The Art of the Unexpected: How AI Gave Our Stories a Boost

The AI Edit- The Art of the Unexpected: How AI Gave Our Stories a Boost

In the world of social media, novelty matters. Audiences scroll fast, and sometimes the difference between a skipped story and a tap-through is just one unexpected visual. For a pest defense client, Instagram Story quizzes have long been part of the content strategy. But recently, there was a noticeable spike in performance, and it had everything to do with how the visuals were created.

The quizzes in question weren’t drastically different in structure. One asked users to guess the first bug in space (a fruit fly, by the way). Another explored why NASA sent mice beyond Earth. But instead of reaching for stock photos, AI tools were used to create custom graphics, like insects in a mission control room or a family of mice on board a rocket ship. The visuals were instantly more eye-catching, playful, and weirdly specific in a way that traditional content can’t always achieve.

The numbers speak for themselves. In March, the average engagement rate on Instagram Stories hovered around 22.92%. During the AI-enhanced run, that jumped to 40.54% across four quiz-style Stories. It wasn’t a full rebrand or a major shift in strategy. Just a fresh visual approach that made familiar content feel new again.

AI image generation isn’t a magic wand, and it definitely isn’t a replacement for thoughtful creative work. But when used selectively, it can be an incredibly effective way to add energy and surprise to a content series that’s been running for a while. Especially in social, where attention spans are short and competition is everywhere, these small changes can have an outsized impact.

Experimenting with tools like AI helps keep things interesting, not just for the audience, but for the creative process too. And in this case, the results made the test worth it.