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Feed posts get seen. Stories get answered. They're where people reply, tap and ask questions, and every reply is a small conversation that can turn into a sale. The trick is giving people something easy to respond to. Here are seven formats that do.
1. This or that
Two options, one tap. "Gel or cream?" "Morning routine or night routine?" Use the poll sticker. It's the lowest-effort way to get people interacting, and the answers tell you what your customers prefer.
2. The question box
"Ask us anything about your skin barrier." Answer the best questions in the next stories, one per slide, with the question sticker on top and your answer underneath. People love seeing their question picked.
3. Rate your routine
Use the emoji slider: "How's your skin feeling this week?" It's playful, takes a second, and gives you a reason to follow up: "Most of you said dry. Here's what helps."
4. The quiz
A multiple-choice quiz with a fact behind it: "How long should you wait before applying SPF over moisturizer?" Then explain the answer in the next slide. Quizzes teach without feeling like a lecture.
5. Behind the scenes, with a question
Show something real, like packing orders or testing a new texture, and end with a question: "Should we make this one in a travel size?" You get the authenticity of behind the scenes plus a reason to reply.
6. The countdown
For launches, restocks and sales, add the countdown sticker. People can tap to get a reminder, which means Instagram notifies them when it starts. It's the closest thing to free push notifications.
7. Reply with a DM keyword
"Reply ROUTINE and we'll send you our morning and night steps." Keyword replies start a direct conversation, and DMs are where questions turn into orders. Have your answer ready to paste so you can reply fast.
How often to post stories
Three to five stories on most days is plenty for a small brand. They don't need to be designed every time: a phone photo with a sticker works. Save the designed templates for questions, polls and offers, where a clean layout makes the sticker stand out.
A week of stories you can copy
- Monday: a this-or-that poll about routines.
- Tuesday: a question box: "What's one thing you'd change about your skin this month?"
- Wednesday: answer three of the questions, one per slide.
- Thursday: behind the scenes, packing orders, ending with a question.
- Friday: a quiz about an ingredient, with the answer on the next slide.
- Saturday: reposts of customer stories, with permission.
- Sunday: an emoji slider: "How did your skin feel this week?"
Turn your best stories into highlights
Stories disappear after 24 hours, but highlights stay on your profile. Save the stories that answer common questions into highlights like "FAQ", "How to use", "Reviews" and "Shipping". New visitors check highlights before they buy, so treat them like a mini website.
Design tips for story templates
- Leave space at the top and bottom. Instagram puts your name and the reply bar there, so keep text away from the edges.
- Make the sticker the focus. A clean background helps the poll or question box stand out.
- Use the same fonts and colors as your feed, so stories feel like the same brand.
- Keep text short. People spend a few seconds on each story.
What to measure
Instagram shows you replies, sticker taps and how many people stayed until the last story. Watch the replies most closely. If a format gets replies, keep it in your weekly rhythm. If people leave halfway through, your story sequence is probably too long.
Questions people ask about Instagram stories
How many stories should a skincare brand post a day?
Three to five on most days is a good rhythm. More than ten in a day and people start tapping through without reading.
Do story replies help with the algorithm?
Instagram tends to show your content more to people who interact with it, and replies and sticker taps are interactions. More importantly, replies start conversations that can lead to sales.
Should stories be designed or casual?
A mix. Casual phone photos feel personal and are quick to make. Designed templates work best for questions, polls, launches and offers.
What's the best time to post stories?
Check your insights to see when your followers are online. For many beauty audiences, mornings and evenings work best, but your own data beats any general rule.
Keep reading
Stories work best next to a steady feed: here is how to plan a month of Instagram posts. Running a sale soon? Use this Black Friday plan for small beauty brands.
Answer every reply
This is the part most brands skip. A reply that gets answered in an hour feels like talking to a person. A reply that's ignored teaches people not to bother next time. Block 15 minutes a day for DMs.
The Ilvane Skin social kit includes 124 story templates built around these formats: polls, question boxes, quizzes, countdowns and reply prompts, ready to edit in Figma or Canva.
