How do you use Instagram story features like polls, stickers, and swipe-ups to boost your blog promotion?

I use polls strategically in Instagram stories. It’s a quick friendly way to catch up with followers about a human connection we have had (so maybe I get their quick opinion on a Spotify playlist or a trending idea)…or I ask them the last time they came to one of our events (Winter / Autumn / Haven’t been in a year) The strategic part is I then engage with everyone who voted in the poll. Shortly after (within 24 hours) I post something on the grid— or a reel. That new post ALWAYS gets a high engagement rate and also conversions to the website because of the previous activity with polls 🤘🎶

Stickers can be both static (an emoji) and animated (giphy). The latter work better as they are more visually interesting and they elongate the time that your Story remains on screen (whilst they are played). To find a sticker simply search for the word/words in the search bar to see the range of options available. You can add multiple stickers to a story if you wish.

I agree with Julia: the moving gifs are so engaging. I often use them to show where the link is — or to emphasise the date or other details on my story. It’s a lot more fun than an arrow pointing “click here”— it helps portray the character of the brand (which more often than not looks cooler as a dancing emoji / groovy alien than an arrow ever could) 👽💜

Highlights sit prominently at the top of your Instagram profile and are circle shaped clickable links where you store your best Stories to extend their shelf life beyond the standard 24 hours. Make sure that you name each with a word that sums up what your highlight contains. You’ve only got 15 characters for this so keep your highlight title short and snappy! You can add or delete the Stories in your highlight at any time to keep them fresh and interesting!

Gone are the days when influencer marketing is strictly about paying someone $10,000 to post 3 things on Instagram and hope for the best. Some of my team's best (and happiest) successes with collaborations is getting creators and video-enthused fans to contribute to a brand story. Sounds complicated, but it's really quite simple. It's about asking the right questions, collecting the best value-driven and emotionally engaging responses....and building a tribe. Collaborations must really be at the heart of content strategies and brand promises. Unfurling intentions in an authentic way makes the stories diverse, relevant and future-proofed beyond just "influential"