When it comes to promoting your podcast, your business, or your services, Instagram Stories can be an absolute game-changer. But many of you feel awkward about selling. You don’t want to come off as pushy, so you either avoid it altogether or go about it in a way that feels forced.
Selling doesn’t have to feel like selling. It can feel like having a conversation, genuine, authentic, and natural. Recently, I had a brilliant chat with Sheila Anderson, a business and marketing coach who specialises in helping service-based businesses sell confidently through Instagram Stories. I picked up some tips that I’m excited to share with you.
Selling is just relationship building
At the heart of effective selling through Instagram Stories is one simple principle: it’s all about relationships. When you shift your mindset from “I need to sell this” to “I want to connect with my audience,” everything changes. Sales become a natural byproduct of those connections.
Sheila put it perfectly:
“If you’re worried about coming across as salesy, you probably never will. Because that worry means you care about being genuine.”
That’s a powerful mindset shift right there.
How to use Instagram Stories to build genuine connections
Here are some actionable steps you can take to make your Instagram Stories work for you—without feeling like you’re stuck in a sales pitch:
1. Show up consistently
You don’t have to post every day, but find a rhythm that works for you. The goal is to stay top-of-mind with your audience. Think of it like waving to a neighbour regularly, they get familiar with you, and when they need something you offer, they know exactly who to turn to.
2. Share more than just your posts
If you’re only reposting your feed content to your Stories, you’re missing out. Use Stories to share behind-the-scenes glimpses, quick tips and even the occasional stumble (yes, even your bloopers!). People love authentic content.
3. Make it interactive
Use polls, question boxes, and sliders to engage your audience. But don’t stop there. When someone interacts with your Story, that’s your chance to slide into their DMs (in a non-creepy way!) and start a genuine conversation. It’s not about pitching; it’s about connecting.
4. Get to the point
Time is precious. Avoid long-winded intros like “Happy Monday!” and get straight to the value. Your audience will appreciate your efficiency.
5. Talk about what you do… often
Don’t be afraid to mention your podcast, services, or offers regularly. People need to hear things multiple times before it sticks. Mix it up. Share client wins, lessons learned, quick tips, and personal insights related to your offers.
Avoid These Common Mistakes
- Posting the same Canva slides over and over: It gets repetitive, and people will swipe past without thinking twice.
- Writing walls of text: Keep it concise. Your audience isn’t here to read a novel.
- Hiding your reels or posts behind stickers: This outdated tactic just annoys people.
Ready to put this into action?
Next time you’re tempted to post a static image and call it a day, try this instead:
- Share a quick tip related to your podcast topic.
- Use a poll to ask your audience’s opinion.
- Follow up with those who engage and start a conversation.
You’ll be amazed at how natural selling feels when it’s rooted in genuine connection.
Listen in for more tips
If you found this helpful and want more practical ideas, I talked all about this in my latest episode of Podcasting for Business Owners, where I spoke with Sheila Anderson about using Instagram Stories to sell with confidence. We covered how to connect authentically with your audience and make promoting your podcast feel effortless.