Instagram Story Ideas for Every Industry [+ Successful Examples]

Have you ever found yourself tapping through Instagram Stories, only to realize you've spent the last 15 minutes completely engrossed? You're not alone. These fleeting moments are highly engaging, making the right Instagram Story ideas crucial for capturing your audience's attention.

Brands are increasingly leveraging creative Instagram Story ideas to drive audience engagement. In 2024, Instagram's ad revenue reached $70.9 billion, with Stories contributing 26.7% to this figure. This growth underscores the platform's expanding potential, setting the stage for even greater milestones anticipated by 2025 and beyond.

In this article, we will explore various Instagram Story ideas tailored for different industries. We'll also look at how you can use Stories to showcase your products, share behind-the-scenes glimpses and build genuine connections with your followers. Let's dive in and discover how to make those 24 hours count!

Instagram Story ideas for e-commerce and retail

Instagram is a powerhouse for social media e-commerce and retail, driving direct conversions with shoppable stickers, swipe-up links, and interactive features.

In 2023, social commerce sales in the United States nearly reached $64.8 billion and the market is expected to exceed $90 billion in sales in 2025 and close to $150 billion by 2028. For brands, this means leveraging Instagram Stories not just for social media engagement but as a strategic sales channel.

Here are some ideas impactful Instagram Story ideas to drive social media conversions and brand affinity:

1. Product demos and how-tos

Customers are more likely to buy when they see a product in action. Short, engaging videos demonstrating how your product works and its benefits can make a lasting impact.

🛍 For example, Sephora often uses stories to showcase makeup application techniques, like a 15-second tutorial on achieving the perfect winged eyeliner — content that turns viewers into customers.

Source

2. Behind-the-scenes of product creation

Offer a behind-the-scenes look at your product creation process to build transparency and trust. This helps create a deeper emotional connection with your audience. Brands that share authentic BTS content see 20% higher engagement rates.

🛠 Nomad, known for premium tech accessories, shares BTS content about how its products are crafted through Instagram Stories.

Source

3. Flash sales and limited-time discount codes

Create a sense of urgency with exclusive, time-sensitive offers. This approach is incredibly effective because it leverages FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to prompt immediate action.

🔥 Fashion Nova, for instance, regularly uses Stories to announce flash sales with countdown stickers. This captures attention quickly and motivates followers to act before the opportunity expires.

Source

4. Customer testimonials and unboxing Stories

Social proof continues to be an effective tool. User-generated content — like testimonials, unboxing videos and influencer shoutouts — enhances credibility and builds trust.

📦 For example, Glossier maximizes this strategy by resharing authentic customer unboxing experiences, featuring real reviews and before-and-after transformations.

Source

Use your brand account to add Stories as “Highlights” to tell a story right on your profile. Adidas, for instance, uses the words YOU GOT THIS as a motivational cue to consolidate its Stories into its profile page. 

Source 

Instagram Story ideas for the food and beverage industry

Instagram Stories are a powerful tool for food and beverage brands, allowing them to captivate audiences with vibrant visuals that stimulate both appetite and engagement. In fact, the food and beverage sector is increasingly turning to social media to build brand awareness and drive direct sales – all through the power of visual social media storytelling.

Here are some ideas to whet your audience's appetite:

1. Appetizing recipe tutorials

Quick, engaging recipe guides are a great way to show the versatility of your products and drive customer engagement. Use Instagram Stories to provide step-by-step recipes with overlay text, encouraging customers to recreate them at home.

🍽️ Tasty, the BuzzFeed-owned food network, expertly uses Stories to break down recipes into bite-sized instructions, boosting both customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Source

2. Ingredient spotlights

Highlighting the unique ingredients used in your products can help build trust with your audience, educating them on quality and sustainability. Share facts about nutritional benefits or the sourcing process to reinforce your brand’s commitment to ethical standards.

🌱 Whole Foods often uses Stories to educate its audience about unique or seasonal produce, sharing interesting facts or nutritional information. These stories often highlight the brand’s dedication to high-quality sourcing and helps establish its brand voice as a trusted, ethical retailer.

