Why IG Stories are the key to instagram engagement

If you commit to showing up in ONE WAY on social media…

let it be ON IG Stories.

It’s no secret. If you’re a small business owner you are OUT HERE looking for ways to get time back in your day.

And I’ve got a very simple solution for focusing on A SINGLE area of Instagram that can make a difference in your business.

IG STORIES.

Let’s back up and I’ll tell you a story.

In March of 2023, I was at the lowest point in my business that I’ve ever experienced. In fact, I was pretty sure I had successfully run my business into the ground.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to make payroll, let alone show my face on Instagram every day.

The situation was dire. (Ask my bookkeeper.)

As I sat in a hotel room in Tel Aviv (another story for another time) I found myself thinking about why I had started my business in the first place.

I wanted to work with small businesses. I wanted time and financial freedom. I wanted to share how marketing didn’t need to be confusing or overwhelming – even if you can’t afford to hire anyone to manage it for you. I wanted to nurture a team of creatives – AND pay them well. Because they deserve it.

And instead I was laying awake every night dreading the next day and dreading the never ending bills showing up in my inbox.

It may seem like all of these things have NOTHING to do with social media, BUT like all things in life. It was all connected.

And as I sat in my hotel room contemplating all of these factors, my mind obviously went to marketing.

Because that’s why I started my business in the first place. And I realized – as I thought back on the history of my biz and where I was now – that I had made a mistake along the way.

Back in 2020 when I incorporated Nowaday Studio Inc., I made the wrong decision.

I stopped using “I” language and I started using “we.”

There were clients coming in on the regular, everything was ticking along. I decided to take a step back since I didn’t want to emphasize myself as it wasn’t just me behind the scenes anymore.

I had a team! I was running a grown up business! No one wanted to see my face, right??

It’s a logical train of thought BUT it left a vacuum in my Instagram presence. One that no one on the team had time to fill. Including myself.

And this choice ignored an important aspect of how I had built Nowaday in the first place. By building connections on social media – and Instagram specifically.

The story I was telling about my business came to a halt. We had feed posts going up and the occasional IG Story, but over time our engagement dropped.

As we got busier and busier, Instagram took an even further backseat.

So when cashflow started to be an issue, and things slowed down a bit – getting back into Instagram to start marketing Nowaday again was harder.

I felt like I was hitting a wall.

Nobody seemed to be seeing my content.

Ok. Now back to early spring of 2023.

I made the realization that I needed to get back to being the champion of my business on social media. I needed to start showing up.

And so I did.

This is the exact post I made as I travelled back from Tel Aviv to Winnipeg. It was a post not just for my audience – but for myself as well.

I made a commitment then and there that showing up on Instagram – and on Stories – was going to be my priority to bring the life back to Nowaday as a brand.

It’s definitely not an easy commitement.

I talk a lot on social about the way that “how you feel” affects how you show up (cue our recent launch of The Intuitive Content Planner) and this is still true for me.

On days or weeks where things aren’t “perfect” (which is basically all the time… because… this is a small business) I still have a hard time showing up.

Sometimes I worry about coming across as hypocritical.

Sometimes I worry that my advice is too complicated, or too basic.

Sometimes it still feels (just a bit) like I’m talking into the void.

But starting back in March of 2023 and up until now, I’ve been moving past how I feel to simply focus on showing up consistently. I’ve started an (almost 😬) weekly series. I’ve shown my face. I’ve taken photos of flowers on my daily walks.

And it’s made a difference.

So many of the clients we work with these days talk about something they’ve seen on our Instagram Stories when they inquire.

The takeaway from my own personal story about Stories?

I know it’s hard to make time for Instagram. That’s why studios like Nowaday exist. We’re here to help and support your marketing and social media journey.

But at the heart of social media is connection and relationships, so if you’re not at a place where you’re ready to hire help, and you don’t have time to get your grid looking/feeling EXACTLY the way you want…

Show up on Stories.

You don’t need to plan complicated content or shoot fancy photos or videos.

You just need to show up for your business.

Share some BTS. Post a quick photo of your morning coffee.

Show your face (yes, really) and talk about something that you are an absolute expert in, in your industry.

It doesn’t need to be complicated and it can be repetitive.

And this isn’t something that “doesn’t apply to your business because xyz” – because your business is nothing without a brand.

And your brand is the way you show up and connect with your audience.

So, if social media is on your radar and you want to use it as a way to build your audience and develop connections…

Hop on Stories every day for a week. And watch your engagement go up.

We can absolutely guarantee it.