Table of Contents
- What Is the Instagram Stories Question Sticker?
- When Is the Questions Feature Within Stories the Most Effective?
- How Does the Stories Question Sticker Work?
- How Do You See Responses and Answer Instagram Questions?
- 5 Tips for Creating Engaging Questions for Instagram Stories
- Incorporate Instagram Questions Into Your Marketing Flywheel
Almost one out of every four people over 13, or about 23% of the world’s teen and adult population, uses Instagram. As a social media giant, Instagram (IG) has caught the attention of marketers, influencers, and business owners. This is especially true with the “Stories” feature, which has become as popular, or even more popular, than Instagram posts.
More than 500 million users now actively check Instagram Stories on a daily basis. Businesses post about one-third of the most viewed Instagram Stories.
In order to entertain your audience, provide value, gain customer leads, and close sales, you have to go where your customers “hang out”—and they’re hanging out in Stories. Instagram Business found that 58% of Instagram users have become interested in a brand after viewing its Stories. In one survey, half of users reported that they’ve visited a brand’s website to buy a product or service after seeing it featured on an IG story.
Utilizing Instagram Stories, including asking and answering Instagram Questions, is one easy way for users to boost engagement with their audience. Neil Patel, the co-founder of NP Digital, states, “Instagram stands apart from all other platforms. It’s one of the best places for you to promote brand engagement with your users. And it’s grown by 1,400% in just the last five years.”
Stories can contribute to a brand’s marketing funnel, guiding followers into becoming loyal customers, ambassadors, and advocates. “Stories are the most popular content format for authenticity. They’ve always been a way for Instagram users to peel back the layers, go beyond the perfectly curated image, and showcase something a bit more real,” says Kyra Goodman, a social media marketing writer.
To learn more about growing your audience and customers with engaging content, learn how to create fun, educational, and valuable Stories within Instagram Questions.
Key Takeaways
- Rather than having your viewers quickly click through your Instagram Stories without giving them much thought, the Questions sticker is immersive, grabs attention, and creates a conversation.
- 87% of businesses use Instagram Stories in their marketing strategies, and in 83% of cases, using stickers such as Questions enhances Stories’ performance.
- On average, adult Instagram users spend about 30 minutes per day looking at IG. Much of this time is spent viewing Stories and Reels. Therefore, brands should deliver content across different IG features.
What Is the Instagram Stories Question Sticker?
Instagram Questions is a feature in Instagram Stories that allows users to interact with their followers. When someone posts an Instagram Question they receive private feedback and answers from their followers in real time.
If you’re not familiar with Instagram Stories, it’s a popular feature of Instagram, a social media app with over 1.4 billion users. When you post a story, you share videos, photos, and text that disappears after 24 hours rather than permanently being featured on your IG account.
Instagram Questions was first introduced in July 2018 as a new feature for IG Stories. The Questions feature is referred to as a “sticker” because it’s an add-on to IG Stories. Aside from the Questions sticker, there are many other interactive stickers that can be used on IG Stories, including Polls, Quizzes, and Countdowns.
To find the Questions sticker on Instagram:
- Open a new Instagram story located at the top left corner of your screen. Click on the circle that has a blue “+” sign to create a new story. Then choose a photo or video to include with your question (it will appear behind the box with your text inside).
- Locate the sticker tray on the top right-hand side of your story. Choose the second option which looks like a box with a face.
- Look for the Questions option and click it. Type in your question, which will be displayed to your followers.
- To change the color of your question box, tap the color wheel at the top of the screen. Use two fingers to move around the box and change its size or location. Click done when you’re finished.
- Your followers can now answer your question by tapping the box with your text. You’ll receive private responses.
When Is the Questions Feature Within Stories the Most Effective?
The Questions sticker is especially effective when you’re interested in hearing from your audience directly and interacting with them. Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to answer your viewer’s questions, displaying your knowledge and allowing your followers to get to know you better personally.
Use the Instagram Questions feature within your IG Stories in these situations:
- To receive responses that are open-ended and free-form. Questions allow people to write as much text back to you as they want.
- To receive feedback and answers that are private. Only you will see responses to your questions unless you share them.
Using Instagram Questions can help your business in the following ways:
- Teaches you about your audience: The question sticker prompts you to speak with your followers. You’ll get to know your audience better and hear what they’re asking for or interested in.
- Introduces your viewers to what you do and why: Stories and Questions are a great way to connect with your audience and let them know why you are in business and how you plan to serve them.
- Informs people of new opportunities: Stories can help you promote products, services, events, or launch new projects. Think of them as a way to show off what you’ve been working on lately and to gather interest and attention.
- Provides free value: Your IG account allows you to teach your audience about your area of expertise for free, providing help without any obligation.
- Creates a community among your audience: You can share responses that you get to your questions in order to open up a conversation.
- Demonstrates your knowledge and expertise: You’ll earn credibility when you consistently share valuable information. Posting informative and interesting Stories is an effective way to show your followers that you know what you’re talking about.
- Cross-promotes products and services: Stories and Questions allow you to work with other influencers to help answer questions on each others’ channels.
How Does the Stories Question Sticker Work?
Here’s how the Questions feature for Instagram Stories works:
- You post a story that includes a question in it. Your viewers can see your question and click to respond by tapping on your story.
- You can respond back directly to your followers using direct messages (DMs), or you can repost answers for others to see.
- You can also use Questions as a prompt to ask your viewers what they would like to know about you. Then, you can include questions and answers in the same story.
How long do Stories last? How long does someone have to answer your questions?
Your story and questions will be live for 24 hours. This means that your audience has only one day to respond.
How is the Questions sticker different from other stickers? With the Questions sticker, you can poll your audience (they can respond by clicking one of your options) or use an Emoji slider if you want simple feedback such as “yes” or “no” answers. Additionally, you can receive private feedback from your audience and share these responses, too.
How Do You See Responses and Answer Instagram Questions?
How you see responses to your IG Questions:
- View your own story, then swipe up on the screen.
- Tap responses to view them or share them in a new Instagram story. When sharing a response, the user’s username and photo will be hidden.
- You can also view responses in your general notifications page. Even after your story disappears, responses can be viewed after 24 hours by returning to your notifications.
- To respond to answers, tap the response and choose from the prompted options to do so.
Steps involved in answering questions on IG:
- Tap the Question box while viewing someone’s story. Type in your answer and press send.
- Your message will be sent immediately to the user you’re speaking with and will be private.
What are the best replies for Instagram story questions?
Try to be specific but also concise, which helps the question asker gather information most easily.
5 Tips for Creating Engaging Questions for Instagram Stories
1. Post Consistently
Being successful with social media marketing relies on consistency, which is a must for growth and gaining a following. Jon Simpson from Forbes suggests posting at least 1–2 times weekly because “When your content quality, quantity, or schedule isn’t consistent, it can confuse your customers. Keeping with a regular strategy not only helps create a better customer experience, it also helps build credibility, reputation, and brand trust.”
Stay consistent with your social media strategy by:
- Posting IG Stories at least 2–3 days a week, or up to 1–2 times per day. Only include Questions in some of your Stories; vary the types of stickers you use in Stories to keep people interested.
- Planning your content schedule ahead of time to stay on track. Each story will likely take about 30 minutes to organize and post.
- Reviewing your content plan to ensure your posts are cohesive and represent your brand.
- Taking time to respond to the answers you get.
2. Start Wide Then Narrow Down
Choose the right types of questions to ask based on your followers and what’s relevant to your brand and services. Neal Schaffer, marketing consultant, explains, “If you pick an audience that is too broad, you’re not going to be very successful in targeting . . . you’ll want to niche down even more and start thinking: Who is ACTUALLY my ideal customer? And what interests do they have?”
Here are some ideas to help you post relevant questions:
- Ask questions that appeal to a wide audience at first. For example, ask people how they keep their energy up instead of asking which exact supplements they take to treat disease-related fatigue.
- Start broad, but then trim down your questions and advice to be more specific. Post a range of Stories that target different niches within your audience.
- Look for patterns in terms of engagement so you know what’s resonating with your audience and what they’d like to hear more of.
3. Gauge Your Audience to Understand Their Interests
Questions gives you the chance to uncover what intrigues your audience. Ask what they’d love to learn more about and create follow-up content with these themes in mind. “Asking questions can help you narrow down WHO is engaged with your brand and who you should and shouldn’t pursue when it comes to moving your customers down the pipeline,” says Keith Kakadia for SociallyIn.
To deliver the best content to your audience:
- Monitor which questions and answers get the most traction. Instagram’s Help Center suggests using Instagram Insights to view insights on your audience’s engagement with specific Stories. To do this, go to the Menu icon in the upper right corner and tap Insights, then view metrics for specific content you’ve shared.
- Consider holding an “Ask Me Anything” session in which your followers can ask you whatever is on their mind, giving you insight into their needs.
- Follow up with viewers that respond to you, such as by sending them a DM to show you appreciate their effort. This helps you connect with your biggest fans which can function as ambassadors for your brand.
4. Be Creative but Offer Actionable Advice
The average person will only watch a IG story for about 3–10 seconds, therefore you want to grab their attention and deliver your message quickly. Brent Barnhart shares, “Stories are the ideal place to talk to your customers like people for the sake of showing off your brand’s voice and personality . . . And for brands, they’re a low-hanging opportunity to publish engaging content with total creative freedom.” With this in mind, aim to provide the greatest amount of value to your followers in the smallest amount of time.
Here’s how to do it:
- When answering questions and responding to feedback, be helpful and as thorough as possible without bombarding your viewers with too much information.
- Think two steps ahead of your audience: Why are they asking this question? What do they really want to know?
- Provide an action plan with specific steps to take.
- Include a call-to-action that makes it easy for viewers to use your advice. This offers solutions to problems and keeps viewers coming back for more.
- Share the best responses to your Stories to spread the word and build a sense of community.
5. Build Connections to Grow Your Audience
When brands build connections with their viewers, their followers come to respect and trust their opinions and recommendations. This helps support their sales and grows loyalty among their customers. According to Subsign Digital Agency, “The best influencers strive to create a personal relationship with their followers. A micro-influencer’s opinion means a lot to the audience when making a decision whether to buy from brand X or Y.”
To do this, ask your followers connection-building questions such as:
- What are your favorite resources, books, movies, TV shows, or apps?
- What’s the best piece of advice related to your career, family, or hobbies that you’ve ever received?
- What are your best tips for doing this job or task well?
- Where’s the best place to find something either in stores or online?
- Have you seen this episode, story, or trending news piece?
- What do you think about this product, piece of advice, or event?
Once your followers have responded, find a way to keep the conversation going, such as by creating a brief video which usually drives engagement. Keep in mind that IG is basically a way to tell stories, so keep things fun and don’t be shy about revealing your personality.
Incorporate Instagram Questions Into Your Marketing Flywheel
Instagram Stories should ideally be used as just one part of a brand’s broader social media strategy. For the greatest payoff, incorporate other components into your company’s marketing flywheel, which is a strategy used to drive cyclical growth by pleasing customers so much that they turn into raving fans.
In addition to IG Stories and Questions, draw attention to your brand using:
- Social media posts and reels
- Blog posts
- Podcasts
- Videos
- eBooks
- Free trials
- Paid ads
By engaging with your customers and audience, learning what they’re looking for, and consistently offering value, you’ll encourage your fans to share their experiences and grow your network.
Want to learn more about effective marketing using social media? Check out: “How to Create a Strong Social Media Strategy in 2022.”
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