Looking back at it, even YOU can't work out how those things ended up in the same conversation. 😂
And yet, somewhere in the middle of all that, you're hoping somebody will become interested enough in your offer to buy it.
I've been thinking a lot about the difference between posting Instagram Stories and actually using Stories as part of a marketing strategy.
Because they're not necessarily the same thing.
My Stories Don't Need to Be Perfect. But I'd Like Them to Make Sense.
I don't want every Story to be some beautifully scripted sales presentation.
I like the random stuff.
The coffee.
The little observations.
The behind-the-scenes moments.
The occasional "what the hell is Instagram doing today?" rant.
That's part of having a personality online.
But when I'm using Stories to talk about my business, I want there to be some connection between what I'm sharing and what I'm eventually asking people to do.
Otherwise, it can feel like I'm having five different conversations at once.
Imagine somebody watching my Stories for the first time.
They see a funny post.
Then a tip about content.
Then a screenshot.
Then suddenly I'm telling them about a sales psychology course.
They haven't necessarily been given any reason to care about that course.
I've just dropped it into the conversation and hoped for the best.
And that's where I think Stories can start feeling random rather than useful.
A Product Link Isn't a Story Strategy
This is the bit that's easy to overlook.
You can share an offer on Stories every single day without really helping somebody understand why they might want it.
A product screenshot tells them the product exists.
A list of features tells them what's included.
A link gives them somewhere to buy.
But none of those automatically helps someone recognise that the product solves a problem they're experiencing.
And if they don't recognise the problem, the link probably isn't going to mean much.
For example, imagine I'm promoting a resource that helps people create better Instagram carousels.
I could post:
"This has amazing templates and training! Grab it here."
Fine.
But what if the person watching is thinking:
"I spent an hour making that carousel and barely anyone swiped past slide two."
That's the conversation I'd rather start.
Because now we're talking about something she actually cares about.
Not just something I'm trying to sell.
The Missing Piece Is Usually the Connection
Let's stay with that carousel example.
Instead of randomly dropping a product link, I could create a short Story sequence around one specific problem.
Story 1: Recognition
"You spend an hour designing a carousel, post it, and hardly anyone gets past slide two. 😭"
Story 2: The Problem
"Sometimes the issue isn't how pretty the carousel looks. It's that the opening slide hasn't given anyone a strong enough reason to keep swiping."
Story 3: The Shift
"A good carousel needs to create a reason to continue, not just deliver information across seven slides."
Story 4: The Next Step
"If you're tired of creating carousels that look lovely but don't hold attention, this is the resource I'd look at."
Now there's a connection.
The person watching recognises the frustration.
She understands something about why it might be happening.
She sees a possible next step.
And the product doesn't appear completely out of nowhere.
That's what I mean by Stories having a job.
Not every Story needs to sell.
But when you ARE talking about an offer, the conversation should make sense.
I Don't Want to Turn Every Coffee Into a Sales Pitch
This is important because I can already hear somebody thinking:
"So now I need to make every random moment connect to a product?"
Absolutely not. 😂
Sometimes a coffee is just a coffee.
Sometimes I want to share something funny.
Sometimes I'm talking about what I'm doing because I feel like talking about it.
That's normal.
And those moments can help people get to know the person behind the business.
But there's a difference between letting your personality show and relying entirely on random updates to communicate what you sell.
I want room for both.
I want to be able to share normal things AND create intentional Story sequences when I've got something specific to talk about.
The problem is that creating those sequences can take more thinking than you'd expect.
That's Where I Think The Story Plug Becomes Useful
The Story Plug is an Instagram Story resource that includes prompts and a custom GPT to help you create Story ideas, angles and connected sequences.
It's designed to work with your audience, offers and everyday life rather than only giving you generic prompts.
And that's the part that interests me.
Because I don't need another list telling me to post a poll, share a fun fact or ask my audience what they're having for dinner.
I want help turning something relevant into a sequence that makes sense.
Something like:
Here's what my audience is struggling with.
Here's what they might not have realised yet.
