share ideas from inside the business.

On Instagram, HubSpot’s followers are sometimes different entrepreneurs — which is why it is useful for @HubSpot to put up “What are a few of your favourite advertising and marketing ideas?” and share the responses of a few of its followers, so different entrepreneurs inside the business can acquire ideas from a myriad of sources.

Finally, you would possibly use Questions as a chance to attach together with your followers and study from them, as properly. Somewhat than asking questions instantly associated to your services or products, think about the way you would possibly ask a query that helps your followers study extra concerning the state of the business, together with ideas, traits, and new concepts to enhance their very own enterprise technique. Present them their voice is efficacious, too.

8. Have enjoyable together with your followers!

Reese Witherspoon is an distinctive instance of somebody who makes use of Tales and the Questions Sticker, to have enjoyable along with her followers.

As an illustration, through the press tour for Large Little Lies, Witherspoon used the Questions function to ask her followers for theme tune suggestions for the tour. Later, she posted a few of her favorites.

Finally, the Questions Sticker is an opportunity to have enjoyable with followers and put up lighter, extra entertaining content material. In case your model is heading to a convention, you would possibly use Witherspoon’s tactic to ask followers a superb “theme tune for the convention” or “favourite ice breakers to make use of at a convention”. Plus, posting their responses reveals them you are listening, and would possibly make different followers extra keen to partake in future Questions you put up.

9. Announce new releases.

Starbucks playfully quizzed their followers with a query that added up hearth, chocolate, and solar emojis, and mentioned “The __ _____ is coming again…”. Starbucks then posted followers responses all through the day, earlier than lastly posting one web page with the “right” reply — “S’mores Frappuccino”.

By constructing suspense (and showcasing some humorous followers’ responses), Starbucks efficiently created pleasure round their new product whereas rapidly (and cost-efficiently) spreading the phrase. You would possibly think about using an identical technique when saying an upcoming new product or occasion.

10. Survey your followers.

Need to understand how your followers really feel a few explicit subject, or what their preferences are? You should utilize the Questions Sticker as a suggestions type. 

Whether or not you ask your viewers their opinion on a latest occasion or ask an open-ended query they will present the reply to, utilizing Instagram Questions can present insightful qualitative knowledge about what issues most to your on-line group.

Baggage firm Beis used a Q&A session about their latest product to survey their viewers about what product they’d wish to see subsequent.

11. Play “caption this.”

Need to get somewhat foolish? Put up a enjoyable picture in your Instagram Story and use a Questions Sticker titled “Caption This” to spice up engagement. Share the funniest or greatest responses you get to your story to maintain the dialog going. 

12. Generate new content material concepts.

It is a good suggestion to make use of the Questions Sticker as a chance to ask followers what they wish to see kind of of in your feed — it might assist your group brainstorm extra content material whereas guaranteeing you make viewers really feel like their opinion is efficacious to your model.

Use the Sticker and ask your viewers “What content material would you wish to see extra of?” to assist information your content material technique for Instagram, your organization weblog, or perhaps a podcast.

13. Have your followers submit questions for an upcoming Livestream.

Is Instagram Dwell a part of your content material plan? Generate pleasure and buzz for an upcoming stay by utilizing the Questions Sticker to gather questions forward of time.

Not solely will this enhance engagement in your tales, but it surely might assist viewers tune into your stay in hopes of getting their questions answered.

14. Ask for suggestions.

You may also use the query sticker to ask your viewers for suggestions. Content material creator Carissa Stanton hosts month-to-month e-book golf equipment on her Instagram account and makes use of the Questions Sticker to ask her viewers for e-book suggestions.

If your organization is opening a location in a brand new metropolis, you need to use the Instagram Questions Sticker to ask your group what their favourite scorching spots are in that metropolis. Or in case you host a podcast or YouTube channel, ask your group who they’d wish to see featured in your subsequent episode.;

15. Use the questions sticker to facilitate an Instagram takeover.

Instagram takeovers sometimes contain having a visitor put up Tales from their perspective for a set time period. Utilizing the Questions Sticker permits your viewers to get to know the visitor higher and gives a bit extra construction to the takeover.

Skincare model Summer season Fridays does this by way of its “Ask a Derm” Instagram Story phase, the place knowledgeable dermatologist will take over the account to reply skincare-related questions from the viewers.

Your Instagram takeover visitor can use the Questions Sticker to take questions for an “ask-me-anything” session or ask them about their favourite merchandise or choices associated to your model.

16. Create a weekly content material sequence.

On the lookout for extra constant content material concepts? Use the Questions Sticker as a part of a weekly content material providing in your Instagram account. Select a day every week to put up the Questions Sticker, with a standing immediate to construct engagement and loyalty.

Every week on her Instagram Tales, creator Olivia Noceda hosts a sequence known as “Definitely worth the Hype” the place her followers will put a model or product within the sticker and she or he’ll share her ideas on whether or not the product is value trying out or not.

Implementing an identical technique can construct a way of belief together with your viewers, and provides them a purpose to maintain coming again to your Tales frequently.

The Instagram Questions function is a good way to encourage dialog with the individuals who observe your account, making a extra partaking social media expertise.