The humble Instagram story has become the twenty-first-century elevator pitch. You have exactly fifteen seconds to make a lasting impression on your audience. It’s your responsibility to create unique, bite-sized content that encourages engagement and builds relationships that lead to loyalty. 

Compelling Instagram story ideas will remind your followers that your brand is alive and kicking! If you’ve been spending hours dreaming up fifteen perfect seconds of content, you’re working too hard! The best Instagram stories are simple, adorable, and easy to create.

We want to help you streamline your stories so you can focus less on idea generation and more on interacting with your followers. We’ve gathered our favorite cute Instagram story ideas to help! Read on to discover how easy a story can be! 

What Are Instagram Stories?

If you’re new to “The Gram,” you might not know how to use Instagram stories. To check out an example, make sure you’re following a few accounts. If they have stories, they’ll be visible on your home screen. 

Do you see the circles in a horizontal line across the top of the screen? If you tap the image, it opens that person’s latest story. You can watch fifteen seconds of pictures, animations, text, or video, including interactive elements like polls. 

If the story contains text, use one finger to tap the screen. If you hold your finger there, the story will “pause,” allowing you to investigate the details. Each story remains posted for twenty-four hours before vanishing. 

The latest Instagram stories will be at the front of the line. A pink or bright green border indicates a story you have not viewed. The colorful outer circle vanishes once you’ve seen a new post. 

Create Your First Story

To create a new story, tap the circle with the blue plus sign labeled “my story.” You can also tap the plus sign in the toolbar in the upper right. 

Instagram provides tools to create your story. You can also begin with a 1080 x 1920 pixel rectangle. Use your graphics editing software to create the base image, adding music, animations, or special effects with the app.  

You can have more than one story posted at once. The most recent story will play first. The second most recent story will begin playing immediately after.

Most users interact with their stories bar as soon as they open the app. Often, there are many stories to view, and users can skip through them by tapping the screen. Your goal is to create a story that stands out, invites engagement, and encourages your followers to watch all fifteen seconds.

You can see how many views your story has by tapping the icon in the lower-left corner while your story is playing. If you’d like to increase that number, click here to learn more about building followers. 

Idea #1: Make It Personal

Your followers crave the human element behind your account. Even if you represent a brand or product, make sure your fans know you aren’t a robot! Introduce yourself or your team using fun, high-quality pictures, and be sure to include fun facts! 

A simple staff selfie is one of our favorite Instagram Story ideas for photos. 

As viewership grows, followers will get to know the crew. Help them feel involved by posting behind-the-scenes pics, outtakes, or hijinx! They may not know you, but it will build a personal connection.

Idea #2: Try a Takeover

Sometimes your account becomes stale and familiar. Mix it up by handing the log-in credentials over to someone new. Allow them to “take over” by posting pictures, videos, and updates, all day. 

They might provide followers with a behind-the-scenes “day in the life” adventure, answer fan questions, or document a unique event. Your account will jump to the front of the line each time they post.  

New and novel content creates buzz and interest for your product or service. Switching up the face behind the account is often enough to grab attention. 

Idea #3: Use That Poll Sticker

Most stories are passive. Viewers look at a picture, read some text, or watch a short video. By adding an interactive element, you’ll stand out among more static content. 

The easiest way to include engagement is with the poll sticker. Have users vote on something, especially if they have a stake in the “winner.” Maybe followers can decide the new flavor at your coffee shop or choose your outfit for an event. 

Make sure to follow up with a post celebrating the most popular option! 

Idea #4: Show Some Love

Fans love to feel noticed and appreciated, especially by influencers and the brands they love. If you see a follower going above and beyond, highlight their awesome engagement and tag them in the post! They’ll share it, drawing more eyes to your content. 

It might also encourage other fans to work harder to show their love. They want you to notice them, too! Take the time to treat your followers like people rather than numbers to gain their loyalty. 

Idea #5: Announce a New Post

Even the best Instagram posts can get lost in a busy feed. Share your latest post to your stories and let your followers know to take a look! It will increase engagement on your main profile and help attract new followers. 

The Cutest Instagram Story Ideas

There are 5,760 fifteen-second increments in a single day. Each is a precious opportunity to capture the undivided attention of your followers and build connections that lead to sales and engagement. Instagram story ideas that capture attention are a mighty tool that all users can master to develop meaningful relationships in the app. 

If you’re seeking more tips to help you master social media, you’re in the right place! Browse the rest of the blog for more posts about your favorite social media apps. Your followers will thank you!