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Scheduling Instagram Stories – so your business is seen every day
You schedule Instagram Stories through Meta’s Meta Business Suite: create a story there, choose Instagram as the destination and set the date and time. Beforehand, prepare images or short videos in 9:16 portrait format. Here you’ll learn step by step how it works and which stories work especially well for a business.
What makes a Story
Stories are photos, short videos or graphics in full-screen portrait format that appear at the top of the Instagram app. According to Meta, they’re visible for 24 hours and then disappear from the regular Stories area. That’s exactly what makes them so lively: they can be spontaneous, unpolished and up close.
For businesses, Stories are a look over your shoulder – the early shift in the bakehouse, the freshly laid parquet floor, the new scent on the shelf. That way your followers see you almost every day, without you having to put together an elaborate post every time.
Why it pays to schedule Stories
Stories live in the moment – and yet many of them are easy to prepare. Holiday opening hours, the deal of the week, an appointment reminder or a job ad are all fixed well in advance. When those Stories are scheduled, your mind stays free for the spontaneous moments in between.
A second advantage: you show up at times when your own hands are full – say, at seven in the morning, when the rush in your shop is at its peak.
How to schedule a Story with Meta Business Suite
Meta describes how to create and schedule Stories in Meta Business Suite on a computer and in the app. The prerequisite is that your Instagram account is connected to Business Suite. Here’s how it works:
- Open Meta Business Suite on your computer or in the app.
- Choose “Create story” and set Instagram as the destination.
- Upload your photo or video in portrait format and add text if you like.
- Instead of “Share now,” choose the scheduling option and set the date and time.
- Check in the planner that the Story will go live on the right day – and adjust it if needed.
Prepare a week of Stories in 30 minutes
It’s easiest if you prepare a small batch once a week and leave the rest to everyday life. One possible routine:
- Look at your content plan: which dates, offers or announcements are coming up next week?
- Take three to five photos or short videos to go with them – ideally in portrait format right away.
- Add text, your logo and, if you like, a sticker such as a poll or countdown.
- Schedule the Stories in Meta Business Suite for the right days and times.
- Leave room for the spontaneous: the best Stories often happen unplanned, in between.
The right format
For Stories, Meta recommends 9:16 portrait format, which is 1,080 × 1,920 pixels. Keep text and logo a little away from the top and bottom edges, because that’s where Instagram overlays its own controls, such as your profile picture and the reply field.
Large, easy-to-read type and one clear sentence per Story work better than lots of text. People tapping through Stories on their phones don’t read – they take things in at a glance.
For videos: the first few seconds decide whether people tap on. Show what it’s about right from the start – the steaming pretzel, the tool in action, the finished result. Many people watch Stories with the sound off, so a short line of text in the image helps.
Stories that invite people to act
A Story is especially valuable when it offers a next step. With the link sticker, people can tap a link directly – for example to preorder, book an appointment or view a job ad. With poll and question stickers, you invite people to join the conversation, and their answers spark new ideas for posts.
Spell out the next step clearly: “Tap the link and order your cake for the weekend.” Anyone just browsing gets a friendly invitation – and anyone ready to act knows right away how.
Story ideas from everyday business life
These occasions suit almost any business and are easy to plan ahead:
- Offer or product of the week, with price and pickup time.
- Special opening hours before public holidays and company vacations.
- Before-and-after of a completed job.
- A poll sticker: “Which cake should hit the shelf next week?”
- A question sticker for questions about your expertise – the answers become your next Story.
- A countdown to a promotion, an open house or the start of the apprenticeship year.
- Meet the team: one face, one sentence, one favorite product.
Highlights: keep your best Stories on show
Stories disappear after 24 hours – unless you save them as a Highlight. Highlights sit as round circles below your profile description and stay visible until you remove them. Create a few clear collections, such as “Opening hours,” “Team,” “Our work” and “Jobs.”
That turns your profile into a little business card: anyone discovering you for the first time finds what they want to know in two taps.
How tiaki helps you
With the Designer in tiaki, you create images in every format – including Story portrait format – with your colors, your logo and ready-made templates. In the content calendar, you see which occasions are coming up, and overnight, matching post suggestions are waiting for you.
What you want to know.
Can I schedule Instagram Stories in advance?
Yes, with Meta’s Meta Business Suite. There you create the Story, choose Instagram as the destination and set the date and time.
How long is an Instagram Story visible?
24 hours. After that, it disappears from the Stories area but stays in your archive and can live on permanently in your profile as a Highlight.
What size does a Story image need to be?
Meta recommends 9:16 portrait format at 1,080 × 1,920 pixels. Keep important content away from the very top and bottom edges.
How many Stories should a business post?
There’s no set number. What matters more than quantity is that people see you regularly – even one Story on most days keeps you top of mind.
What’s the difference between a Story and a post?
A post stays on your profile permanently, while a Story is only visible for 24 hours. That makes Stories ideal for everyday and short-term things, and posts for what’s meant to last – such as a finished project or a job ad.
Further reading.
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