Let’s be real here… are there many things better than an Instagram Story?!

(We think… no?!)

I mean, come on. What’s more fun than a little morning tap-through session of coffee pours, business advice, and funny memes?

But, guess what? It’s even better than you’d think… AKA, Stories are phenomenal from a BUSINESS perspective. 

In fact, data shows that over 500 million people use IG Stories daily — and ⅓ of the most viewed IG Stories are from business accounts.

That’s why running ads on Instagram Stories should be an absolute no-brainer for your business, friends.

Why you should run Story ads

A huge goal for business owners (AKA, you!) should always be to advertise in the most natural, aligned ways possible — and that’s where the Story ad placement comes into play. Focusing on the story graphic just as much as the square for the newsfeed is so important! Since they live in the same ecosystem of the beloved Stories your audience is already tapping through, they’re a seamlessly integrated vehicle for your own objectives. 

It’s the best.

Plus, they drive a TON of engagement — and data from Meta actually shows that ⅕ of organic stories already drive DMs from viewers. It just makes sense that being able to occupy that same real estate, especially as a trusted business targeting the right audience, is a 10/10 idea for your goals.

What to post in Story ads

To be really effective with Story ads, you’re going to want to lean into the exact thing that makes Stories so fun to engage with — AKA, the real-life, seamless aspect that your audience already looks for.

Here are some ideas:

• Lifestyle-esque content ideas that showcase your offer
• Launch teasers
• Highlight promotions of your existing content
• Influencer collaborations and UGC content
• Quizzes
• Tutorials or short teaching snippets
  

Use Social Proof: Showing a behind-the-scenes look at real results (think receipts and $$$) or testimonials (the more organic the better! Even screenshots of DM’s and messages can work really well).

Talk Scarcity: “Time is running out”, “There are [X] spots left!” etc. works well for stories because they are so timely and this kind of messaging easily stops the thumbtap.

Get Emotional: The “why” is SO important behind your brand, course, product, and what have you. Why did you create something so amazing? Bring the user along the journey with you to better illustrate your story.

Once you’ve built up a repertoire of top-of-the-funnel Story ads that connect well to your audience, you can start implementing strategic sales slides, too — especially for your webinars, bonuses, and limited-time offers.

Plus, to make it even easier, follow copy frameworks like this:

Webinar ads
LIVE ON [DATE]
WEBINAR TITLE
Join me LIVE to learn how to [transformation]!
CTA

Cart open
HERO COPY SPEAKING TO THE TRANSFORMATION
ENROLLMENT OPEN
[big image]
CTA TO JOIN

Bonus offers
[TIME LEFT]
BONUS
SUBCOPY SPEAKING TO THE TRANSFORMATION
CTA TO JOIN

—

The world of ads is one that can be so, so seamlessly integrated into your daily content strategy, friends… and Story ad placements are really the BEST way to get you there. I’m always here for any questions!

What to keep in mind with Story ads

When you’re posting Story ads, I’d always, always recommend focusing on a few things: It’s all about the visuals! It’s a small space for text so be mindful of clear and direct messaging.

Branded colors and texts (brand awareness matters!), eye-catching font sizes and placements, and clear CTAs. This allows your Story ads to feel like part of the tapping journey rather than, well… an ad.

Need some inspo?

Here are some examples from our incredible clients: