Instagram estimates that 500 million of its users use the social media platform’s story feature every day, making it a wide reaching, effective, and creative medium for brands and companies to reach users. Instagram stories are fleeting, staying on a profile for only 24 hours unlike a regular post, and it’s this difference that makes them ripe with marketing possibilities. With stories, users can share glimpses into their everyday life that differ from their finely curated, aesthetically appealing feeds and these stories often produce a direct message in response. Collaborating with influencers to create an Instagram story for your company or brand will help you reach a specific target audience and drum up more business. Once you’ve found an influencer you’re wanting to work with, the only limits to the stories you can create with stories are your imagination! But if those creative juices aren’t flowing, read on to see some examples that are sure to give you a spark of inspiration. 1. Create a lookbook with your products If you’re wanting to showcase a specific product line or new arrivals to your shop, giving each product its own story to create a lookbook is a great idea. Including a link to the product on your website on every story will give consumers an immediate way to learn more about the product and potentially make a purchase. This makes the most sense for things that fall into fashion or beauty categories, but if you’re creative enough you can tell an engaging story with any product. 2. Give influencers a fun box of products for them to unbox Unboxings certainly aren’t anything new but they’re still an effective way to drum up excitement and buzz for your products. You’ll want to be careful with what influencers you partner with, as the effectiveness of these stories can hinge on the influencer’s spontaneous reaction. It’s best that these unboxings truly are the first time the influencer you partner with has seen the contents of the package you sent them because while unboxings can be scripted or set up it’s usually obvious if someone is not giving a genuine reaction and likely won’t come across too well. 3. Let an influencer do an “Instagram takeover” With an Instagram takeover, you’re giving an influencer access to your brand’s Instagram account, or simply letting them control the content you post on your story or a day. This idea is mutually beneficial – an influencer’s followers will visit your brand’s account, and likely your website, and the influencer will get exposure from your followers. The influencer you partner with will be sharing their unique perspective with your followers so think about how they can use their perspective to hype up your brand or specific products. 4. Run a limited time sale with codes specific to influencers This not only gives a sense of urgency to your marketing campaign but makes users feel as though they’re getting in on something exclusive (and in a sense they are). This will also allow you to track which codes were used the most, and thus which influencers have the most receptive audience, so you know who to partner with again in the future. For more ideas on how to use Instagram stories with influencers, or if you need help connecting with influencers, SocialSEO – the #1 digital marketing firm in America – is here to help! Visit our Influencer Marketing Agency page or Contact US today!   About the author: SocialSEO is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, near the base of Pikes Peak – “America’s Mountain”, (14,115 ft.). SocialSEO has grown from a “One-Man Band” to a National Brand with nearly 100 full time employees. SocialSEO has achieved over 1,000% growth in the past 5 years, investing in a business model that focuses on Customer and Employee retention/happiness. Greg Walthour, CEO and Founder, is a pioneer to the digital marketing space. He began his career as a commercial real estate broker. In 1996, his boss asked him to “help get the web site to rank higher in the search engines” (Yahoo, Lycos, and Alta Vista, at the time).