Source

3. Behind-the-bar or kitchen tours

Give followers an exclusive peek into your production process with behind-the-scenes tours. Whether showcasing how a dish is prepared or how a beverage is crafted, these Stories foster transparency and build emotional connections with your brand.

☕️ Starbucks India effectively uses Instagram Stories to offer glimpses behind the counter, featuring baristas and showcasing the preparation of seasonal specials, which helps build loyalty among its customer base.

Source

Food and Beverage Industry Benchmarking Report for Digital Unified-CXM

Download Now

Instagram story ideas for the health and wellness industry

In a world where "self-care" is more than just a buzzword, health and wellness brands have a unique opportunity to positively impact people's lives. Instagram Stories offer health and wellness brands an unparalleled opportunity to engage with their audience on a personal level, providing quick, accessible content that aligns with today’s fast-paced lifestyle.

With consumers increasingly prioritizing mental and physical health, Instagram serves as the perfect platform to offer educational, motivational and actionable content.

Here are some ideas to get your audience excited about their wellness journey:

1. Daily wellness tips

Start your followers' day on a positive note with quick, actionable health tips. These Stories featuring quick exercises, stress-relief techniques or motivational advice can keep your audience engaged.

🌿 Headspace, the meditation app, often shares short, animated clips with simple mindfulness exercises or stress-relief techniques, reinforcing its commitment to mental well-being.

Source

Here’s a 5-step plan to Social Media Marketing for Healthcare

2. Before-and-after transformations

Nothing motivates quite like seeing real results. Sharing before-and-after transformations can provide tangible evidence of your product or service's impact.

🏋️‍♂️ Anytime Fitness, a renowned fitness chain, regularly features client transformations in its Stories, showcasing the effectiveness of its workout programs and inspiring its audience to take action.

Source

3. Live question-and-answer sessions with experts

Boost your brand’s credibility by hosting live Q&A sessions with health professionals. This creates an interactive experience, providing real-time answers to questions from your audience while positioning your brand as an industry leader.

🥦 The Vitamin Shoppe often invites nutritionists and fitness experts to take over its Stories and answer followers’ questions. The brand merges expert knowledge with real-time engagement, positioning itself as a go-to resource for health and wellness.

Source

4. Workout of the day

Sharing daily workout Stories encourages followers to stay active, making fitness more accessible and part of their routine and encourages them to revisit your account for more.

🤸‍♂️ Daily Burn shares pilates workout snippets on Instagram Stories, offering accessible, low-impact exercises that keep followers consistent with their fitness routines.

Source

Related Read: 6 Health and Wellness Brands That Excel in Social Media Marketing

Instagram story ideas for beauty and fashion industry

For beauty and fashion brands, Instagram Stories are like having your fashion show or beauty counter, available 24/7 to your audience. They're perfect for showcasing products, sharing styling tips and staying on top of trends.

Here are some ideas to glam up your Stories:

1. Makeup tutorials and skincare routines

Quick tutorials help customers see how products work in real time, highlighting their benefits and versatility. By demonstrating real use cases, brands can enhance product understanding and engagement.

💋 Fenty Beauty excels with easy-to-follow tutorials on Instagram Stories, showcasing its diverse range of products and increasing product awareness among its audience.

Source

Consistency is crucial when posting on Instagram Stories and scheduling your content ahead of time is one way to achieve it. 

Use social media scheduling tools to plan, schedule and publish Stories around key events such as product launches and promotions. This will ensure your content is aligned without missing a beat! 

Want to know more? Book a demo to explore what more you can do with Sprinklr's Social Media Scheduler! 👇   

GRAB A DEMO

2. Outfit of the day (OOTD) showcase

OOTD Stories offer styling inspiration, helping followers visualize how to wear your products. Add polls or questions to boost interactivity and engagement.

👗 Ralph Lauren regularly shares OOTD posts on Instagram Stories, positioning its brand as a luxury, aspirational lifestyle choice and helping followers envision themselves in its iconic styles.

Source

How leading luxury brands leverage digital channels to better engage with their consumers

Register Now

3. Trend alerts and seasonal lookbooks

Use Stories to showcase versatile combinations and tap into social media trends that resonate with your audience. Create mini lookbooks for seasonal collections or trending themes like “holiday glam” or “office chic.”

🛍️ Zara uses Stories to create mini lookbooks for each new collection or season, showcasing multiple looks in a series of images or short video clips. This provides its audience with a glimpse of new trends and reinforcing its position as a trend-driven, fast-fashion leader.

Source

🔖 Bookmark This: 11 Instagram Trends to Use in Social Media Marketing

4. Virtual try-on sessions

Virtual try-on sessions allow users to test products virtually, removing purchase hesitation and making shopping more immersive.

👁️ MAC Cosmetics uses AR try-on filters, allowing followers to virtually test different makeup looks before buying. These virtual try-ons bridge the gap between online and in-store experiences by offering a risk-free way to experiment.

Source

Learn More: How 4 Leading Brands Use AR and VR to Create Memorable Customer Experiences

Understanding how your audience responds to your Stories is key to creating more engaging content. 

With social listening tools, you can track real-time conversations and sentiments about your brand. This allows you to fine-tune your Stories to address pain points and connect with your audience on a deeper level. 

 

Keen to learn more? Book a demo to explore how Sprinklr’s Social Listening tool can help you learn more about customer conversations! 

Deep Dive: Social Media Marketing for Beauty Brands

Instagram story ideas for travel and hospitality industry

For travel and hospitality brands, Instagram Stories are your ticket to inspiring wanderlust and showcasing destinations. Whether you're a boutique hotel, a major airline or a tour operator, Instagram Stories give you the power to transport your audience to far-flung locales — all from the comfort of their couch.

Here are some ideas to fuel your followers' travel dreams:

1. Destination spotlights

Destination spotlights allow brands to showcase unique destinations, highlight local culture and inspire travel dreams. By using these Stories, you can position your brand as a go-to resource for exploring the world.

🌍 Hotel brands, like @hotel, expertly use Instagram Stories to spotlight diverse destinations, mixing beautiful visuals with cultural facts, enticing viewers to explore and book unique stays.

Source

🎒 Read More: Instagram Algorithms Explained: Everything You Need to Know

2. Virtual hotel or resort tours

Offer a sneak peek into your property, giving potential guests a virtual tour. Show off room amenities, dining experiences, and unique features that set your brand apart.

🛏️ Marriott Hotels often showcases its global properties via Stories, walking followers through rooms, amenities and highlighting local experiences, ensuring brand credibility and excitement around their stays.

Source

3. Travel tips and hacks

Share useful travel tips to engage your audience and position your brand as a trusted expert. Tips on packing, local customs or how to navigate airports can add value to followers' travel experiences.

🧳 Travel + Leisure magazine regularly shares useful tips, packing hacks or local customs information. These Stories help keep the audience involved and connected.

Source

Read More: Top 5 Ways to Enhance Hotel Customer Experience

4. Guest takeovers

Invite influencers or customers to share their authentic travel experiences. This adds a personal touch and creates a stronger connection with your audience.

🌟 Adventure travel company Intrepid Travel frequently allows travelers or influencers to take over its Stories for a day, providing an authentic, first-person perspective of the travel experience.

Source

📖 More To Read: What the Best Hospitality Brands Know About Social

Instagram story ideas for education and coaching industry

For educational institutions and coaches, Instagram Stories offer a unique opportunity to share knowledge, inspire learners and showcase student success.

For large enterprises, leveraging Instagram's visual appeal can significantly boost brand visibility and drive engagement.

Here are some ideas to make your Stories the highlight of your followers' educational journey:

1. Daily learning challenges

Encourage daily engagement by offering interactive challenges that reinforce learning habits. These stories motivate followers to stay connected while building a sense of accomplishment.

📚 Quizlet engages its followers by sharing daily flashcard challenges on Instagram Stories, covering topics like vocabulary, psychology, science terms or historical dates.

Source

2. Student success stories

Feature real student achievements to inspire others and demonstrate tangible results. These stories build credibility and encourage potential students to enroll by showcasing your brand’s transformative impact.

🎓 Coursera often features Stories highlighting the accomplishments of its learners, such as career transitions or certifications earned. By showcasing relatable achievements, the brand motivates its audience to enroll in courses while reinforcing its transformative potential.

Source

3. Behind-the-scenes of campus life

Give prospective students a peek into campus culture to build excitement and connection. This strategy humanizes your institution, making it feel accessible and welcoming.

🏫 Harvard University uses Stories to show glimpses of campus events and student life, helping potential students visualize themselves as part of the university’s vibrant community.

Source

📗 Read More: 5 Colleges That Lead In Social Media Marketing

4. Mini lessons or study tips

Serve up knowledge in bite-sized portions. Quick lessons provide immediate value and cater to busy audiences who appreciate easily digestible content.

✏️ Scholastic uses Instagram Stories to deliver engaging, bite-sized educational content to younger audiences, solidifying its position as a trusted partner in children’s education.

Source

Interesting Read: Customer Service in Education Industry: Process + Benefits

Instagram story ideas for technology and SaaS industry

For tech and SaaS companies, Instagram Stories are a great way to simplify complex features or technological terms and show real-world applications. Use these Stories to showcase your latest features, demystify complex concepts and highlight how your tech is changing the game.

Here are some ideas to make your tech accessible and exciting:

1. Product feature highlights

Turn your latest updates into headline news. By demonstrating value-added functionalities, these Stories educate users while boosting engagement. It's also a great way to keep your content fresh and engage users with ongoing updates.

🚀 Slack does this well, using Stories to showcase new features or lesser-known functionalities with screen recordings or animated graphics. These Stories help Slack keep current users engaged and attract potential customers with the platform's versatility and innovation.

Source

2. Tech workflows and workarounds

Position your brand as a problem-solver by offering actionable tips to streamline tasks. These quick Story snippets help users solve specific problems they may be facing and encourage them to use your product more effectively.

🔧 Adobe Photoshop frequently shares bite-sized tutorials on Instagram Stories, helping users discover hidden tools and shortcuts. By addressing pain points, these insights enhance customer satisfaction and deepen platform adoption.

Source

Learn More: 8 Techniques for B2B Marketing on Instagram

3. Industry news and trends

Showcase your expertise by keeping your audience updated on key industry trends. These Stories reinforce your brand’s authority and position it at the forefront of innovation.

📈 Tesla uses Instagram Stories to keep its audience updated on the latest trends in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. By staying ahead of industry trends and providing valuable insights, Tesla reinforces its position as a leader in sustainable technology and innovation.

Source

📙 Also Read: How To Use Instagram For Business In 8 Ways

4. Customer success stories

Real-world applications build credibility and drive conversions. Showcasing how businesses benefit from your product adds social proof and trust.

💡 Salesforce regularly features customer testimonials in its Stories, highlighting how real businesses are using its CRM to solve problems and grow. By showcasing tangible results, the brand encourages other businesses to adopt its solutions.

Source

🧾 More to Discover: 14 Tips To Grow Followers On Instagram

Make Instagram your brand’s success story

We've explored how brands across different industries are turning Instagram Stories into a powerful engagement tool. From e-commerce companies creating digital storefronts to tech firms explaining complex concepts, the possibilities are both diverse and practical.

The strength of Instagram Stories lies in their temporary nature. They create a sense of urgency that can be very effective for driving digital customer engagement and action. Whether you're highlighting a special offer, offering a behind-the-scenes look or sharing a quick tip, Stories provide a unique chance to connect with your audience in real time.

As you start to implement these ideas, keep a few things in mind:

👥Know your audience: Tailor your content to what your specific audience finds valuable and engaging.

🔑Consistency is key: Regular posting keeps your brand top-of-mind, but don't sacrifice quality for quantity.

💬Embrace interactivity: Use features like polls, questions and quizzes to turn passive viewers into active participants.

🖲️Track and analyze: Pay attention to what works and use these insights to refine your strategy.

💯Stay true to your brand: While it's great to try new things, make sure your Stories align with your overall brand voice and values.

Implementing a robust Instagram Story strategy can seem daunting, especially when you're juggling multiple social media platforms. This is where a tool like Sprinklr Social can be incredibly helpful. It allows you to plan, create and schedule your Stories alongside your other social media content, all from one central platform.

Book a demo to see how Sprinklr can streamline your flow! 👇