Stories Work! Here’s How to Make Them Work for YOU

If the “experts” are telling you not to post on stories, I wholeheartedly disagree. Instagram stories changed everything for me, so we’re going all in and discussing how to make stories work for YOU! Stories can be magical for your business, use them, love them, and have fun with them! Whether your goal is to boost engagement or increase sales, we’ll chat through some of my tried and true strategies that you can start using today. 

In this episode we’ll be covering:

• My own business journey with Instagram Stories and how they changed everything.
• Finding the best way to tailor stories to your business and lifestyle - there’s no wrong way!
• Strategically using stories to make sales (I’ll walk you through my go-to method!)
• Sharing daily stories and connecting over mundane day to day activities.  
• Using your goals to define your story strategy.

More episodes:

• Episode 007: Relatability in Everyday Content with Instagram Stories and Reels
• Episode 032: We All Start at Zero: Embrace Storytelling to Connect with Your Community
• Episode 040: Build More Connections with Everyday Moments
• Episode 043: We’re Getting Back to Basics and Loving Our Content

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Transcript

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:00]:
I am your host, Shannon McKinstrie. Welcome to Good Content, the podcast where I remove the never ending content creation, guesswork and overwhelm so that you can actually enjoy being on social media again and growing your business with what has always worked. Good Content. All right, I am back from my trip to New Orleans. It was a blast. And I'm kind of glad the timing of this episode because there's a lot of lies out there. We know that, right? Just every industry, there's.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:00:35]:
We hear stuff and we're like, what? But about stories. Okay, so apparently there's a expert encouraging people not to post, not only not to post personal stuff on stories, but I think there's even people saying, like, don't even post on stories. And here's the thing, there are no rules. You're allowed to do whatever you want to do. But I'm telling you right now, I would not have the business I have without Instagram stories. And on a weekend like I was having in New Orleans, all I shared was personal. I didn't share anything that wasn't. It was all behind the scenes.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:01:04]:
Me and my cousin in New Orleans, her friends, us, you know, what, where we were eating, where we were staying, what I was wearing, right? Like, and let me just tell you, the DMS were popping, okay? Now, obviously, as a personal brand, it might be a little different, right, if you own a restaurant, but still, we don't want perfectly curated stuff in stories, we want behind the scenes. So even if you are like a restaurant or a shop or a corporation, who are the employees? What are they eating? What are they ordering? What are they wearing, right? Like, if you're in a boutique, be like, hey, we just got a new arrival and our. Even our employees are going gaga over it, right? That's what stories are. They're supposed to be off the cuff, behind the scenes, authentic, raw in the moment. Right now, a lot of stories I share, I will record and share later in the day if I'm busy, right? So the actual content itself should feel very raw, authentic in the moment, okay? With that said, if you hate stories and you're like, I don't want to share anything personal, okay, that's totally fine. But these gurus out there saying this stuff, it's just to get engagement and clicks. Just know that.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:02]:
Um, and if it sounds like it doesn't make sense, it. It doesn't make. It doesn't make sense. None of that advice makes sense. So let me tell you my Instagram story strategy and why, like, just even over the weekend, I was. It was just reaffirmed. Right. So a couple other things first too, that I want to talk about.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:17]:
There's a lot going on around about stories and how you should only share one a day. Now, I'm going to say this as clear as I can to avoid any confusion, because I'm not saying they're wrong, because they're not. That's a. It's a tactic. Okay? You want more views, do one story. But if you want more sales, do more stories. Okay? So all the advice out there that you hear is based on a goal. If your goal is, I need to sell the heck out of this course, I need more views, do one story.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:02:45]:
But if your audience is already warm and a hundred views, you could sell the crud out of something. Right? My thing is, if you want more sales, you want more conversations, you want to bond more stories. More stories. Okay, but here's how this works. So if you only share one story, you get a huge boost in views. And naturally, as Instagram users, we tend to fall off after two to three stories. Not all of us, but some. But your warm audience who's like obsessed with your brand, wants to know more, is going to keep watching.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:15]:
The right people are going to stick around on your stories. Okay? But if you need that big, you know, or maybe your views just feel really low and you're like, what on earth is going on? Let them expire completely. Meaning your Instagram story, the glowy ring around your face on your profile goes away, like the stories are empty. And then that next story, post one and include whatever it is. It's really, really important. So again, say you do need to like, sell the crap out of something or you really have a big announcement. Maybe you've changed your handle, maybe you're opening a new store, right? Something like that. It's strategic.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:03:47]:
Posting one story a day is not a good long term strategy in my opinion, because my business was built on stories like, that's where I bond with you guys. That's where you guys let me know. You listen to the podcast, it's where we yap. But if you're a brand that you're like, I actually don't have time to answer a lot of dms. I'm not really here to. And that's fine. But you're not really here to like create as really a community of people that feel like they're close to you, that's fine. But again, the reason there's so much different advice is because the advice is for different people.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:13]:
If your Goal is to really nurture your audience and bond with them and create a brand that, like, they think about you all the time. Stories, more stories. But there are times where if I see my stories are really low, I will go dark. And that next story I post, I will make sure it's. I will front load the information. What is it that I need my people to know today? And that's my first story. But this is my Instagram story strategy. Cause I never post just one a day.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:36]:
And if I do, it would be because of this tactic, right? Where like, oh my gosh, you get a big surge in views. But it doesn't mean you're going to sell more or get more. It's what happens from that story is going to be based on the quality of the story itself. Okay, so you want to sell major on a story. This is your, this is your strategy. Let them go dark. That first story. You are going to do this.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:04:55]:
It's going to be either a picture or a short video. And you're going to give a little context of it, right? Let's say you do. I remember someone even asked me about this on Instagram. Celsius, you do guided tours in your city. Maybe it's like ghost tours. And maybe the video is of people walking and you giving the tour, right? A little snippet on top just to kind of say what it is. Like, had a great time with these families that visited. Da, da, da, da.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:18]:
In it, you're also going to include a screenshot of a happy testimonial or a happy DM or whatever it is. Or if you don't have that yet again, you just use that text to talk about what's going on in the video or the photo. Then you're going to add the link sticker. And in the link sticker, you're going to customize it and you're going to make that call to action. Very fun. So after you do your URL, you can customize the link sticker to say something like, book your tour today, shop now. Or, you know, get it before it's gone. 50% off for 72 hours, whatever it is, right? Make it fun.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:05:47]:
Or just, oh, my gosh, I need this. Oh, my gosh, where has this been all my life? Make it fun. And so that's the story. And that is going to convert, especially if it's something not crazy expensive. This is what I always tell people, right? If I throw out like a $5,000 coaching program on Instagram stories, it's probably not going to convert as much as a free guide podcast, $37 course. Right. It's just we need a little more time typically to invest in something that's high ticket. So really think about, just in general, how you sell, what verbiage you've used in the past that is sold.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:17]:
Say it on screen with a picture of the product or video of the service. And put your link sticker and there you go. And then if you think they're going to need a little more information, that second story will then have maybe the bells and whistles. Because if you know the next question from them is, well, what's included? Then that next. Right. The first one, we paint the picture of the feeling, the vibe, what the package will look like when it arrives, what the meal is they're going to eat. That's that first story along with the link sticker, little context, a screenshot of a happy dm. If you can, squeeze that in.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:06:46]:
That's always, always a good idea, right? Social proof, social proof, social proof. And then that next story we'll have a little bit more. Maybe it's like, oh, and by the way, here are our hours. Oh, and by the way, here's another testimonial. Or maybe it's just you talking about why you created the product, the service, et cetera. Okay. And then that third story, that's where you're gonna hit em with something a little more light and fun and personal. Cause that's what stories are.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:08]:
So that is if you're trying to like you are like in launch mode, that's what you're going to do. At least two stories about what it is, or three, keep going until you think you drove it home, you sold your thing. And then always at the end, at the end of any of these, put something fun and personal. Maybe it's a book you just found that you love, a podcast. You're listening to your Orange Theory workout, right? We love that stuff. Because what happened in New Orleans was crazy. It just, every time I do it, every time I go away, go do something, people are like, can't wait to see where you're going. Can't wait to see what you're doing.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:36]:
And the DMs go nuts. I have 11,000 views on the donut I had. Right. It gives us a chance to bond. And then I'm telling the story about how my fam. My dad's family's from Louisiana, so we have deep roots here. And da, da, da, da. And like it just started all these amazing conversations.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:07:52]:
