What are Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories are a vertical, full-screen type of content that disappears after 24 hours, making them ideal for authentic, timely engagement with your audience.

Using an Instagram story scheduler like SocialBee makes it easy to plan and schedule Instagram stories ahead of time, stay organized, and empowers social media managers to maintain a consistent presence across all content formats.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, encourages users to think of their Instagram story strategy as a way to reach their most passionate audience with behind-the-scenes moments and timely story content.

“If you use Stories, think of them as a way to reach your most passionate audience with behind-the-scenes, timely content. The most important signals we look at when ranking Stories are the likelihood that you’ll tap on the story, like the story, or reply with a message.” (source)

👉 For more Instagram tips & how-tos, see the following articles:

• Schedule & publish Instagram single-image posts
• Schedule & publish Instagram multi-photo (carousel) posts
• Schedule & publish Instagram Reels
• How to add an Instagram location to your post
• Add Instagram collaborators to your post
• Instagram grid planner

Posting Stories on Different Types of Instagram Profiles

The ability to schedule and publish Instagram Stories in SocialBee depends on the type of Instagram profile connected, as shown in the table below.

• Instagram Business Profile: Instagram Stories can be posted directly through SocialBee.
• Instagram Creator Profile: Instagram Stories can also be posted directly through SocialBee.
• Instagram Personal Profile: Instagram Stories are posted via Reminders, meaning you’ll receive a notification to manually publish the Story through the Instagram app.

Requirements for Scheduling Instagram Stories

• Direct publishing via SocialBee is supported only for Instagram Business and Creator profiles that meet the media guidelines listed below. Otherwise, scheduled Stories will default to publishing via reminders through the Instagram app and require manual posting. This type of posting allows automatic Story posting but does not support adding stickers, music, or other interactive features.
• Personal Instagram profiles can only post Stories via manual publishing using reminders, requiring you to finish publishing with SocialBee's mobile app and the Instagram app.
• Supported Formats:
  • Image size (9:16) 1080 x 1920 px
  • Safe area 1080 x 1610 px
  • Keep important content and text in the center area
  • Videos longer than 60 seconds or not in 9:16 may not be accepted
  • See our supported media file types for Instagram article for more details.

• Instagram Link stickers in Stories cannot be scheduled through SocialBee at the moment.

How to Schedule Instagram Stories for Business and Creator Profiles (Direct Publishing)

1. Connect your Instagram accounts to SocialBee from the dashboard or the accounts tab here.
2. Create a Post: In SocialBee, open the Post Editor and select your connected Instagram Business or Creator profile.
3. Choose Story as Destination: Click Customize for each profile and select Story from the dropdown.
4. Upload Media: Add vertical images or videos (preferably 9:16). Videos must be under 60 seconds.
5. Schedule and Publish: Set the date and time, or add to a content category in your posting schedule. See our recommendations for best posting times for Instagram Stories here.
6. Save your post as “Approved” for automatic publishing.

How to Schedule Instagram Stories for Personal Profiles (Publishing via Reminders)

If you schedule your Instagram Story using Direct Publishing, you’re all set — SocialBee will automatically post it at the exact time you’ve scheduled. No further action is required.

If your media doesn’t meet Instagram Stories format requirements, or you’re posting to an Instagram Personal Profile, your Story will be published via Reminders instead.

In this case, you’ll receive a push notification from the SocialBee mobile app. When it’s time to post, simply tap the notification and follow the prompts to finish publishing your Story in the Instagram app.

📱 Publish Your Instagram Stories from iOS

1. Make sure you’re logged in to the correct Instagram account.
2. Open the push notification from the SocialBee app, or find your Story under Content in the app.
3. Select the Story and tap Post Now.
4. Confirm your Instagram profile and tap OK.
5. You’ll be redirected to Instagram with Story text copied to your clipboard.
6. Select Story as the post type.
7. Edit your Story as desired, adding text, stickers, music, polls, etc.
8. Tap Share to publish.

📱 Publish Your Instagram Stories from Android (via Reminders)

1. Make sure you’re logged in to the correct Instagram account.
2. Open the push notification from the SocialBee app, or find your Story under Content in the app.
3. Select the Story and tap Post Now.
4. Confirm your Instagram profile and tap OK.
5. You’ll be redirected to Instagram. Tap the + (new post) icon.
6. Select Story as the post type.
7. Choose your Story’s media, which will have been saved to your gallery.
8. Edit your Story with text, stickers, music, polls, etc.
9. Tap Share to publish.

Best Practices for Instagram Stories

• Use Stories strategically: Save Feed posts for big moments; use Stories for daily updates.
• Encourage private engagement: Foster DMs, replies, and poll interactions.
• Hook viewers early: Make your first frame visually striking.
• Experiment with series: Try themed days like “Tip Tuesday.”
• Post consistently: Post 3–5 Stories daily.
• Add CTAs: Use prompts like “Tap for more” or “DM us.”
• Keep captions short: Make text clear and concise.
• Use interactive elements: Polls, quizzes, emoji sliders, and stickers boost engagement.
• Mix formats: Use photos, videos, boomerangs, and text slides.
• Maintain brand consistency: Use your colors, fonts, and style.
• Add captions to videos: Many watch without sound.
• Tag strategically: Mention relevant accounts and locations.
• Highlight evergreen content: Save best Stories to Highlights.
• Optimize for mobile: Stick to 1080×1920px and safe zones.
• Time it right: Use Insights to post when followers are active.
• Monitor performance: Review metrics to refine your strategy.

Instagram Story Ideas

Looking for inspiration for your next set of Stories? Try these ideas:

• Daily tips or quick hacks: Short, actionable insights.
• Behind-the-scenes moments: Show product creation or events.
• Polls & quizzes: Use interactive stickers.
• Before-and-after transformations: Show results visually.
• Customer takeovers: Let clients or partners share.
• Countdowns: Build hype for launches or events.
• User-generated content: Re-share follower content.
• Product demos: Highlight features with quick clips.
• Exclusive offers: Share time-limited discounts.
• Weekly series: Create recurring themes like “Monday Motivation.”

Best Posting Times for Instagram Stories

To maximize reach and engagement on Instagram Stories, timing is crucial. Since Stories are temporary and often consumed in real time, posting when your audience is most active ensures better visibility.

Weekdays (Monday to Friday)

• Morning: 7 AM – 9 AM: Catch users starting their day and checking Instagram before work or school.
• Midday: 12 PM – 2 PM: High engagement during lunch breaks when people scroll casually.
• Evening: 6 PM – 9 PM: Peak activity after work when users are relaxed and more likely to tap through Stories.

Weekends (Saturday and Sunday)

• Late Morning: 10 AM – 12 PM: Users wake up later, making late mornings the sweet spot.
• Afternoon to Early Evening: 4 PM – 7 PM: Engagement rises as people are active socially and spend more downtime online.

Additional Tips

• Avoid posting very late at night (after 11 PM), as Stories risk expiring with minimal views.
• Leverage in-the-moment posting (events, behind-the-scenes, casual updates) since Stories thrive on immediacy.
• Spread Stories throughout the day rather than dropping them all at once, this keeps you at the top of followers’ feeds for longer.
• Track with Instagram Insights: Every audience is unique, monitor reach and forward taps to refine timing.
• Consistency wins: Posting Stories daily builds familiarity and increases the likelihood of users tapping through your content regularly.