Instagram Stories will Change Your Business And Your Life

When Instagram stories first came out, everyone was confused by them, but I can tell you that Instagram stories will change your business and your life, if you let it.

Social media can be intimidating, after all, we’re not all artists. With perfectly curated feeds and all the pressure to compete, it’s easy to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. This is one of the reasons I love instagram stories so much. With stories, you can be genuine, spontaneous and yourself. No need to worry about perfectly curated feeds all the time. And certainly a lot less pressure about what you post, since it only lasts 24 hours anyway.

In 2020, Instagram has announced it will move to a more “live” type  platform, giving priority to stories and video. We all know video content is king, but the stories have taken this to a whole new level.

Another reason Instagram stories will change your business and your life is the opportunity it gives you to be real. Instagram stories offer an opportunity for you to engage with your viewership, connect with those far from you, learn, and share. At the beginning I felt so awkward sharing stories. I had no idea what I was doing, and the idea of having a camera close to my face felt off. But we started experimenting with it, and now it is my favorite way to engage. This is because I’ve discovered a great sense of community in it. And my followers have led me to understand how helpful it is as well.

I was so afraid to share, because I did not know it had any value. But everyday I wake up with DMs from people far and near engaging with my posts.

As a first time mom, I cannot tell you the value I find in it. Getting tips from other moms. Being entertained when I’m feeling bad or extra pregnant. Even playlists ideas for the birth. It’s such a strong community and not everyone feels comfortable leaving a comment, so the story offers a more intimate platform for connecting.

Learn about the 7 most common mistakes everyone is doing on instagram this year!

Tips to make amazing instagram stories

• Be consistent. This applies to everything but especially with stories. If you’re sharing everyday, your audience will come back for more. Keep it going even on bad days. You want to post at least 6 stories a day.
• Always be yourself. Stories are for real engagement not super curated stuff. Show your true colors and don’t be afraid to be real.
• Always face the camera with lights. Stories are not fun to watch if you can’t see what’s going on. Make sure you’re facing light not having light behind you so you’re not all dark.
• Look at the camera when speaking to your audience. It’s weird if you’re just looking at yourself.
• BE REAL! People can tell if you’re lying or not being genuine.
• Always add subtitles. It keeps the audience engaged and helps those who cannot have sound on still be part of the experience.
• Don’t worry too much about what you’re sharing. If you find it interesting, others will too.
• ENGAGE! Ask polls and questions to see what your audience thinks about what you’re posting. This will do wonders for your integral and your online relationships.
• Use apps to create nice stories. You don’t need to curate all of them but beautiful stories are easier to follow along and are proven to maintain engagement
• Mix up video, boomerang, photo etc.
• Use all the tools at your disposal. Don’t be afraid to write something in your handwriting with the pen tool, add stickers, etc. Make it yours!’

Learn how to use instagram stories for BUSINESS!!

Change your Business and your Life

I used to think online work was difficult. This was before I understood the power of connectivity. With this new coronavirus and everyone being online, so many more doors and opportunities have opened up. Everyone is online and everyone wants to connect. Stories offers the perfect opportunity to show yourself and engage with others. This applies also for business of course. For those of us who have made a business out of their lives, Instagram stories offers the opportunity to engage in a real sense.

For example, for a long time we were always showing our travels. A lot of people are not able to travel full time, or even know how to do this. But by showing them our everyday life, they can now see we are real people, just like them. This creates a strong bond, as they can now relate to another part of ourselves they could not have access to before.

Our engagement has grown tremendously since using stories daily, and some of the time I do not even share things related to travel.

Useful Tips and Apps to spruce up your Instagram Stories

• Record videos with the stories filter: you can record whatever you want to post with the stories filters of your choice, then download it to your phone and post it later. This way you will have a filter on your videos. I’m a big fan of living life first and then sharing it, so I do this to record quickly but not miss the moment by posting. You can always post later and show what happened with a beautiful filter that shows your mood.
• Use Canva : I love Canva for creating infographics, story templates, banners etc. It’s free and you can download stories right to your phone. They also have lots of templates which makes it super fun to play with.
• Inshot: it’s a great app to trim, edit, add music etc to videos. I use this app to create short videos to post to stories.
• Unfold: I love this app for creating mini look books for brands I’m showcasing or just to showcase photos in a cleaner way. It’s super user friendly and you get some free features as well

Stay Connected through Instagram Stories

I used to think instagram stories were just for super popular creators, but with the world moving towards digitalization, I have realized how powerful this tool is not just for my business but for my personal life.

I love seeing my friends’ stories, hearing or reading their comments on my own, and engaging with the community. Learning to engage effectively in stories can absolutely change your business as well. I have gained many customers through just the stories and it even gives you a place to give tips and show little hints into what you do.

If you’d like to connect, I’d love to hear from you. Come watch our stories and introduce yourself.

What’s stopping you from using stories? Do you currently use any apps or tools to spruce them up? Let me know in the comments below!

See below a few examples of how we make our stories more engaging and how we use tools to make them stand out.