Instagram Storytelling Mistakes That Make You Sound Generic

Lately, I’ve realized that so many Instagram Stories are starting to blend together. It’s not only about people using the same filters or fonts; it’s more that there’s a kind of routine to it all. You tap through a few Stories and notice familiar captions, the usual polls – like “Which should I wear?” – and those moments meant to be relatable, but they come off as sort of impersonal, like anyone could have posted them.

I think what’s happening is, a lot of us fall into these habits without really noticing. It’s easy to copy what’s popular because it feels safe, but after a while, it’s hard to tell one account from another. The features that are supposed to help us share our own stories end up nudging everyone in the same direction, so the details that make an account feel personal get lost.

Sometimes I wonder if these routines are connected to what people read about better growth on Instagram, because there’s this unspoken formula everyone seems to be following. If you’re scrolling through your own feed and seeing fewer replies or feeling like your Stories aren’t starting real conversations, maybe it has something to do with these small habits.

Once you start paying attention, you can tell the difference between posting something because it’s expected and actually sharing a piece of your day that matters to you. I’m still figuring out how to spot that difference myself, and trying to notice which pieces of my feed actually feel like someone’s real life, not just another version of what everyone else is doing.

Every so-called “overnight” success I’ve seen actually unfolds over years, with a lot happening behind the scenes that most people never notice. With Instagram, I think a lot of folks fall into the trap of following whatever is trending – grabbing the latest font, copying the meme that’s everywhere, piling on the hashtags everyone else is using. The thing is, the people who actually pay attention can spot when something feels recycled. They spend enough time scrolling to see the patterns, so it’s easy for your stories to blend in if they follow the same formula: generic polls, quotes that aren’t really connected to anything that’s going on, or ideas that feel a bit too polished.

What I’ve seen work – what actually makes a difference – is when someone shares what’s specific to them. It’s never about perfect timing or editing. I’ve noticed some people even try shortcuts, like buy Instagram followers online, hoping for quick traction, but what really matters is when you let people in on what you’re actually working through, even if it’s a project that isn’t finished, or something that flopped, or thoughts you’re still sorting out.

Those are the stories that linger with people, the ones they remember later on. It takes more time to figure out what you want to share, and sometimes it’s not as comfortable, but that’s usually when people start to care about what you’re doing – not just swipe past it. There isn’t a shortcut to making something that feels like it belongs to you, and I guess that’s what makes it matter.

I’ve realized that no amount of planning really helps if your priorities aren’t clear. I see a lot of creators caught up in habits – daily Instagram Stories, polls, behind-the-scenes snippets – because those are supposed to keep engagement steady. But after a while, those routines can just turn into a checklist, something you do without thinking about why.

When you’re focused on ticking boxes, you start to slip into the same patterns as everyone else, even when you’re putting in a lot of work. Even if you know how to get likes instantly, it doesn’t always mean you’re making something you feel good about. It seems to work better to pause and figure out what you actually care about sharing – something that feels like it matters to you, not just content for the sake of it. Before posting, it’s worth asking if you actually care about it, or if it’s just something else to cross off the list. Structure isn’t a bad thing, but if routine starts to take over, you lose some of what makes your stories yours.

You end up leaning on the same engagement tricks without really thinking, and people can tell when you’re just repeating what everyone else is doing. The stories that stand out usually come from someone who wanted to say something, or who took a little extra time, or didn’t follow whatever everyone else was doing that week. Sometimes that means skipping a trend, not posting one day, or letting an idea sit for a while, even if it means posting less often. I guess the point of having a strategy is just to help you share something real, not just blend in with the rest.

I didn’t just make a few tweaks – I really wiped the slate clean. Every time I tried to change up my Instagram Stories, maybe by switching the format or picking a different font, the results always felt sort of flat and familiar, like the same polite updates you see everywhere. It turns out a lot of these so-called “pivots” are just safer versions of what’s already out there. We notice something that seems to work for someone else and then shape our own stuff to fit, hoping it’ll catch on.

But doing that, I kept running into the same problems – my Stories started blending in, and there was nothing that actually set them apart. If you want to do something different, you have to be willing to let go of the templates and routines that don’t really fit anymore, even if it feels risky. I started questioning all the quick fixes and pre-made guides that promise more engagement but end up making everything sound the same.

Most advice, whether it’s from an account like INSTABOOST or someone else, pushes you toward what’s already popular – sometimes by promising better exposure on Instagram if you just follow the formula. So you end up reusing things like “proven” story arcs or the swipe-up links, and before you know it, your account looks like everyone else’s. The people I pay the most attention to are the ones who are okay with slowing down and letting go of what isn’t working – even if that means a few posts don’t land – so they can build something that actually feels right to them. It’s not the easiest approach, and sometimes you wonder if anyone even notices when you try something new. But I think that’s the only way to find a way of sharing that feels like your own, not just another version of whatever’s trending.

Instagram Stories aren’t really meant to feel finished. A lot of people end up thinking there’s one right way to do them, and once they find it, they stick with it, probably because it’s easier than planning something new every time. After a while, it’s easy to fall into habits or copy what’s popular.

But when Stories start looking too polished, it all just blends together and whatever made them personal gets lost. The accounts I like to follow don’t mind sharing things that don’t quite fit – a picture that’s off from their usual colors, a quick voice clip, or something small that just made them laugh. They try things out, even if it feels a little awkward or might not be a hit. That’s what makes them stand out, even if not many people are watching. If you want your Stories to feel different, it helps to think of them as always shifting. Sometimes I’ll put up something I’m not sure about or use a format that’s a bit rough.

It’s less about making something perfect and more about seeing what feels right and keeping it interesting for yourself. There’s something about letting things stay a bit unfinished, not worrying if everything matches or lines up. When I see someone using the same poll or template over and over, it becomes easy to scroll past, but I notice when someone’s just messing around or showing what’s actually on their mind – and sometimes, almost by accident, they’ll encourage profile sharing in a way that just fits right in.