Instagram story mention rewards

This feature is available for the Advanced and Ultimate plans

Overview

Reward customers with points when they mention your brand in an Instagram Story. Every mention puts your store in front of the customer's followers — giving you authentic, organic exposure at zero cost.

• Boost brand visibility — each story mention reaches a customer's entire follower list

• Reward authentic advocacy — customers share because they love your brand, and get rewarded for it

• Drive word-of-mouth — turn loyal customers into your best marketing channel

• Increase repeat engagement — customers come back to earn more by mentioning you again

When to use this

• New product launches → get customers to announce it to their followers

• Seasonal campaigns → amplify reach organically during peak periods

• Post-purchase moments → reward customers who share their unboxing or haul

• Brand awareness pushes → grow your Instagram presence through real stories

Instagram Story limitations:

• Stories can only be posted from the Instagram mobile app — desktop web does not support story creation

• Stories expire after 24 hours — points are detected and awarded while the story is still live

• Requires an Instagram Business or Creator account to receive mention notifications

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Step 1: Connect Instagram

Before setting up the program, connect your Instagram account.

Go to Integrations → Instagram and follow the connection flow.

If you've already connected Instagram for the Comment rewards program, you don't need to connect again — the same integration is used.

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Step 2: Create the Story Mention program

Go to Reward programs → Earning programs → Add program → Social activity

Select Mention on Instagram Story from the event dropdown.

Available settings

Section	Options
Program info	Rule name, Description, Start/End date
Instagram Business Account	Your Instagram Business Account URL — displayed on the widget so customers can find and mention your account
Reward method	All members / Member by tier, Points value
DM Notification	Toggle to send a Direct Message when points are awarded. Supports variables: {points}, {customer_name}, {balance}, {store_url}
Anti-cheat	Earning limit (once lifetime / X times per period / unlimited)

Tip: Set an earning limit (e.g., once per week) to keep the program sustainable while still motivating repeat sharing.

Shopify Flow alternative: Joy also supports detecting Instagram story mentions via Shopify Flow instead of the native webhook. Toggle this option inside the program if you prefer to handle detection through your existing Flow automations.

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Customer experience

Here's what your customers see and do:

1

Find the program

Customer opens the Loyalty Widget or Rewards Page and sees the "Mention us on Instagram Story" program under Ways to Earn.

2

Link their Instagram account

Customer clicks the program and enters their Instagram username to connect their account. This is how Joy maps the mention back to the right customer.

3

Post a Story with a mention

Customer opens Instagram on their mobile device, creates a Story, and uses the @mention sticker to tag your brand's Instagram account.

Story mentions must be done on the Instagram mobile app. The mention sticker is not available on Instagram web.

4

Points awarded automatically

Joy detects the mention via Instagram's API and awards points to the customer's loyalty balance. No manual action needed from the merchant.

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FAQ

Why can't I see "Mention on Instagram Story" in the event dropdown? Select Social activity first when creating the program — the specific event options (including Story mention) appear in the dropdown after that.

Do points get awarded in real time? Points are awarded once Joy detects the story mention via Instagram's API. Detection typically happens within minutes of the story being posted. Since stories expire after 24 hours, make sure customers post while their story is still live.

What if a customer updates their Instagram username? Customers need to update their Instagram username in the loyalty widget. Points will be awarded to the account linked at the time of the mention.

Can a customer earn points multiple times? Yes — configure the earning limit in the Anti-cheat settings. For example, set it to once per week to allow repeat participation while preventing abuse.

Can I see which customers have mentioned my brand? Yes. Go to Customers → Activities and filter by this program to see a list of customers who earned points from story mentions, along with their linked Instagram username.

Does this work with a personal Instagram account? No. You must use an Instagram Business or Creator account to receive story mention notifications via the API.

What's the difference between Story Mention and Comment rewards? Comment rewards track when customers comment on specific posts. Story Mention rewards track when customers tag your account in their own story — giving you broader organic reach since the story appears to all their followers.