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I sometimes feel anxious about creating Instagram stories. I can more easily create content for my Instagram feed, but when it comes to creating stories, I choke.

I never really thought about why until recently when I realized it's because I felt immense pressure to show up in a specific way in stories and posting like other people do.

But I actually don't like:

1. Always posting what I'm up to.

Behind-the-scenes content is cool, but I don't want to put myself under pressure to do it all the time.

2. Trying to find stories from my everyday life and connect them to my business.

I just want to be present in my life and not have to think things like, "How can I connect burning my food to business?" You know what I mean? This constant search for "content" in every experience can rob us of the simple joys of living. Honestly, not everything needs to be a lesson or a metaphor for business.

3. Only selling.

I do sell, but to be transparent, I usually don't look at someone's stories if I know that all their stories are 100% of the time, pitches. That might bring them amazing results, but I crave connections with the people I follow, so I love a combination of business and lifestyle content in stories.

4. Posting selfies.

In real life, I'm not big on selfies, so doing it for business feels forced. I'd rather show my face in speaking stories or reels.

The Kinds of Stories that Connect the Most

When I think about it, my best-performing stories that got the most engagement and started genuine conversations in the DMs have often been in the moment and super relatable. They've been authentic glimpses into my thoughts or struggles that resonated with my audience on a human level.

That’s why my goal is now to have more fun with Instagram stories. And I know that a lot of people feel this way as well.

We are tired of following rulebooks and doing all the things people are constantly telling us that we 'should' do

Instead, we’d rather create a more genuine online presence that aligns with our values and personality.

This approach might mean posting less frequently but with more intention. It might mean experimenting with different types of content until we find what feels right.

So that we create content that energizes us rather than drains us, and that attracts the kind of audience we genuinely want to serve.

By embracing this approach, we not only make social media more enjoyable for ourselves but also create a more genuine experience for our audience.

Maybe your stories won't look like everyone else's - and that's okay

In fact, it's better than okay. It's what will make your content stand out and resonate with the right people.

So here's to creating Instagram stories that reflect who we really are, that we actually enjoy making, and that create real connections with our audience.

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