Here's a useful shift.
Here's the resource that could help them take the next step.
Not a rigid script that I have to follow every day.
Just a way to stop staring at five disconnected Story ideas and wondering how to make them work together.
The Story Plug also supports faceless and face-forward creators, which matters if you don't want every sequence to involve talking to the camera.
More Story Slides Aren't Necessarily the Answer
I think this is where it's easy to confuse activity with progress.
You post eight Stories.
People watch some of them.
A few react.
You feel like you've shown up.
And that's lovely.
But if your goal was to introduce an offer and nobody really understood why it was relevant, posting another eight random slides tomorrow probably won't solve that.
Sometimes you need fewer Stories with a clearer purpose.
One specific problem.
One useful point.
One natural next step.
That can be much easier for somebody to follow than a collection of unrelated tips and product screenshots.
And it's a lot easier to create when you know what you're trying to communicate before you start posting.
The Problem Isn't That My Life Isn't Interesting Enough
This is another thing I think faceless marketers especially can get caught up in.
We look at other people's Stories and think they have so much more to share.
They're travelling.
They're filming their morning routine.
They're showing beautiful offices.
They're constantly doing something that looks interesting.
Meanwhile, I'm sitting at my laptop doing digital marketing things that don't exactly make thrilling television. 😂
But I don't think the answer is to invent a more exciting life.
My audience isn't necessarily following me because they want to watch me make breakfast.
They're interested in digital marketing.
They're trying to solve problems.
They're building businesses.
They have questions about content, selling, AI, affiliate marketing and the tools they're using.
There's plenty to talk about there.
The skill is recognising which little moments, questions and observations can become useful conversations.
That's much more achievable than trying to make every Tuesday look like a luxury lifestyle vlog.
And I Still Want My Stories to Sound Like Me
One thing I don't want is to replace random Stories with robotic sales sequences.
You know the ones.
"Are you ready to transform your business?"
"Imagine finally unlocking your dream results!"
"Click here to begin your journey!"
Please. 😂
I want my Stories to sound like a normal conversation.
Sometimes funny.
Sometimes practical.
Sometimes a little ranty.
Sometimes directly talking about something I recommend.
Using a tool to help structure those thoughts doesn't mean handing over my personality.
It means getting help with the bit where I turn an idea into something people can actually follow.
I can still change the wording.
Add my own examples.
Cut slides that don't sound right.
And decide whether a product mention is even appropriate.
Who I Think The Story Plug Makes Sense For
If you're already creating connected Story sequences and feel confident talking about your offers, you might not need this.
And if your main problem is understanding why people buy, that's a different skill from coming up with Story ideas.
But if you're posting regularly and recognising any of these situations, The Story Plug is worth a look.
"My Stories are a random mixture of everything I did today."
"I share my offers, but the links always feel like they appear out of nowhere."
"I know what I want to promote, but I don't know how to build a Story around it."
"I want to connect everyday moments to my business without making everything a sales pitch."
"I can think of individual Story ideas, but I struggle to turn them into a sequence."
That's the gap this resource is designed to help with.
Not simply getting you to post more.
Helping you create Stories that have a clearer connection to what you're trying to communicate.
I Want My Stories to Feel Like a Conversation, Not a Noticeboard
That's probably the simplest way I can explain the difference.
A noticeboard is where you pin random information and hope somebody finds the bit they need.
A conversation has some kind of direction.
You start somewhere.
You make a point.
You give the other person something to think about.
And sometimes there's a natural next step.
That's how I'd rather use Instagram Stories when I'm talking about my business.
I still want the personality.
I still want the random moments.
I still want the freedom to post something ridiculous because it made me laugh.
But when I have an offer to talk about, I want to be able to build a conversation around the problem it actually solves.
Instead of posting a coffee, a quote, a screenshot and then suddenly shouting BUY THIS into the void. 😂
If your Stories are active but feel disconnected, The Story Plug might help you turn those scattered ideas into something more intentional.
→ Check out The Story Plug here
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only share resources I believe could be useful for the right person.
