In the middle of last November, our second daughter was born. Despite my difficulties of pregnancy and apprehension about giving birth during a pandemic, she is a blessing that our family had long prayed and wished for.
Being a work-from-home and stay-at-home mom has always been a challenge for me, but I was concerned about how I could transition to care for two children, keep the house in order, and maintain my small business. After six weeks of bliss with full-time support for our growing family from extended family, life returned to normal and I was once again the primary caregiver for our girls.
Because of COVID, our oldest is not attending a preschool outside of our home and our playdates are few and far between. We spend most of our days and nights in our home without interacting in the outside world. Between the isolation and post-partum anxiety, I was really dreading the first workday of the New Year when my husband and the rest of our extended family returned to their jobs and I was left on my own with two children.
To help ease the stress, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and channel my nervous energy into my social media community. I used Instagram’s Stories feature for a 24-hour period to literally tell the story of how the day went. I was really surprised by what happened as a result.
I Felt Connected
Because of the photos and videos that I shared online, many friends reached out to support me on that challenging day. Some responded via Instagram direct messages and others texted me. My feelings of isolation went away. It really does take a village to raise children. I’m constantly impressed by parents who show up every day for their families and their friends! Thank you!
I Had Fun
I love taking pictures of my kids. Sharing the photos and journaling about our day was a creative outlet I otherwise wouldn’t have had while at home with a newborn and a preschooler.
I Learned Something New
I had never before used the Stories feature much to share my own life’s moments but had watched others’ Stories plenty. I learned how to include a poll in my posts, how to add GIFs and text to photos, and how to progressively tell our story throughout the day by adding additional components as time went on.
Tell Your Instagram Story
I see many benefits of utilizing the Instagram Stories feature for small business owners. It’s a great way to tease new product or service launches. There is also an opportunity to share the process of a new project or the planning of an upcoming event. Instagram Stories are a form of content that offers an exciting way to interact with your audience. It’s a lot of fun for personal purposes, too! If you’ve never tried sharing a story on Instagram, I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone and give it a try.
What successes have you had using Instagram Stories for your brand? Please comment here to tell us about it!