Okay. I mean, we're like, oh, my God, did you do this? Oh, my gosh, did you do this? It's just fun. Talked about my fear of flying, right? People are checking on me. It's like, you guys, stories are magical. It's where we really bond with you. Okay? So if you're trying to sell and you want more views and that. That's. I would do at least those three that I just said.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:06]:
And again, like, like I said, end up with something personal so they can bond with you. Maybe they won't buy the bracelet or the plant or whatever it is you're selling, but that third video, that third story where you're, like, inviting them in, talking about your Cava order might spark a conversation. And then tomorrow, they might be like, you know what? I'm still thinking about that bracelet. I'm gonna go buy it, y'all. But my everyday story strategy is this. Ready? First story of the day, I just greet in the morning. It's either my cup of coffee, my view. I'll just say, good morning.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:34]:
I know a lot of coaches will be like, don't say good morning. I say it. I go, happy Monday. Good morning. How's your day going? And I'll usually include a poll. I would use some sort of sticker to invite them in. Because that first story of the day, you really wanna be like, hey, come in my world. Let's go.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:08:47]:
I used to do a thing called it was crush the day list. Every day, I'd start with a crush the day list and list out my day. And people loved it. And in that day, I would say, like, you know, one on one consulting call, sending out a hashtag vault. People be like, what's a hashtag vault? What's a coaching call? Where do I sign up, right? And then at the end, they'd be like, folding laundry until I pass out, right? Like, stuff like that. And so to also invite, like, conversations like, oh, I hate laundry too. So basic, so mundane, so powerful. Then that second story, after I greet them and say what I'm up to and what my day is looking like, I will then share something.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:17]:
Either. Here's a podcast link, here's a post I did something to drive engagement or sales. So if it's my post, I'll share my reel and say, like, today, literally, my stories right now, I'll tell you, it's my New Orleans donut that got 11,000 views. Okay? If you're watching on YouTube, there it is. Second, my story this morning, my coffee pouring and a little poll saying, how's Your Monday going. One says, need more coffee? The other says, crushing it already. I said, back to New Orleans, back to our regularly scheduled programming. And it's my coffee.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:09:47]:
So there I am. Morning. I'm back. Here's what I'm up to. Second story is my reel of the day and saying, hey, guys, go check it out. Share it, love on it, right? Like, whatever. And then the rest of my content, I'll probably do one to drive sales to the Reels lab or podcast episode. And then it will be the rest of my day.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:04]:
Here's my daughter and I doing this. Here's it at all, you guys. It's that perfect mix of personal and business. And anyone telling you not to post personal, I don't know, maybe they've lost their mind. I don't know the personal stuff. And when I say personal, it's my oat milk creamer. Do you know how many people when I started drinking oat milk lattes back in like 2018? And that's when I really started showing up regularly on Instagram. Oh, my gosh.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:24]:
I would get DMs all the time about, oh, I tried oat milk latte and da da, da, da da, you guys. I had like maybe a thousand followers with that. I mean, it was. That's what stories are. They are for us to be invited in your world, get to know you, and open up conversations that we might not be comfortable, we might not feel knowledgeable enough. In your world, when you do a post giving advice or giving whatever, we'd be like, oh, we might not know what to say. But in stories, when you're sharing your what you just bought for your dog, that's going to spark a conversation. Do you know what I mean? But anyway, so every other day of the week, it's I start with something with a invite them in, greet them, hello, here's what I'm doing.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:10:57]:
Something to drive some sort of engagement. And then I just kind of go from there. And again, like I said, if I am trying to sell that day, that second story will be behind the scenes, talking about my program, my offer, whatever it is, with a happy DM screenshot and a link. And it converts every single time like crazy. And then it's just my personal, fun stuff. You know, a few months back when we went to Boston, my most engaged story that entire month was a selfie of me and my husband at dinner. So share the personal stuff. Share the.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:24]:
We want to get to know you. Use stories to sell. Use stories to bond and use stories just to share who you are and what you love and what you do. I know what stories have done for me. To even say that my. That I make seven figures is wild. And without stories, that would not have happened. So there you go.

Shannon McKinstrie [00:11:40]:
You want more views, less stories. You want more sales, more bonding, more stories. It all comes down to your goal. And some days you can share a lot. Some days you can share one. There are no rules. I love you, friend.