Instagram recently removed the swipe-up feature for Instagram stories and replaced it with new link stickers.
Users who have over 10,000 followers will see a new option in their sticker menu, which they can use to link any products. The linkable sticker may be released to all accounts following a trial period. **Crosses Fingers** 
Instagram has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users worldwide, and over 500 million people use Instagram stories daily.
Because stories disappear after 24 hours, they can be more authentic than feed posts, making it easier to post more often. Keep people in the loop about product drops, limited releases, upcoming events, and offers you're running.
Stories are optimal for building product awareness. Using videos, images, and user-generated content (UGC), you can demonstrate key features, benefits, and how to use your product(s). This will help build trust and establish your authority in the market.
Although Instagram stories are designed to reach your current followers, sponsored Instagram stories will help you reach people who don't follow you just yet.
Remember, they're called Instagram STORIES for a reason: create a narrative with your customers.
Start a conversation about your customers’ pain or passion points and how your product can transform them to their desired state. Use the built-in Instagram story features to help you create that narrative.
Let's go over some of the key features available and examples of how you can use them to create a narrative.
Product Tags
You can tag any products in your Instagram shop on your stories. This creates an easy way for your customers to shop. Your narrative should make your product(s) irresistible. Tagging your product(s) for shopping ease = SALES!
Polls
Polls are interactive and let users choose between two different options. This lets you easily collect information on your customers’ preferences, get feedback, or simply increase engagement.
You can ask your customers about the pain or passion point your product solves to start a narrative.
For example, "Have you ever experienced X?", then your customers can choose yes or no. You can continue to ask questions to build a larger story, or demonstrate how one of your products can provide a solution.
Sliders
Sliders are similar to polls. They're interactive and let your customer slide the bar to answer your question.
Some questions you can ask are, "Do you agree?", "Which one are you?", or "How much are you affected by X?".
Users can then slide the bar to their corresponding answer. They'll see the average response.
Countdowns
Adding a countdown to your story allows users to sign up to receive reminders when the countdown ends.
This feature is fantastic for reminding followers automatically. Countdowns also create hype around events, product launches, limited runs, and discounts.
Questions
Start a conversation with your customers. You can have customers ask you questions, which you then answer. We recommend answering them in a video or live, but images with text work too! This can help you understand customer objections, or barriers to purchasing, and address these directly.
You can also ask your followers a question and have them respond. Sharing and responding to people's answers can make them feel special while creating a sense of community. These are all leads with which you can start personalized conversations.
Are you giving away a free resource, sample or trial subscription? Have people message you from your story to receive the product. Strike up conversations with everyone who messages you. This is a great way to build relationships with potential customers.
Highlights
Story posts only last for 24 hours, which can be great... except when one of your stories is killing it, and the sales are non-stop!
Save your stories to your highlights section, and they will live on your page forever. Categorize your highlights so they are helpful to your followers.
Bonus Tip
Use Pinterest for your Instagram stories. Search for sticker boards to match your aesthetic, and search story templates to collect ideas for your next post!
Here are some apps you can use when creating stories:
