Are you tired of the last-minute posting of Instagram stories? This is where scheduling your Instagram Stories in advance lets you plan, create, and post content efficiently.
This blog will teach you how to plan and schedule your Stories in advance. This will save you valuable time, help you maintain a consistent presence, and boost your Instagram engagement. Discover the best practices for optimal results and start planning your Stories like a pro today.
What are Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories offer a unique way to connect with your audience. 500 million users view them daily and disappear after 24 hours, creating a sense of urgency and encouraging viewers to watch immediately. Moreover, IG stories also provide various interactive features like polls, questions, and slides, making them engaging and interactive.
But here comes a question from busy social media managers and marketers: Can you schedule Instagram Stories? Yes, you can. Though Instagram doesn’t offer a built-in scheduling feature, many third-party tools and Facebook Business Suite allow you to plan and schedule your IG stories in advance.
Method 1: Schedule Instagram Stories Using SocialBu
Can you schedule Instagram stories? And the answer is Yes.
SocialBu is a popular social media management tool that allows you to easily schedule your Instagram Stories and other content to post automatically at a specific time.
Let’s dive into the step-by-step process.
1. Connect Your Instagram Account
Log in to your SocialBu account and go to the “Accounts” section. Click “Connect Account” and choose your Instagram account. Follow the on-screen instructions to link your Instagram account/profile.
However, ensure you’re connecting a business profile for access to scheduling features.
2. Create Your Instagram Story
Click on the “+ New Post” or “Publish” button and select “Story” as the post type from the dropdown. Now, upload your image or video content.
Edit it to add text, stickers, or other creative elements as desired.
3. Schedule Your Story
Once you’ve finished creating your Story, click the “Show Options” button and select the “Post as a Story” option. Choose the specific date and time you want your Story to go live. Click “Schedule” to save and schedule your story.
4. Preview and Confirm
Double-check the details of your scheduled Story, including the content, date, and time. Confirm your schedule to save it.
This is how your scheduled stories will show up on the screen.👇
Method 2: Schedule Instagram Stories Using Facebook Business Suite
If you have a Business Instagram account, then you can schedule your Instagram Stories using Facebook’s native Business Suite
Facebook/Meta Business Suite is a helpful tool for managing your Instagram and Facebook accounts. But remember, it will only help you to schedule your stories and content on these two social media platforms. That’s why a social media management tool is recommended to schedule content and manage all your socials from a single dashboard.
Here’s how to schedule your Stories using this method:
1. Access Meta Business Suite
Log in to your Facebook page and select Meta Business Suite from the menu on the left side of the screen.
After that, choose your account from the drop-down menu on the top left side of the screen.
2. Create Your Story
Now, it’s time to draft and create your Instagram story. You can perform this action from the three major places in the dashboard’s menu:
- the Create Post button on the left side of the screen
- the Posts and Stories item on the left side of the screen
- the Create Story button in the center of the dashboard
Once you select one of these options, a story creator window will appear. Now, select the account with which you want to share your story and choose the photo or video you want to use for your story.
3. Edit Your Story
Add text, stickers, or other elements to customize your Story and make it visually appealing.
4. Schedule Your Instagram Story
Instead of posting immediately, click the arrow beside the Publish Story button for various scheduling options.
Click “Schedule Story“.
Then, choose the date and time you want your Story to go live and click the schedule option. Your story will be posted to your Instagram account at that time.
5. Review and Confirm
After choosing and saving the date and time, double-check the details of your scheduled Story before confirming by going to Post and Stores, then Stories, and Scheduled.
You can also manage your posts, reschedule, publish them immediately, or delete them permanently.
And it’s done. Following these steps, you can efficiently schedule your Instagram Stories and save time.
Additional Tips:
- Consistency: Schedule and post stories regularly to maintain audience engagement.
- Keep it Short and Sweet: Stories disappear after 24 hours, so keep your content concise and engaging.
- Variety: Use different story formats (image, video, poll, quiz, etc.) to keep your audience interested.
- Utilize SocialBu’s Features: Explore SocialBu’s features, such as Reel Scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration, for better management.
- Know Your Audience: Understand when your target audience is most active and the best time to post on Instagram. Schedule your Stories accordingly.
- Create a Content Calendar: Plan your Stories. A content calendar helps maintain consistency and variety.
By following these steps, you can effectively schedule your Instagram Stories, save time, and maintain a consistent presence on the platform.
Reasons to Schedule Instagram Stories
Now you have the answer that yes, you can schedule your Instagram stories ahead of time and post them later at your selected time.
Here are six reasons why you must schedule your Instagram stories in advance:
Save Time
Scheduling Instagram stories allows you to plan your content. Instead of posting manually, you can create Stories in bulk and schedule them for later, freeing up your time for other tasks.
Maintain Consistency
Regular posting is vital to Instagram’s success. Scheduling in advance and posting on time helps you maintain a consistent posting schedule, keeping your audience engaged.
Reach More People
Posting at optimal times increases your chances of reaching more people. Scheduling IG stories lets you post when your audience is most active and helps increase your account’s visibility, reaching more potential followers.
Improve Planning
By scheduling Stories, you can plan your content strategically and create a cohesive and engaging feed. You can align your stories with your overall marketing goals and campaigns. You can also experiment with different content formats and themes the Instagram Stories feature offers.
Reduce Stress
Many social media managers and creators agree that last-minute content creation is stressful and can lead to mistakes. Scheduling stories eliminates the pressure to create content on the go and ensures your content goes live even if you’re busy.
Analyze Performance
Review and track your Instagram Stories’ performance to understand what works best for your audience. Use this data to refine your content strategy accordingly and create more content that resonates with your audience and that they love interacting with.
Troubleshooting: Why Can’t I Schedule Instagram Stories?
Can you schedule Instagram Stories to post? Yes, but sometimes you might encounter issues. Here are some common problems and solutions:
Incorrect Account Type
Only business profiles can schedule Stories, not personal accounts. So ensure you’ve switched to a business or creator account.
Outdated App Version
Update your Instagram app to the latest version. Older versions might have bugs or missing features.
Tool Compatibility
Some tools have restrictions on scheduling Stories. Hence, if you’re using a third-party scheduling tool, ensure it’s up-to-date and compatible with Instagram’s API.
If you continue to face the problem, try again later or contact Instagram support.
Story Format Issues
Ensure your Story images or videos meet Instagram’s requirements for size and format.
Tool Connection Issues
Verify that your scheduling tool is correctly connected to your Instagram account. If you continue encountering issues, try the troubleshooting steps provided by your scheduling tool or contact its support team.
Wrap Up
Here you go; now you have the answer to your question: Can you schedule Instagram Stories? Absolutely. Following this guide taught you how to plan and schedule your Stories effectively.
Scheduling Instagram Stories can significantly enhance your social media strategy. So, use these tips today to save time, increase reach, grow your Instagram audience, and achieve your marketing goals.
Don’t wait; sign up for SocialBu’s free 7-day trial and try scheduling your stories now.
FAQs
How Do You Schedule an Instagram Story?
Instagram doesn’t offer a built-in scheduling feature for Stories. You can use third-party tools like Meta Business Suite, SocialBu Hootsuite, or Buffer to plan and schedule your Stories in advance.
Can I Schedule Instagram Stories on Later?
Yes, Later is a popular social media management and scheduling tool that allows you to schedule Instagram Stories and other social media content.
Can you Schedule Instagram Stories and Reels?
Yes, most scheduling tools that allow you to schedule Instagram Stories can also let you schedule Instagram Reels. This helps you manage your Instagram content efficiently.
