One of the most common questions I’m asked is: how do I boost my engagement on social media? One of my favorite ways to encourage conversations is through your Stories. Interactive elements like quizzes, question boxes, and polls are an easy entry point.
If done well, your audience will enjoy engaging with these elements. When they do, the Instagram algorithm notices that your audience is interested in what you have to say. The more interactions you get, your content will likely be shown to a wider audience.
We picked three of our favorite Instagram story interactive elements and asked ChatGPT to give you some tips and ideas on how to use them:
1. Quiz: Test Their Knowledge
The quiz feature grabs your audience’s attention by opening a story loop: what could be the correct answer? Test their knowledge, share fun facts about your business, or create a game out of it.
Tips:
- Create a multiple-choice question about your industry, products, or services.
- Add a fun twist with playful options and keep it lighthearted.
- Share the results to encourage conversation in DMs.
Example Ideas:
- A fitness coach could ask: “Which exercise burns the most calories in 30 minutes?”
- A) Running
- B) Cycling
- C) Swimming
- A coffee shop could post: “What’s the origin country of espresso?”
- A) Italy
- B) Brazil
- C) Ethiopia
- A marketing agency could ask: “What’s the most-used social media platform in 2025?”
- A) Instagram
- B) TikTok
- C) LinkedIn
P.S. Aren’t you wondering what the answers are? Your audience will too.
2. Question Box: Start a Conversation
The question box is a way to start meaningful conversations with your followers. It allows them to share their thoughts, ask questions, or give feedback. In our experience, this element can take time to nurture, but keep using it so people get used to it! (P.S. Ask friends to chime in if you aren’t getting any traction!)
Tips:
- Ask your audience something they’d love to answer, like their favorite products, business challenges, or even their weekend plans.
- Use it to crowdsource ideas for your next piece of content.
- Respond to answers in future stories to keep the conversation going.
Example Ideas:
- A skincare brand could ask: “What’s your #1 skincare question?”
- A restaurant could ask: “What dish should we feature this week?”
- A lifestyle coach could ask: “What’s one goal you’re working on this month?”
3. Poll: Get Instant Feedback
Polls might be my personal favorite. They’re simple and effective, and best of all, they provide instant feedback. Use polls to gauge opinions and preferences. Sometimes, I just use them to have fun and get fast engagement.
Tips:
- Keep your polls short and simple with two options.
- Use them to make your audience feel involved in decisions.
- Share the results to spark even more conversation.
Example Ideas:
- A clothing boutique could ask: “Which color do you love more?”
- A travel agency could post: “Beach or mountains?”
- A content creator could ask: “Do you prefer morning or evening routines?”
When I asked ChatGPT for tips and examples, it gave me some bonus tips to maximize engagement (so helpful, right?!) Here they are:
- Post your Stories when your audience is most active.
- Use a mix of stickers to keep things interesting.
- Follow up with DMs or future Stories to keep conversations going.
Take these tips and the inspiration from all these examples, and try using a quiz, question box, or poll this week. Watch how your engagement grows!
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