How to Create Engaging Instagram Stories for Your Business: All Your Questions Answered
Mar 09, 2026
Not sure where to start with Instagram Stories? In this blog, I answer every single question you have (no, really!), so you can learn how to create engaging Instagram stories for your business!
Instagram Stories are one of the most important tools you can use on Instagram to nurture your audience and turn them into customers that will return again and again. They’ve been invaluable both for Business Secrets Club and for my stationery brand, Martha Brook, to help me connect with people and build not just a community, but sustainable businesses.
So, if you’ve been struggling to know what to post, when to post, or even how to post Instagram Stories, fear not! I’ve collated the questions I get asked ALL of the time into this handy blog, so you can find out everything you need to know to create Instagram stories strategically for your business.
What Are Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories are like your Instagram grid’s cooler, more laid-back cousin. They are temporary pieces of content that only last on your profile for 24 hours, unless you put them into a Story Highlight (more on those later).
Stories show up when you tap on your profile picture, and other people’s Stories show in a row at the top of your home feed.
Instagram Stories can include photos or videos (up to 60 seconds long), and you can edit them to add text, links, polls, music, and more.
How Are Instagram Stories Different from Reels or Posts?
For me, there are two big differences:
- Stories disappear after 24 hours. That makes them a glorious space for experimenting. Unlike Reels, carousels, and posts, which live on your grid permanently and should be more planned and polished, Stories don’t carry that same pressure. They’re built for content that’s more relaxed, more in-the-moment, and doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Stories talk to your followers only. Most of what you post to your grid has the potential to reach people beyond your existing audience. Stories don’t work that way; they’re seen almost exclusively by people who already follow you. That’s a fundamental difference, and it should change how you approach them.
When Should I Post on Instagram Stories vs. Reels?
If your goal is to reach new people and grow your audience, Reels (and carousels) are your best friend. They’re designed to be pushed out beyond your current followers, making them brilliant for visibility and attracting fresh eyes to your profile. That means Reels need to work a bit harder e.g. they need a clear goal (to inspire, educate, entertain, or be relatable), a strong hook that grabs a stranger’s attention immediately, and a snappy, more structured format.
But you don’t need any of that with Stories.
Stories are for the people who are already here. They help you nurture your existing audience, build trust, and stay front of mind, without worrying about perfect structure or polished edits. Instead, you can share whatever feels relevant, personal, and a bit more informal. They’re the place for on-the-fly content where you can go a little more rogue!
Your aim with Stories is simple: connect with your people, build trust, and move them closer to becoming a customer.
And don’t overthink what’s “worth” posting. If there’s a TV show everyone’s talking about that you’re binging while you work, or you absolutely nailed your coffee order that morning, share it! Audiences love a dose of reality, especially when they can relate. Sometimes it’s the most mundane things that drive the most engagement.
That said, Stories can absolutely be strategic too. More on that to come!
How Long Do Instagram Stories Last?
Instagram Stories last for 24 hours. After that, they disappear automatically, unless you save them to a Highlight.
Highlights are the little circles that sit underneath your bio on your profile. They let you group together past Stories and keep them visible permanently. New and existing followers absolutely do click on and engage with these, so they’re a great feature to get into the habit of using.
Some useful Highlights you might want on your profile include:
- Introduction to your brand or a “Start Here”
- FAQs
- Testimonials or Reviews
- Services or Products
- Prices
- Tutorials, behind-the-scenes or examples
Think about what a new follower or potential customer would find most useful when they first land on your profile, and those are your best Highlights.
What Size Should Instagram Stories Be?
Instagram Stories use a 9:16 aspect ratio, which is 1080 x 1920 pixels. This is the standard full-screen vertical format on most smartphones.
Usually, Instagram will crop photos automatically but if you’re specifically creating graphics or editing videos for your Stories, make sure you’re designing in this ratio so everything fits on. Most design tools like Canva already have an Instagram Story template set to the right dimensions, so you shouldn’t need to think about this too much, but it’s worth knowing in case things look off!
How Do I Add Links to Instagram Stories?
Instagram now lets all accounts add links to their Stories using the Link Sticker. In the past you needed 10,000 followers to unlock this feature, but thank goodness this is no longer the case!
To add one, create your Story, then tap the sticker icon (the smiley face at the top of the screen) and select the Link sticker. You can then paste in any URL you like e.g. a product page, a blog post, a sign-up form, whatever you want to direct people to. You can also customise the text that appears on the sticker so it’s clear what people are tapping through to. I really recommend doing this and adding a nice CTA (Call To Action) to encourage people to click!
This is one of the most powerful features for businesses on Stories, so make sure you’re using it!
Should I Publish My Posts to Stories?
Absolutely yes... but don’t go giving all of the juicy stuff away! I see SO many accounts making the same mistake of immediately sharing their Reel to their Story… and that’s it. No other Stories leading up to it, no hinting at what it’s about, no providing any anticipation or context.
To make sharing your content to your Story worthwhile, you need to make people want to go and view it.
Remember how earlier I touched on how your Stories are primarily shown to your most engaged audience? They may have missed your post in-feed, but your Stories are your second chance to get them hooked. My biggest tip for getting them to click through to your post is to use a hook! Exactly the same as you should for your posts, you can use hooks on Stories too, to reel people into wanting to know more.
How Do I Get People More Engaged on My Instagram Stories?
The golden question! To make Instagram Stories work for your business, people need to engage with them. More engagement means your Stories being pushed to more of your followers.
In the eyes of the Instagram algorithm, all interactions with your Story count, but the best engagement you can get is a reply. The more replies you can encourage, the more your Story will get pushed to the front of the Story queue of your followers. To do this, post Stories that will make people want to engage - ask questions (sometimes the more mundane, the better), tease something new, and give people value!
See some examples here from me of a boring versus an engaging Instagram story to see what I mean:
View this post on Instagram
It’s also completely normal for some Stories to reach hundreds or thousands of views while others reach half that. View numbers fluctuate depending on your first slide hook, how engaged your audience has been recently, the time of day, and how many Stories you’ve posted. The first slide is especially important; if it doesn’t capture attention, people tap away quickly. So make sure you have a great hook or engagement ask to make people keep watching!
Can I Gain Followers from Instagram Stories?
Stories themselves are not heavily pushed to non-followers. They are amazing at helping you retain followers, but they aren’t typically a great way to gain new ones. That’s where Reels and carousels come in!
However, Stories absolutely help convert profile visitors into followers. Someone might discover you through a Reel, click onto your profile, watch your Stories and decide whether they like your vibe. If your Stories show personality and value, they’re far more likely to hit follow. I see a handful of follows every day from my Stories!
Posting original Stories regularly is also proven to reduce unfollows. When you stay visible and nurture your audience, people feel connected and are less likely to leave. Don’t underestimate Stories; although they aren’t your typical growth tool, they can be a great way to convert someone new into one of your best customers!
Should I Use Hashtags on Instagram Stories?
Short answer: no. Instagram is no longer pushing the use of hashtags for in-feed posts, and they never served much purpose on Stories before that either. It’s best practice to steer clear, and use intentional, engaging copy to let people know what you’re talking about instead!
Do I Need a Strategy for Instagram Stories?
Yes! Although they are a place for more informal content, you want to reach as many followers as possible and use them to connect with people.
I tend to think of Instagram Stories in four buckets to help me do this:
Engagement Boosters - any Story that encourages engagement to help push your Stories up the algorithm and increase your views. For example, encouraging people to reply or using any of the Story stickers like the poll, question sticker, slider, and so on.
Relatable Stories - people buy from people, so by sharing fun and relatable content, you build a strong connection with your audience and get them to care about what you do. This could be mundane things from your day, personal insights, behind the scenes, and more.
Valuable Stories - sharing anything that people will find useful or interesting. This can be one of the main reasons people watch your Stories, so it helps your views and gives you permission to sell! This could be anything from resources you love to tips and lessons learnt.
Promotional Stories - Stories are the best place to get people to buy from you! You should be posting promotional Stories every week, mixed in with the other types of Stories.
