What are Instagram Stories and how can your business use them?

Instagram Stories are photos and short videos that disappear after 24 hours. They appear in a row at the top of the app and are one of the most effective ways for small businesses to stay visible without flooding their main feed. Over 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day, and one in three of the most-viewed Stories come from business accounts. If you are promoting your business on Instagram and ignoring Stories, you are missing the most engaged part of the platform.\n\nWhat are Instagram Stories?\n\nInstagram Stories are vertical, full-screen posts that sit in a bar at the top of the app. Unlike regular feed posts, they vanish after 24 hours unless you save them to Highlights. You can post photos, 15-second videos, Boomerangs or text-only slides. The format is informal and immediate rather than polished, and that is exactly what makes it powerful for business. People expect Stories to feel genuine, not like an ad.\n\nWhy Stories matter for business\n\nStories appear above the main feed, so they are the first thing people see when they open Instagram. They are also interactive. You can add polls, question boxes, countdown timers, quizzes and link stickers. Each of these turns a passive viewer into someone who taps, swipes or replies. Instagram reports that 58 per cent of people say they have become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it in Stories.\n\nThe reach benefit is just as important. Instagram's algorithm prioritises Stories from accounts people interact with regularly. Every poll vote, question reply or emoji reaction signals to Instagram that a follower wants to see more from you. That visibility carries over into the main feed and Explore page too.\n\nTypes of Stories that work for business\n\nBehind the scenes: Show your team, your workspace or how a product is made. This builds trust and humanises your brand.\n\nProduct demos: A quick video showing how something works is far more effective than a static photo.\n\nCustomer testimonials: Repost a positive review or a customer's own Story mentioning your business, with their permission.\n\nPolls and questions: Ask your audience what they want to see next, which product they prefer or what their biggest challenge is. This gives you content ideas and engagement data at the same time.\n\nLimited-time offers: Countdown stickers create urgency. Use them for flash sales, event reminders or new product launches.\n\nTutorials and tips: A three-slide carousel of quick tips in your area of expertise positions you as the go-to source.\n\nHow to post a Story\n\nOpen the Instagram app, tap your profile picture in the top-left corner (or swipe right from the feed), take or upload a photo, record a video, or choose from the Create mode options. Add text, stickers, music or location tags, then tap Your Story to publish. You can also share a feed post directly to Stories with one tap.\n\nSaving Stories as Highlights\n\nOnce a Story expires, it disappears unless you save it to a Highlight. Highlights sit on your profile as themed collections under your bio. A restaurant might have Highlights called Menu, Behind the Scenes and Reviews. A retailer might have New In, Sale and How to Style. To create a Highlight, tap the New button on your profile, select the expired Stories you want to group, give it a name and choose a cover image.\n\nMeasuring Story performance\n\nSwitch to a business account if you have not already. Instagram Insights shows you how many people viewed each Story, how many tapped forward or backward, how many replied and how many visited your profile from a Story. Use that data to work out which content your audience responds to, then do more of that.\n\nIf you are using Instagram for business and not posting Stories regularly, you are leaving visibility on the table. Victory Digital helps small businesses build and manage their social media presence. Find out more at https://victory.digital/social-media.