Video: It’s not the future of business, marketing, and brand building because it’s already here. Fortunately for those of you (okay, of us) who may not have the time, bandwidth or inclination to shoot and edit regular YouTube videos, platforms like InstaStory, Periscope, and Facebook Live have become powerful ways to get on camera with very low barriers to entry – from the financial to the mental.
InstaStory has been a game changer for me: Increased engagement with my community on and off Instagram, a growth in my community, and major conversion from newsletter signups to website activity and purchases. Follow these best Instagram accounts for business inspiration. #bestinstagramaccounts #businesstips #biztips #businessinspo #bizspo
If you’re already following me on Instagram you know by now that I have fallen into the InstaStory world and I can’t – and don’t want to – get out. Sure, when I first dipped my toe in I felt (and probably looked) a little bit awkward, but the start of anything is always like that, and it’s okay if you feel the same way when you begin.
However, I can now tell you with 100% certainty that InstaStory has been a game changer for me: Increased interaction and engagement with my community on and off Instagram, a growth in my community, and major conversion from newsletter signups to website activity and purchases. It works friends, and the sooner you jump on the InstaStory train the faster you’ll reach your brand building benchmarks.
Let These InstaStory Pros Inspire You &
Your Insta-Strategy
But how do you begin? Do you need some strategic (and entertaining) inspiration? I’ve got you covered.
I compiled a list of must-follow InstaStory feeds to click over to and dedicate a few minutes to watching. I’m guessing you’ll get hooked on more than one of them. This is because they are masters at providing both a solid picture (or should I say video) of who they are as a business (behind-the-scenes, their value, their expertise, their offerings) as well as who they are as a person (their personality, their sense of humor, a look at their everyday lives).
These brands weave together the personal, professional and promotional into a perfect braid, and this video marketing mastery has me – and thousands of others – hooked on their feeds.
Want to see how InstaStory should be done? Follow these 10 pro Insta-Storytellers! Click To Tweet
**Click on each ‘grammer’s name and it will take you directly to their Instagram feed just in case you aren’t following them yet! Remember – to view their InstaStories simply click on their profile picture, sit back, and enjoy!
InstaStory Feeds Biz Owners Should Be Watching
My friends, Emily Loftiss is the reason I became so addicted to InstaStory. Here’s why you’ll love her InstaStory feed: Her consistent, behind-the-scenes videos are both genuine and unfiltered, and because of that she immediately connects with her audience. Learn from that my friends! This on-air beauty and style expert shares videos all day long on InstaStory that suck you in as you get an unfiltered peek at everything from her travel adventures to her favorite products, all the while infusing her posts with her high-energy and sense of humor. Within a few days of watching her ‘Stories you’ll feel like you’re real-life friends, and that my fellow content creators, is a powerful feeling to generate in your online communities!
Studio DIY’s Kelly Mindell gets real in two powerful ways on her InstaStories, which is one of the many reasons why she’s followed and adored by me and more than 350,000 thousand like me (and don’t even get me started on her crazy-amazing crafting and costume-creation skills). What you’ll love (and learn from) her InstaStory Feed: Kelly’s videos illustrate the connection-building magic that accompanies getting honest about entrepreneurship and the creation process: she’ll take you step-by-step through how she makes her products (including her famed clutches) from what she outsources to how she designs them. Kelly has also been completely real and honest with you about her personal journeys as well, from her engagement to the recent adoption of her son Arlo. Both of these types of shares illustrate that giving people glimpses into your world – in business and in life – leads to a deeper connection, and can turn casual followers into dedicated, enthusiastic fans, regular readers, and long-term customers.
First of all, Daphne Oz is hilarious. Do you know how I know that? Her InstaStory feed. Exactly. When you let yourself be, well, yourself, while taking people behind the scenes and through your day with you, they get to know you. And when they get to know you better, they’re most likely going to get to like you more as well. The more they like you, the more they come back for more, and your “relationship” with them grows.
That’s exactly what happened when I began watching Daphne’s ‘stories. My understanding about who she was as a person (not just a personality) grew, and so did my solid girl-who-means-business crush on her. Be like Daphne, let your real self shine through, and watch your following and fans grow and cheer you on!
There’s a reason Eva Chen is the Queen B, if you will, of Instagram. She’s not only a master of the platform, she’s now a pro in InstaStory world as well – no surprise as she also serves as the brand’s director of fashion partnerships. Here’s why you’ll love her InstaStories: Yes, she weaves together the personal and professional, taking you everywhere from the front row at New York Fashion Week to the front of her television, as she snarks at episodes of The Bachelor. But what she also does is demonstrate within her videos and photos her “InstaStory editing” skills with her stellar use of fonts, emojis, badges and more. Get inspired in terms of InstaStory content and delivery from this solid ‘story feed – it’s a front row seat to a masterclass in InstaStory strategy.
But what she also does is demonstrate within her videos and photos her “InstaStory editing” skills with her stellar use of fonts, emojis, badges and more. Get inspired in terms of InstaStory content and delivery from this solid ‘story feed – it’s a front row seat to a masterclass in InstaStory strategy.
Want to watch in real-time as a popular lifestyle brand continues to grow and explode – in a good way – across the retail and social media world? Want to get to know the founder who makes that happen? Be sure you’re tapped into the InstaStory feed of Ashley Brooke Designs and their co-founder, Ashley Brooke herself. Like Eva Chen, I’m a fan of Ashley’s feed because her consistent videos are both entertaining and engaging, but also because she’s a pro at sharing what she’s up to professionally, getting you excited as she teases out new products and sales, and taking you along with her as she grows her business and brand – all with a sweet southern tone that you can’t help but adore. Follow this feed y’all – you (and your InstaStory feed) will thank me!
Like Eva Chen, I’m a fan of Ashley’s feed because her consistent videos are both entertaining and engaging, but also because she’s a pro at sharing what she’s up to professionally, getting you excited as she teases out new products and sales, and taking you along with her as she grows her business and brand – all with a sweet southern tone that you can’t help but adore. Follow this feed y’all – you (and your InstaStory feed) will thank me!
I’m going to call Brandi another one of my InstaStory “O.G.’s”. Like Emily Loftiss above, I’ve been following her since nearly day one, and just like with Emily, I had respected and admired Brandi’s work on one level when I got to know her in regular Instagram, but let’s be real, you can only get to know someone so well when you’re doing it via photos. Once Brandi began posting videos I was given a front row seat to her daily adventures (and the work she puts in behind-the-scenes to make them happen) and I keep coming back for more. From her appearances on the Today Show to her weekend snacking adventures, this food pro gives you a play-by-play of her life, and trust me, you’ll want to come back seconds and thirds!
Once Brandi began posting videos I was given a front row seat to her daily adventures (and the work she puts in behind-the-scenes to make them happen) and I keep coming back for more. From her appearances on the Today Show to her weekend snacking adventures, this food pro gives you a play-by-play of her life, and trust me, you’ll want to come back seconds and thirds!
Like the other women on this list, Joy Cho of Oh Joy readily shares video clips of her personal and professional life on her feed, but here’s something else unique to her InstaStories that I want you to take note of: Joy shares ongoing thematic ‘stories. For example, she regularly shares her outfit of the day, and when I say shares she doesn’t just tell you, she shares her look in an InstaStory post and then dances it out on camera – background jams and all. This simple, ongoing ‘story type has a big impact: It’s a series I (and I’m sure others) naturally return back for, and it also shares Joy’s playful personality – from her dance moves to her music choices.
The takeaway for you? Yes, most of your videos will happen in real time as life does, but if you have routines or activities you do regularly, perhaps consider inviting your followers and viewers to watch them, on a regular basis. Keep sharing these moments, and they’ll keep coming back for more!
The “Tone It Up Girls”, a.k.a. Karina and Katrina, have built an empire that was born on video (YouTube) and is rooted in their fun and accessible personalities just as much, so it’s no surprise they slay when it comes to creating magnetic InstaStory content as well, that makes them feel like your best gal pals, while strategically promoting their expertise and their business offerings. In fact, just recently the ladies
In fact, just recently the ladies led a live-on-InstaStory work out with their followers. Just another example of how they fully utilize every social media tool they can to connect with their audience and share value. Learn from them, and adapt their strategies to your own business. I promise you you’ll not only get a kick out of their entertaining videos, you’ll get serious Insta-inspiration for your own business.
Candice is a wellness and food writer, entrepreneur, chef – she seems to do it all – AND she shows you what she’s up to and how she’s doing it by taking you along every step of the way on InstaStory. Candice is a pro when it comes to pulling back the curtain on her processes (from developing new recipes to hustling to and from meetings and events) and because she shares this side of her business and herself so naturally, you cannot help but cheer both Candice and her business along. It’s one thing to tell people what you’re working on, but Candice’s InstaStory plays like a visual storytelling of her business. Trust me, this type of openness and authenticity is exactly why InstaStory exists and watching her will “give you permission” to bring the same transparency into your own feed.
It’s one thing to tell people what you’re working on, but Candice’s InstaStory plays like a visual storytelling of her business. Trust me, this type of openness and authenticity is exactly why InstaStory exists and watching her will “give you permission” to bring the same transparency into your own feed.
Wait, what? Another health and wellness InstaStory to follow? What is my subconscious telling me?! Okay, yes, when you follow Candy Calderon on InstaStory you’ll get a killer dose of the same types of stellar and strategic content the other ladies on this list deliver daily, but there are a couple of other reasons I had to have Candy on this list. Here you go, friends: Some of the larger brands on this list aren’t doing their brand-building and social media execution alone, and though there’s nothin’ wrong with that, friends, I know it can be hard to compare yourselves to them if you’re single-handedly manning (or woman-ing) your InstaStory feed and business. You’re not alone.
Candy, like many of you, is a one-woman show, yet she delivers in this arena again and again, giving the rest of us a reminder that if it’s worth it to you, you’ll make it work. Her content is fresh, authentic, and even vulnerable at times – giving you permission to do the same. Finally, this gal delivers posts in English AND in Spanish, a nod to her bilingual and diverse followers. And that, my friends, is your final InstaStory takeaway from this list:
Know your followers, both the ones you have now on Instagram/InstaStory and the ones you hope to acquire and create content with them in mind! They’ll thank you in ‘story views, website visits, and more!
10 InstaStory Feeds EVERY Entrepreneur Should Follow for Strategic Inspo Click To Tweet
YOUR TURN:
Are you posting videos to InstaStory? Let us know where to find them in the comments below. Have a favorite InstaStory feed you follow? Show them some love and share them below as well!
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