For one week of what this looks like in practice, I’m running an Instagram Stories Challenge all week over on the Business Secrets Club Instagram, so make sure you follow over there to join in. Here’s the week mapped out for you to follow:
View this post on Instagram
Do I Need to Talk on My Instagram Stories?
You don’t have to talk on your Instagram Stories if you really don’t want to, but there are several reasons why you should consider it. Let me persuade you!
It builds trust with your audience. If you’re posting educational or informative content on your Stories, it is much more credible if that comes directly from you than as a bland text post. You are far more likely to retain followers if you are consistently showing up and showing your face.
People engage more with a person than a faceless brand. The landscape of businesses has changed in recent years, and it’s been shown that up to 92% of potential customers respond far better if a person they recognise tries to sell them something, than if it were coming from a brand.
It isn’t as difficult as it seems once you get started. Trust me! My top tip is to just get started and don’t worry about it being perfect. If it helps for your first few, don’t watch them back. It will help you to rip off the plaster until you get used to it, and in no time you’ll be a pro!
If you’re struggling to know where to start, see my guide on How to Start Talking on Instagram Stories here. You’ve got this!
How Can I Boost My Instagram Stories Views?
The key to getting more views on your Instagram Stories is to make sure people engage.
I touched on replies being crucial to your Story views, and they are the highest ranked signal in the Instagram algorithm, but it’s not the only type of engagement you can encourage on your Stories.
Instagram has lots of built-in tools to stimulate engagement: the like button, shares, poll stickers, question boxes, emoji sliders, “Add Yours,” “Message to Reveal” and more... they’re always adding new ones! To find these features, once you’ve selected your photo or video, tap the smiley face icon in the top right and you’ll be presented with a big list of engagement stickers. Have a play around to see what they all do, and see how your audience responds best!
Any time you can encourage people to interact with your Story in some way is a signal to the algorithm to give it a little boost up the rankings and to the front of more of your followers’ home pages!
How Can I Use Instagram Stories to Sell?
Instagram Stories have the power to be some of your most impactful content, because the people watching them have already followed you, so they’re interested and further down the marketing funnel.
There are broadly two types of selling you can do on Stories, and you should be mixing both into your week:
Soft selling is where you’re building desire and trust without directly asking for a purchase. Think: sharing behind-the-scenes of how your product is made, posting customer reviews and testimonials, showing yourself using or wearing your product, answering frequently asked questions, or sharing the story behind why you created something. This type of content warms people up so that when you do ask for the sale, it doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of nowhere.
Hard selling is where you directly ask people to buy, sign up, or take action. This could be sharing a link to a product with a clear call to action, announcing a sale or limited-time offer, or creating urgency with a countdown sticker. Don’t be afraid to do this! If you’ve been consistently showing up with valuable and relatable content, your audience will be receptive.
The key is to use a sequence that takes your audience on a journey rather than hitting them with a cold “Buy this!” out of nowhere. Mix it up frequently so your followers don’t get bored!
I’ve put together a Story Selling Sequence to help you do exactly this. See my Instagram Stories Challenge Day 3 "Why-You-Need-This Wednesday" to see how to do it for yourself!
How Many Stories Should I Post Per Day?
There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to how many Stories you “should” post per day. You can and should mix it up. As a rule of thumb, somewhere between 3 and 10 is a good ballpark i.e. enough to stay visible without overwhelming people.
One thing worth knowing is that your first few Story slides will always get the most views, with numbers dropping off as people tap through. So lead with whatever matters most e.g. your hook, your offer, your question, and save the lighter, more casual content for later in the sequence.
Also consider spacing your Stories throughout the day rather than dumping them all at once. This keeps you at the front of the Stories bar for longer and gives people more chances to check in with you.
My top tip: don’t overthink this! Posting something is always better than posting nothing.
Phew, That Was a Lot!
Thank you to everyone who submitted their questions! Don’t forget to join in the Instagram Stories Challenge (you can jump in any week, no matter when you’re reading this!).
And if you want even more advice, information and encouragement, check out The Clubhouse, my community space for business owners looking to supercharge their social media. I drop story sequences and examples into there every week, and so much more!
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