Instagram stories have become a popular way for brands and influencers to connect with their audience in an authentic and engaging way. With over 500 million daily active users on Instagram stories, it's a huge opportunity to drive views, engagement, and ultimately conversions for your business.
One of the most effective ways to maximize views and engagement for your Instagram stories is by using strategic calls-to-action (CTAs). CTAs prompt your viewers to take a specific action, like visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. Implementing compelling CTAs into your Instagram stories can significantly boost your results.
In this guide, we'll cover how to create effective CTAs for Instagram stories to increase story views and engagement.
Types of Instagram Story Calls to Action
There are a few main types of Instagram call to action you can include in your Instagram stories:
Swipe Up CTAs - Only available for accounts with 10k+ followers, swipe up allows viewers to seamlessly visit a web page or product page.
Clickable Stickers - Interactive stickers that allow clicking through to a destination.
Text/Graphics - Directly prompting a viewer within text or graphics to take an action.
Profile Clicks - Prompting viewers to click through to your Instagram profile or website in your bio.
Poll Stickers - Pose a question and prompt users to engage by voting.
Quiz Stickers - Prompt viewers to answer a short quiz, driving engagement.
Each CTA type has its pros and cons and can be used strategically within your stories. Test different CTAs to see which resonate best with your audience.
Best Practices for Instagram Story CTAs
Follow these best practices when integrating calls-to-action into your Instagram stories:
Place your CTA strategically - The first 1-2 slides in your story are prime real estate for your CTA as you have viewers' attention. You can also repeat the CTA throughout the story.
Make it visually stand out - Use contrasting colors, stickers, and text formatting to draw attention to your CTA.
Keep it simple and clear - Your CTA should use concise, action-driven language. Tell viewers exactly what to do.
Vary CTA placement - Experiment with putting CTAs in different locations like the top, middle, or end of slides.
Use interactive elements - Leverage poll and quiz stickers to actively engage viewers and prompt responses.
Try a countdown sticker - Adding urgency with a ticking countdown can incentivize viewers to swipe up before time runs out.
Promote your CTA - In your caption and first story slides, let viewers know to stay tuned for a special CTA or announcement to build anticipation.
Track performance - Use Instagram Insights or UTMs to track which CTAs drive the most clicks, site traffic, etc. Refine based on what resonates.
Instagram Call to Action Examples
Now that we've covered best practices, let's look at some stellar examples of effective Instagram story CTAs:
@glossier uses simple, clean text CTAs in their tutorial stories prompting viewers to shop the products. The contrasting color makes the CTA pop.
@airbnb leverages swipe-up CTAs to drive bookings from interested viewers watching travel story content.
@garyvee includes urgent countdown sticker CTAs and custom graphics to create a sense of urgency around limited offers.
@shopify uses clickable "Shop This Look" stickers within their outfit stories to seamlessly drive to product pages.
@starbucks promotes their new drinks with quiz stickers that engage viewers to guess flavors. This interactive CTA boosts involvement.
These examples demonstrate the diversity of Instagram story CTAs you can test to determine what resonates most with your own audience. The key is tracking engagement and conversion rates to optimize.
Optimizing Your Instagram Story CTAs
To maximize the impact of your story CTAs, be sure to optimize them over time. Here are some key tips:
A/B Test Different CTAs
Try different variations of your CTAs to see what performs best. Test factors like sticker color, text phrasing, placement, and more. Analyze the click-through rate for each version.
Promote Your Best Stories
Use Instagram Story Highlights to showcase stories that drove high engagement, especially ones featuring high-converting CTAs.
Boost Your Best CTAs
You can boost certain story slides with CTAs for more visibility. Promote the CTAs that deliver the most results.
Watch Your Analytics
Instagram Insights provides data on your story views, interactions, clicks, and more. Analyze this data weekly to refine your CTAs.
Follow Up After Clicks
If a viewer clicks your CTA, follow up later in DMs or emails to continue the conversation and build the relationship.
By continually testing and optimizing based on performance data, you can constantly refine your story CTAs for better results over time. Rinse and repeat to boost impressions and engagement long-term.
Buy Automatic Story Views
While optimizing your organic CTAs is crucial, you can also accelerate your Instagram growth by Buying automatic story views. Here’s an overview:
Works instantly to increase your views/impressions and help you get discovered. Boosted visibility fuels real organic engagement.
Safe from bans or restrictions since the services use real accounts that engage with your content. Natural looking.
Allows you to test which types of stories perform best when boosted with additional views. Refine your content strategy based on the data.
Very affordable, especially when first starting out. Services offer packages starting under $10 for thousands of automatic views.
Fast sign-up without needing to submit your password. Just provide your username and pay for your selected package.
Ideal boost for new and growing accounts looking to gain credibility and authority on the platform.
While automatic views alone won’t go viral, they establish social proof to leverage for organic growth.
Try services like Instamarket, Instazood, Famoid, or SocialViral for a quick and easy viewing boost. Use our coupon codes for discounts.
Just be sure the provider you choose offers natural delivery speed and quality views, followers, and likes to avoid looking spammy. When used strategically, buying views is a proven tactic to kickstart your Instagram growth.
Free Instagram Views
While paid services are great for accelerating your Instagram growth, there are also some free ways to get more views on your Instagram stories:
Use Relevant Hashtags - Include ~3-5 top hashtags in your story captions to get discovered by people searching those tags. Mix niche and broad hashtags.
Cross-Promote Across Your Accounts - Share your Instagram story across your other social profiles to alert your existing followers.
Run an Instagram Contest - Encourage viewers to engage with your story through a giveaway or contest. Tools like Wishpond make it easy.
Collaborate with Micro-Influencers - Work with relevant influencers in your niche to share your story with their engaged follower base.
Share User-Generated Content - Re-share viewer stories featuring your brand and products to gain more impressions.
Engage Followers in Your Niche - Be an active member of your community by commenting on and engaging with their stories.
Share Behind-the-Scenes Content - Give an authentic inside look at your brand, team, products, services, etc.
Ask Questions - Spark engagement by prompting viewers to answer questions via polls, emoji sliders, or in the comments.
Go Live - Instagram Lives notify your followers and get shown more prominently in the app, helping you get viewed by more users.
While going the free route requires more effort, consistently providing value through your stories and engaging your target audience will drive results over time. Combine free Instagram views with the occasional paid boost for optimal Instagram success.
Conclusion
Implementing compelling calls to action in your Instagram stories is a highly effective tactic for increasing views, engagement, leads, and sales. However, your CTAs should provide real value to viewers rather than simply self-promoting your offerings. Avoid being too salesy or spammy.
Focus on entertaining, educating, and engaging your audience. Integrate CTAs seamlessly into stories that align with your brand purpose. Ensure your CTAs are visually engaging and crystal clear in their messaging. Track performance data continuously and double down on what works.
By consistently delivering an amazing viewing experience, prompting intelligent action, and optimizing ruthlessly, your Instagram stories will convert viewers into loyal followers and customers over time. Make CTAs an integral part of your daily storytelling to maximize impressions and achieve explosive Instagram growth.
FAQs
Q1: How can I add clickable CTAs in Instagram Stories without 10K followers?
If you don't have 10K+ followers for swipe-up links, use clickable stickers or direct viewers to click the link in your bio to mimic a CTA experience. You can drive traffic, encourage profile visits, and more.
Q2: What's the best CTA sticker to use in Instagram Stories?
It depends on your goal! "Shop Now" works great for e-commerce brands, while "Learn More" is better for educational content. Test different stickers to see which drives the most clicks based on your audience's interests.
Q3: Where should I place my CTA sticker in Instagram Stories?
Try placing CTAs both at the start and end of your stories. You can also repeat the CTA sticker in between if it's a longer story. Putting CTAs in the first 1-2 slides is key to capturing people's attention immediately.
Q4: How do I make my CTA stand out in Instagram Stories?
Use high-contrast colors, strategic placement, and creative typography to make your CTA stickers pop. You can also add animation or drawings around your sticker to attract more attention.
Q5: How often should I use CTAs in my Instagram Stories?
Avoid overusing CTAs in every story, as too much can make sales. Aim to strategically include clear CTAs in about 30% of your stories, focused on your most important offers, launches, events, etc. Find the right balance for your audience.