Did you know that Instagram users post more Instagram Stories than feed content? It's true — the CEO of Instagram even confirmed it!
Later analyzed over 32K Instagram Stories and found that:
Nano accounts (0-10K followers) post an average of 3 Instagram Stories per week
Micro accounts (10K-100K followers) post an average of 4 Instagram Stories per week
Mid accounts (100K-500K followers) post an average of 15 Instagram Stories per week
Regardless of how big your following is, that's a lot of content production and time required to get your Instagram Stories published when your followers are online and most engaged.
Luckily, you can schedule Instagram Stories to publish automatically. And bonus, it’s super easy too!
We're breaking down how to plan a week’s worth of Instagram Stories, so you can say hello to work-free evenings and weekends. 🎉
Can You Schedule Instagram Stories?
Yes! You can schedule Instagram Stories using the Meta Business Suite or with a third-party social media management platform such as Later.
A better question is why might you want to schedule your Instagram Stories in advance using a third-party Instagram Scheduler over the Meta Business Suite?
Instagram Stories are viewed by over 500M users every day, making them an important part of your content strategy. Using an Instagram Scheduling Tool like Later provides additional features to streamline your planning, managing, and scheduling of content.
It's the difference between a good Instagram strategy and a great one. Scheduling your Stories in advance and managing all your Instagram posts in one place can make all the difference.
Here are the top three benefits:
#1. Batch Content & Save Time
It’s no secret — Instagram Stories help brands and businesses drive traffic and sales, increase brand awareness, and strengthen their relationship with followers.
And by using an Instagram Stories scheduler, you can sit down at your computer, batch content, and visually plan out an entire week’s worth of Instagram Stories in one dedicated session.
So say goodbye to searching the high heavens for content on the fly, and say hello to stress-free, content creation.
#2. Be More Consistent
If we’re being honest, posting daily Instagram Stories can be challenging — whether it's choosing what to post, finding the time to create content, or forgetting to post altogether.
The struggle can be #Real.
Not only does scheduling Instagram Stories save you time, but it also helps build a stronger posting cadence. With Later, you can schedule your Stories based on your best times to post. Ultimately, this helps you reach your social media goals, faster.
#3. Strategize, Strategize, Strategize
With over half a billion people watching Instagram Stories daily, focusing your marketing efforts on an effective Instagram Stories strategy will seriously pay off.
By visually storyboarding your stories, you gain an end-to-end view of how your stories will flow together — so you can tell the strongest story and capitalize on opportunities for engagement.
Plus, you can easily see how your Instagram Stories are performing. With an all-in-one, Instagram Management Tool like Later, you get all your stats in one, easy-to-use Instagram analytics dashboard.
The tool lets you track up to 12 months' worth of Instagram Stories, so you can see exactly what's performed best — and filter by key metrics, such as likes, reach, comments, and more:
By bulk uploading and storyboarding your content in advance, you’ll be sure to stay consistent with your audience while saving time, driving sales, and increasing your reach.
Scheduling Instagram Stories is simply a no-brainer — sign up for Later today and keep your followers tap-tap-tapping for more!
How to Schedule Instagram Stories with Later
Whether you’re looking for a more consistent way to engage with followers, or are hoping to drive traffic to a product page, scheduling Instagram Stories in advance is the answer.
Get started in five easy steps:
Step #1: Connect Your Instagram Profile
Sign up (or login) to Later on your desktop and tap “Add Social Profile.”
Select the Instagram icon to connect your account and tap "Stories":
NOTE: Due to API limitations Instagram Creator accounts can only schedule Instagram Stories through notification publishing.
Step #2: Use Later’s Storyboard Tool
Upload content to your Media Library and drag and drop stories onto the storyboard tool, then re-arrange them to fit the order and look that you prefer:
Step #3 (Optional): Edit Your Instagram Stories
Add text and filters to your Instagram Stories content.
Here you can also easily crop and resize images and video to fit Instagram Stories 9:16 ratio with Later’s crop tool:
Step #4: Add Captions
From there, add a great Instagram caption to your scheduled stories:
TIP: Use AI to help you generate compelling Instagram captions to ensure your Instagram Stories drive traffic and sales.
Step #5: Schedule Instagram Stories
Select "Auto Publish" and the time and date from the drop-down:
Finally, tap “Save Story” and just like that... You’ve scheduled your first Instagram Stories — life really can be that simple!
When it’s time to post, your scheduled Instagram Stories will automatically publish to your profile, no notifications are required.
NOTE: Due to API capabilities, auto-publishing does not support stickers, links, or audio. However, you can still schedule stories through notification publishing.
When it’s time to post, you’ll receive a push notification to your mobile device. Your stories will be downloaded to your phone and the caption and links will be copied to your clipboard.
In a nutshell, Later can help you spend less time posting on a whim, and more time growing your business and nurturing your community.
Plus, with extra time on your hands, you can take some well-deserved downtime — especially on the weekends.
So, what are you waiting for? Start scheduling your Instagram Stories in advance with Later — available on paid plans.
