{"id":1055,"date":"2021-09-06T04:27:53","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T04:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/predis.ai\/resources\/?p=1055"},"modified":"2026-04-15T06:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T13:14:10","slug":"try-these-instagram-story-ideas-for-high-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/predis.ai\/resources\/try-these-instagram-story-ideas-for-high-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Try these Instagram story ideas for sky-high engagement!","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stop fretting about your engagement rates, start thinking outside the box of your traditionalistic Instagram story ideas!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you find yourself striving for perfection while designing your primary Instagram feed, you can be a little freer and a little more current on Instagram Stories. The idea for Instagram Stories was inspired by Snapchat Stories, which were very popular a few years ago among young adults. Essentially, Instagram stories allow you to share disappearing media that will be visible to your followers above their scrolling feed, in a distinctly different section. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Stories disappear after 24 hours, you don’t really have to make them look professional or perfect in any way. Instead, you can just have fun with it. Traditional Insta Stories contain pictures, videos, or other posts that the manager of the handle would want to share. Over time though, people have figured out new ways to use Stories using Instagram’s various overlays and their creativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make your Stories even more engaging and consistent, you can also leverage an Instagram post generator AI<\/a> to quickly create ideas, visuals, and captions that align with your brand voice while saving time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s discuss some creative Instagram story ideas that will keep things fresh for your handle, and will lead to higher than ever swipe-up numbers and profile views!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Instagram Poll Questions and Quizzes<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Occasionally, Instagram releases new stickers and overlays for Stories, to keep the platform fresh and new. Two of these are the ‘Question’ sticker<\/a> and the ‘Poll’ sticker. Here’s how you can use them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Company history and background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re still in the phase of introducing yourself to your following or are a relatively new brand, one of your key marketing objectives would be to establish a relationship with your target audience. Acquaintance with the brand’s history and the people behind it establishes a level of trust and attachment towards the brand. Plainly reading about the brand’s history sounds boring, so be creative with your Instagram story ideas instead!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Booking.com
Booking.com provides an update about their team.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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If you post a question and a quiz or poll, even if your viewers are unlikely to know the answer, they’ll take a guess out of curiosity. For this reason, adding an Instagram poll question or quiz can be a fun, Gen Z way of telling people who you are. If you’re an influencer or celebrity, you can also share more personal details through polls. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Introducing<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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As a slick tool for market research <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just like you use polls to inform your audience about yourself, you can use them to gain knowledge about them. While results from polls or questions on Instagram should absolutely not be used as conclusive evidence for anything, you can still identify general trends and patterns from these. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Market research on Insta stories won’t be the most accurate, but it’s quick. It’s cheap (technically free). And you don’t have to be a qualified, seasoned researcher! You just need to identify the right questions to ask, and how to ask them so viewers of your Insta stories will be tempted to watch them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Beautycon<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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The above question about the general industry preferences of the audience can result in very valuable insights. Additionally, if most customers respond by stating competitor brands, Beautycon now has a reference point for what its customers want. They also can begin to identify what the competitor brands are doing better than them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pop culture opinions\/quizzes <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If there’s one broad theme that ties our society together, it’s pop culture. Virtually everyone engages in pop culture discussions, with the only variable being the topic. Some spend their days in debates about which hip-hop artist is superior, whereas others theorize about the next big Marvel supervillain. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pop<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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Pop culture themes can make for some very engaging Instagram polls, even if they aren’t related, or are only remotely related to your brand. After all, it’s nice to take your focus away from your products sometimes. Expressing instead, that you\/your brand have similar interests as your target audience, can establish a strong sense of solidarity and unity. This is why pop culture polls can be such a valuable addition to your Instagram story ideas folder!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take this a step further to actively engage in public discussions about current events and pop culture, to show your audience that you are more than your products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frequently asked questions <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you have identified recurring questions from customers\/prospects, it might be a good idea to resolve them on Insta stories. This way your entire audience can get more clarity. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Instagram<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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Instead of presenting it in a simple question-answer format, you can first ask your audience’s opinion on the question (and maybe make the answer obvious, as seen above), and then present your answer and an explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Other great Instagram Story ideas<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Quizzes and polls are great, but you need not confine yourself to them. There are plenty of other ways to keep Instagram stories fresh and engaging. Here are some other creative Instagram story ideas that you can use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. User-generated content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sharing user-generated content is not a bad idea in any context, and it looks particularly good on Instagram stories. TJ Maxx, an off-price retailer in the United States, does this particularly well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They recently held a #Maxx50Challenge, and prompted their followers to fix a Spring look for themselves at TJ Maxx, using only $50. Insta stories of people taking this challenge and using the branded hashtag were featured on TJ Maxx’s own Instagram<\/a>. This challenge went viral, and the brand got a brilliant response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: <\/strong>Now, finding branded Instagram hashtags is not at all a tedious process! Get more clicks and engagements on your posts with the help of our free Instagram hashtag generator tool<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"User<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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UGC-related Instagram story ideas are also great because they turn your account into a medium through which your prospects can hear from your current customers. This will add a new level of validation to your product!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, posting UGC consistently on your profile can create a wonderful multiplier effect! When your followers see you appreciating the works of other followers of your brand, they’ll be encouraged to create content as well. In the hope that their work is featured on your profile, they may even share it on their profile, tagging\/mentioning you. So now you have more content, and your brand is exposed to more people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Product teasers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Showing glimpses of a product before its launch generates a buzz like little else. It also prompts your followers to keep an eye on your profile for more future updates. A good teaser campaign can get a lot of people talking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most recent example of this is Mahindra, an Indian automobile manufacturer, promoting its new vehicle, the XUV700. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Product<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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Teaser images and videos like the one above, went around for months before the vehicle was fully revealed. The teasers got all the automobile enthusiasts in the country excitedly talking and theorizing. The brand’s Instagram following count increased significantly as well, and it all ended with a very successful launch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s how you do a great teaser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also tease new products on your Instagram Stories and reveal them on your website. If you have over 10,000 followers on Instagram, this can be easily done through swipe-up links. If you want ideas and inspiration for effective product teaser designs<\/a>, Pinterest is always a great source! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teasers are effective ways of driving valuable traffic to your website during a product launch. To amplify results, you can also use an\u00a0ad generator AI free<\/a>\u00a0to create high-converting teaser ads and Story creatives that grab attention and build anticipation effortlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The importance of Instagram Story Highlight covers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s been a few years now since the Highlights feature was introduced. Highlights are extremely nifty if you want to group similar-themed stories and save them. It’s just a boon for people who don’t wish for certain content to be on their primary feed, but also don’t want it disappearing in 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Aesthetic<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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One underrated aspect of an Instagram profile is highlight covers. First-time viewers will notice these even before your post grid, so you have to pay particular attention to designing them. Here are a few general points for attractive Instagram Story Highlight covers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Use little or no text:<\/strong> Highlight covers appear in tiny circles under the feed, so any small text you add will be illegible. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"instagram<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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2. Make them colorful<\/strong>: Instagram’s native background is black or white, depending on whether you’ve got light or dark mode on. Use colors that will stand out against these backgrounds. Also, ensure your colors go well with each other. This is to prevent your Highlights section from looking like a random, tacky mish-mash of bright shades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Use a good representative for all the Story contents<\/strong>: Don’t add a random image that does not represent the particular highlights group just because it’s catchy or attractive. It could evoke negative feelings (disappointment) when users actually proceed to check out the highlights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Behind-the-Scenes Story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People love to watch their favorite influencers or content creator’s behind-the-scene moments. What they are, how they act in their daily life, and what actually takes to create content on the internet. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Behind<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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If you want to create an engaging story, firstly, showing what goes behind the scenes can be a great way to update your followers and keep them updated and interested. Take a look at the following ideas you can try to spice up your stories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Day in the Life<\/p>\n\n\n\n