Instagram stories are the more casual, personal-feeling version of Instagram posts. This makes them perfect for connecting with your audience, building a connection with your brand, and promoting your products/services in a really authentic way.
The only problem is they’re also a bit of a minefield. You want to stop people in their tracks as they swipe through and encourage them to engage or check out your profile, but how can you stand out among so much content?
Keep reading to discover 25 Instagram story ideas that will help your business shine. All of these come with templates you can customize and use right away. Here are the categories we explore:
- Seasonal Instagram stories
- Holiday Instagram stories
- Instagram stories for events and celebrations
- Sales-related Instagram stories
- Instagram stories for different types of small businesses
Seasonal Instagram stories
With the change of the season comes the opportunity to revitalize your content. Here are five amazing story ideas for Instagram to get you started.
1.Spring release
Spring Instagram content should be full of pretty colors, florals, and fresh new ideas, and this template is perfect for capturing the season. Reveal new products hidden behind the fun shapes or add a few inspirational quotes over the top to mark the new season.
2.Summer content
Bring a sense of adventure, fun, and excitement to your summer Instagram stories with vivid colors, cute fonts, and pictures of the outdoors. You could customize this template to highlight events or sales or run a fun summer competition to boost engagement.
3.Autumnal offers
As your audience starts to spend more time indoors, you should mimic that cozy feeling across your feed. This autumnal Instagram story template with its warm color palette is a great way to boost connection with your audience. It’s also animated to boost engagement even further. For the falling leaf effect to work, all you have to do is upload it as a video rather than an image.
4.Snowy sales
The weather outside might be frightful, but you can make sure your Instagram content is still delightful with aesthetic story ideas made from templates like this one. Striking 3D effect shapes, animations, and beautiful fonts make this super engaging for any audience.
5.Back to school promotion
Though back-to-school time isn’t strictly a season (and it’s definitely not everyone’s favorite!) it’s the perfect opportunity to run a sale or promotional campaign on Instagram. This story template is a great way to evoke feelings of nostalgia or excitement with its fun school graphics and pastel colors.
Holiday Instagram stories
Holiday posts create opportunities for engagement and foster a sense of connection beyond regular business interactions. They’re also a great time to promote a sale! Here are some of the best types of Instagram stories to post to join in the celebrations.
Christmas promotions
If you have a seasonal deal or promotion coming up, you need to help people see that as they scroll through Instagram stories. This template, with its bright red color and Christmas graphics, provides the perfect example of how to grab their attention. Customize it with your own text or use it as a template for other holidays by quickly changing the color and imagery.
7.Thanksgiving post
Join in the community spirit this Thanksgiving by posting an Instagram story that shares the joy of the season. You can personalize this template with images of your own team or business and add a note to show gratitude for your customers.
8.Spooky stories
Halloween is the perfect time to showcase a more playful side of your brand and this story template is a great way to engage your audience in the fun. Customize the text to ask your followers a question about their favorite Halloween traditions or offer a special, spooky deal.
9.Valentines celebration
When romance is in the air, you’ll want to make sure your brand is at the heart of the social media buzz. This Valentine’s Day story template is perfect for showcasing special events, recommending gifts, or simply sharing the love.
10.Mardi Gras party
Make sure your Instagram is as full of life as Mardi Gras this holiday! Use our Instagram story template with its striking colors and fun fonts to catch your audiences’ eyes and join the fun. You can also add details about giveaways and events over the top.
Instagram stories for events and celebrations
Getting people from Instagram to join you in an event or celebration requires eye-catching Instagram stories that clearly display key information. Here are some ideas to get you started.
11.Store opening post
When your new store opens, you’ll want to make a splash online. This story template features bright colors and a cool distorted (but clear) text effect to grab attention. Just add your date of opening, location, name, and teaser photo to start generating a buzz.
12.Fundraising promotion
If you’re running a charity gala or fundraising event, you’ll want to create an Instagram story that’s a little more formal and sophisticated to reflect the occasion. This template captures the vibe perfectly with fancy fonts, pastel colors, and sprinkles of gold.
13.Company anniversary celebration
Celebrating milestones such as a company anniversary on your Instagram stories is a great way to build brand awareness and make your audience feel part of a community. Use this template to showcase your journey in a stylish way.
14.In-person event post
If you’re hosting an open house day, launch party, or networking event, you’ll want to build anticipation through your Instagram stories. Be sure to opt for a template like this that’s clear and eye-catching with plenty of room for information.
15.Online event post
Get everyone excited about your online event by posting Instagram stories with animated or interactive elements. Post a poll, run a countdown, or use this animated template to grab attention.
Instagram stories are the perfect place to run promotions because when your audience is casually scrolling through, they often won’t feel like they’re being sold to. Try out these different types of sales to see which converts best.
16.Discount post
If you’re offering a simple discount, keep your post plain and add a pop of bright color when displaying important information. This template with its sleek design and small bursts of orange is perfect for grabbing attention without overwhelming your audience.
17.Last chance sale
You can create a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out) by running a sale on your Instagram story which times out after 24 hours. This template with its vivid colors and striking fonts is great for encouraging immediate action.
18.Flash sale
A flash sale is another great way to create urgency and encourage sales straight from your Instagram stories. Use this template to place images of your products or brand front and center and to catch eyes with funky shapes.
19.Giveaway announcement
Running a giveaway is a great way to grow your audience and promote your products/services. You can use this template to announce the giveaway or showcase the winner. Just add your own pictures which will be emphasized by the fun border.
20. Black Friday post
We couldn’t talk about sales without mentioning Black Friday. This is the perfect time to offer incredible discounts, attract new customers, and boost your sales… but your Instagram story needs to stand out! Check out this template if you want something clean and striking.
Instagram story ideas for different types of small businesses
To round things off, here are five aesthetic story ideas for different types of small businesses.
21.Exercise brands
Fitness content is super popular on Instagram and you can join in (and stand out) by posting stories that showcase amazing lifestyle-type content. This stunning yoga template lets your photography do the talking. Just add your logo and text at the top!
22.Real estate
Instagram stories are a great way to generate interest in a new property listing. This template uses a traditional font for an elegant look that will attract potential buyers while keeping the focus on the home.
23.Online services
Whether you offer tutoring, copywriting, or another online service, you can generate tons of business with personal feeling Instagram stories. This fun template highlights important information with hand-drawn circles, arrows, and doodles.
24.Beauty/fashion
If you have a beauty or fashion-related business, every Instagram story you post should shine. This template has all the details you need to create a great impression — a beautiful color palette, pretty shapes, and gorgeous fonts.
25.Interior design
If you’re working in interior design, social media is the perfect way to showcase your work to potential clients. The simple, chic aesthetic of this template allows you to make your homes feel even more stylish.
How to create a professional Instagram story with Picsart
Ready to revamp your Instagram stories? Follow these easy instructions to get started on desktop:
- Choose from our Instagram story templates or navigate to the Photo Editor and upload a picture to start your story from scratch.
- Customize your story image with text, colors, shapes, and more.
- When you’re happy with your design, use “Export” in the top right and download your image.
And on mobile:
- Select templates in the top bar and search for “Instagram story”
- Customize with text, shapes, colors, and more.
- When you’re done, hit “Next” and “Save.”
And don’t forget, we’ve got all the Instagram templates you could need so you can make your posts, ads, and stories consistently shine! With our easy platform, you don’t need to be a professional designer to make content that gets you results.
