If you’re looking to spend more time engaging with your followers, using the new Instagram Stories question sticker is a great way to get started!
Last month, Instagram introduced the question sticker for stories, giving businesses a fun new way to connect with their audience.
Not sure how to use the new Instagram Stories question sticker for your business?
From crowdsourcing ideas to running a contest, we’re sharing 7 fun and creative ways to use the new question sticker in your stories:
How To Use the Instagram Stories Question Sticker
Adding a question sticker to your Instagram Stories is easy!
Start by tapping the sticker button after uploading a photo or video to Instagram Stories.
Select the new question sticker and then type out your prompt. For example, you could write, “hopping on a flight… ask me anything!”
Once you’ve written your prompt, place it wherever you’d like and share it to your story.
#1: Run an Instagram Stories Q&A
One of the most obvious but beneficial ways to use the new Instagram Stories question sticker is by… *drumroll please* hosting a Q&A! While this may seem like a no-brainer, there are a ton of different ways you can set up your Q&A to encourage followers to interact with your story.
First, select a topic you’d like to cover. You can keep it broad or discuss a specific topic related to your business. For example, we hosted Q&A to discuss all things Instagram last week, bringing in a wide-variety of questions:
You could also host a Q&A discussing more specific topics, such as Instagram Stories, photo editing, analytics or anything else related Instagram marketing.
Next, decide if you’ll be hosting your Q&A at a specific time (for example, from 3-4pm PT), or keeping it running throughout the day. Either way, make sure to let your audience know when you’ll be answering questions so they can check back for your answers!
No matter what type of Q&A you host, just be sure it aligns with your brand and overall business goals. When you take the time to think about answers your target audience would like to see, you’re much more likely to get them engaging with your content.
#2: Host a Takeover with the Instagram Stories Question Sticker
Let your followers get to know more about your company or products by using a question sticker to host an Instagram Stories takeover! Hosting an Instagram Stories takeover is one of the easiest ways to organically reach new followers and build your brand on Instagram, so this is a great strategy.
Instagram Stories takeovers typically involve a person or brand temporarily “taking over” your Instagram account to give followers a look inside your company or products from a new perspective.
Last month, Alfred Coffee Founder Josh Zad took over the company’s account to give followers a chance to get to know the man behind the famous Los Angeles coffee shop:
Benefit Cosmetics also featured two of their employees on Instagram Stories, answering questions all about their products, what it’s like working with Benefit, and more:
Featuring someone “from the inside” or a guest host is a great way to give your Instagram followers a different perspective and help educate them on your brand!
#3: Use Question Stickers to Ask Your Followers For Feedback
What better way to get feedback on your products or services than by going straight to the source? The Instagram Stories question sticker is a great tool for businesses to crowdsource ideas, collect testimonials, or find out what content your audience wants to see more of.
Calpak recently used question stickers to ask where they should travel to next, and to collect content ideas for their account:
This week, Thinkific debuted a brand new logo and took to Instagram Stories to see what their followers thought about the change:
Thinkific also shared the feedback with personalized responses to their follower’s answers. When adding the Instagram Stories question sticker into your marketing strategy, it’s important to not only ask the right questions, but also let your audience know you’re listening.
Want to take your Instagram Stories to the next level? Learn how you can grow your business using stories in our free 30 minute course:
#4: Collect Frequently Asked Questions
Businesses and influencers alike are taking to Instagram Stories to publicly answer their most frequently asked questions. This is a great way to save your business time and answer questions that will most likely continue popping up in your inbox.
For example, popular workout subscription app Classpass opened up their Instagram Stories for questions about their new service:
This not only gave their current customers a chance to ask questions, but also helped the brand build awareness around the new service.
FAQs are also great content to add to your Instagram Stories Highlights! It’s the perfect way for businesses to share shipping information, return & exchange policies, or anything else that may be useful for their customers to know:
As more and more users turn to Instagram to search for businesses, it’s important that you give them all the information they’re looking for — and Instagram Stories question stickers are perfect for this.
Check out, Why Your Instagram Profile is the New Homepage to learn how to optimize your Instagram profile to convert visitors into followers!
#5: Start a Conversation With Your Followers
The Instagram Stories question sticker is a great tool to get your followers talking and interacting with your brand. Find out what’s important to them, ask for advice, or give them the chance to discuss their thoughts — just keep it relevant to your business. This is a great way to show your followers you’re approachable and that there’s a real human behind your account.
Take Airbnb for example, which keeps it fun and easy for followers to submit responses to their question:
These types of questions don’t require a ton of thought, are fun to answer, and gave Airbnb the opportunity to show off some dreamy UGC along with their responses.
Another example comes from fitness app, Mindbody, which started off the new month by asking followers to share their August intentions:
This year, it’s more important than ever to build a relationship with your followers, and this is a great way to do it! The more you interact with your followers, the more likely they are to feel a personal connection to your brand.
#6: Use the Instagram Stories Question Sticker to Show Off Your Expertise
Are you a dog grooming expert? Specialized in SEO? Instagram Stories question sticker are a great way for you to start a conversation about your business with your followers! Your followers will appreciate the free advice, while giving you a chance to show off what you have to offer.
Giving out free advice is also a great way to build reciprocity with your audience! In most cases, the more generous you are, the more likely they are to engage and follow.
No matter what type of content you’re creating on Instagram Stories, it’s important to make sure your business is providing value. By using Instagram Stories question stickers, you give your followers the power to tell you exactly what they want to know, while setting yourself up to become a valuable resource.
#7: Run an Instagram Stories Contest
Another fun way to engage with your followers is by using the questions sticker to host your very own Instagram Stories contest. This is a great way to generate excitement around your brand and get your followers engaging with your stories.
Not sure where to start? It’s easy!
For example, let’s say you’re a travel blogger. Your contest could look something like this:
Just make sure that the rules for the contest are clearly defined, and then post your question sticker and wait for the answers to start rolling in. Once the contest has ended, share the correct answers and tag the winners on your stories!
You can also promote your contest ahead of time on your Instagram feed, by either sharing the date or time your contest will be going live to your story. If you want to take it one step further, you can add in another qualifier by requiring participants to tag a friend on your post before the contest goes live. This will get more eyes on your stories, and may even get you some more followers!
Check out How to Get 500+ Instagram Followers with a Single Post to learn more about hosting your own Instagram contest!
This year, Instagram Stories continues to roll out new features to help you show off your brand’s personality. With a few simple tricks and a little bit of creativity, you can use Instagram Stories question stickers to stay top of mind with your followers and keep them coming back for more!
Did we miss anything? How do you plan to use the new question sticker to engage with your audience? Let us know in the comments below!
It’s time to take your stories seriously – watch our free Instagram Stories for Business course today!