What Are Instagram Stories and Why Should You Be Using Them

Let’s talk Instagram Stories.

You’ve probably seen them—the little bubbles at the top of your Instagram feed. You tap, they play, and before you know it, you’ve spent ten minutes watching behind-the-scenes clips, polls, countdowns and people chatting to camera from their cars.

But if you’re not already using Stories for your business, you’re seriously missing a trick.

In this blog, I’m going to break down exactly what Stories are, why they’re one of the most powerful tools on Instagram, and how you can start using them to connect with your audience, drive engagement, and even make sales—without needing to dance or go live every five minutes.

So... what are Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories are vertical, full-screen photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours.

You can upload something from your camera roll or record right inside the app. Add text, gifs, music, polls, hashtags—there’s loads of features to play with. Think of it like your business's personal TV channel, but low-key, unfiltered and easy to manage.

The best bit? Stories sit right at the top of your followers' feed. That’s prime real estate. You don’t have to fight the algorithm quite as hard to get seen here.

Now let’s talk about why you should be using them…

1. They help build relationships (fast)

Stories are the perfect place to show the real side of your business. You don’t need polished graphics or a marketing degree to show up in Stories. You just need to show you.

Behind-the-scenes snaps, your messy desk, your dog sitting on your laptop—these all help your audience feel like they know you. And people buy from people they trust.

A quick “morning!” story with a coffee and a bit of what you’ve got on today can be just as powerful as a full feed post. Why? Because it feels human.

2. Engagement tools = next-level interaction

One of the best things about Stories is all the little tools Instagram gives you to boost engagement.

You’ve got:

• Polls – “Which colour do you prefer?”
• Quizzes – “How much do you know about X?”
• Questions boxes – “Ask me anything about Y.”
• Countdowns – “New product drops Friday!”

These are amazing for getting your audience to interact with you—and that interaction helps build trust, keeps you top of mind, and even boosts your reach on the app.

The more people interact with your Stories, the more often your content gets shown to them. It’s a win-win.

3. You can link out to other stuff

Yep, this is HUGE.

With Stories, you can now add clickable links (hello, freedom!) that take people off Instagram—straight to your website, shop, newsletter, booking page, whatever you like.

No more faffing about with “link in bio.” Just a simple tap, and boom—they’re where you want them to be.

So whether you’re launching a product, promoting a blog, or booking clients—you can use Stories to make it easy for people to take action.

“But Estelle, I’m not sure what to post…”

I hear this all the time. And honestly, the answer is: just start small.

Show a bit of your day. Share something you’re working on. Ask your audience a question. Tell them something they might not know about your business. Try a poll. Add some text. Have fun with it.

The more you use Stories, the easier it gets—and the more confident you’ll feel.

And if you really want to get to grips with Stories and start using them to boost your business… I’ve got something that’ll help.

Inside the Members Area, there’s a full training dedicated to this exact topic.

Yep, I break it all down—step by step. From what to post and when, to how to use each of the tools, create highlight covers, link to your offers, and use Stories to actually sell without sounding salesy.

The Members Area is packed with bite-sized trainings that are perfect for busy business owners like you. You can dip in, learn something new, and take action straight away. No fluff. No fuss. And only £15 a month.

That’s less than a takeaway pizza—and way better for your business.

You’ll also get access to:

• A full library of over 15 short trainings
• Exclusive lives and Q&As
• Guest expert sessions
• Caption templates, content ideas, and strategy guides
• Supportive community of other business owners

If you want to stop feeling overwhelmed and start getting real results from your Instagram—this is the place to be.

So, if you’re ready to start using Instagram Stories in a way that actually works, head over and check out the Members Area today. You’ll wonder why you didn’t join sooner.