How to Schedule Instagram Stories for a Consistent Presence

What’s the first or last thing you check when you open Instagram? If you’re anything like many Instagram users, you probably tap the Stories feature as soon as you get on the platform or before you leave.

For many users, Instagram Stories provide a peek into their favorite creators’ and brands’ authentic moments. This is because they’re typically less polished than Feed posts.

For creators, the feature has become an effective way to stay top of mind and engage with audiences. There’s only one catch: Instagram stories are only available for 24 hours. This means that you need to constantly post content to truly stay top of mind. Given other obligations, such as curating Feed content and managing your presence across social media platforms, this is easier said than done.

Fortunately, there’s a solution: content scheduling. If you find yourself forgetting to post on IG Stories or scrambling to put something together at the last minute just so you don’t miss a posting timeline, it may be time to consider scheduling.

This blog dives into how to schedule Instagram Stories so you never miss an opportunity to engage with your people. We also explain why posting on Stories is worth the effort and offer tips to help boost engagement.

Why Use Instagram Stories in the First Place?

If you’re on the fence about Instagram Stories, you’re not alone. Many people choose to focus on Instagram Posts because they’re permanent and can reach a wider audience. They also tend to generate more engagement over time.

However, just because Stories are temporary and limited to your followers doesn’t mean you should overlook them. They might be the secret ingredient you need to finally get your Instagram marketing recipe right.

The Story feature allows you to:

• Share content that may not fit your general IG aesthetic: If you want to maintain a professional image on Instagram, odds are, you only post well-curated content on your Feed. While that’s great, curated content isn’t the only thing Instagram users want to see. They also want candid moments, funny content, and unpolished updates. Stories allow you to give them that without affecting your aesthetic.
• Direct audiences to Feed posts: Instagram lets you share regular posts in Stories. This is a great way to get more users to scroll through your page.
• Engage directly with your audience: Instagram Stories offers interactive features like polls and questions. They’re a great way to learn more about your audience and boost engagement.
• Direct traffic to external platforms: You can add links to different platforms, such as your website or TikTok page, on Instagram Stories. This is an excellent way to generate more interest in your brand outside of Instagram.

Benefits of Scheduling Instagram Stories

As with content on the Feed, it’s easy for Stories to get lost in all the Instagram noise if you’re inconsistent. The Instagram algorithm considers users’ viewing and engagement histories when ranking Stories. The more followers view your stories, the likelier you are to rank high in their Stories tray.

How do you maintain good viewing numbers? By constantly engaging with your audience. However, maintaining a consistent presence, especially when you have multiple Instagram accounts or social media profiles to manage, is almost impossible. That’s where scheduling comes in.

Here’s a breakdown of the benefits of scheduling Instagram Stories:

Stay Consistent

When you schedule content to go up at a specific time, you don’t have to worry about missing your posting window because of everyday issues like devices going off, falling asleep, or simply forgetting. You can rest assured that you’ll have a presence on Stories, whether you’re online or offline.

Save Time

Did you know that the average person wastes roughly four hours every week reorienting themselves after switching applications? Yes, you read that right. While posting on Stories on the go may only take a few minutes a day, you’ll likely spend much more time getting your mind back to other tasks.

Scheduling Instagram Stories can prevent this from happening. When you plan for content to go live at specific times, you don’t need to stop whatever you’re doing during your posting windows. For example, if you’re creating content for your Feed, you can focus entirely on doing so, instead of pausing and then trying to get your mind back to the task.

Maintain Content Quality

Ever posted something you usually wouldn’t just to maintain an active presence on Instagram? This is what typically happens when creators try to put content together at the last minute.

Scheduling can save you from such situations. It gives you time to come up with ideas and align them with your overall brand, so you never have to post content that seems out of place.

Remember, while the Stories feature is a great place to post content that doesn’t align with your Feed’s aesthetic, going too off-brand can confuse your audience. For example, if you’re a fashion content creator and randomly post “celebrity gossip” just to have something up on your Stories, you’ll likely leave your followers with questions.

Promote Well-Coordinated Marketing Efforts

Scheduling Instagram Stories can streamline coordination with other efforts, potentially enhancing your marketing outcomes.

Say you want to announce an update via multiple channels, including email, TikTok, and the Instagram Feed. By scheduling content, you can make sure your update reaches every audience at the same time. This could increase engagement and give your update more visibility.

Facilitate Planning

It can be challenging to track what you post and when you post it if you publish content on the go. This could inadvertently result in a greater focus on some aspects of your brand than others. For example, you may end up posting more behind-the-scenes footage than actual product or service promotions.

Scheduling can help you balance your content by providing a calendar view of what you plan to post on each day. This way, you can adjust your strategy as needed before Stories go up.

Take Advantage of Optimal Posting Times

Scheduling lets you reach audiences when they’re most active, even when you’re offline. It could increase your views and engagement, helping you maintain a top rank on followers’ Stories.

Of course, this requires some strategic planning on your part. Check your analytics to see when your followers are most active and schedule your Stories for those times.

To check your analytics, make sure you have a professional account. Then:

• Go to Professional dashboard, then Insights.
• Tap the Followers section.
• Scroll down to Most active times and check each day’s active hours.

How to Schedule Instagram Stories

There are two ways to schedule Instagram Stories: using Meta Business Suite and using third-party tools like Buffer and Sprout Social.

Using Meta Business Suite

You can schedule Stories using the Meta Business Suite mobile app or on a desktop. To use the app:

1. Tap Story.
2. Upload desired content (could be pictures, videos, or both).
3. Add stickers, text, GIFs, and any other interactive element (optional).
4. Tap Next.
5. Select your story placement (Facebook, Instagram, or both).
6. Tap Schedule for later and choose when you want the content to go live (both date and time).
7. Tap Done (on iOS devices) or Schedule (on Android).

To schedule Stories on Meta Business Suite desktop:

1. Open Meta Business Suite on your computer.
2. Go to Content or Planner.
3. Tap the drop-down menu and select Create story.
4. Choose where you want your content to appear (Facebook, Instagram, or both).
5. Upload the content
6. Click the Schedule button and choose your preferred dates and times.

Using Third-Party Tools

1 or 2 Instagram accounts

You can also schedule Instagram Stories through traditional social media tools. Platforms like Buffer or Sprout Social let you upload your content, set a time, and publish automatically without needing to post manually.

100+ Instagram accounts

Well, things change when you’re managing more than one account. Running 10, 20, or even a 100 Instagram profiles requires a different workflow.

GeeLark lets you schedule Feed posts and Reels across 100+ accounts at the same time. It works whether you manage multiple brand pages, run a creator network, or handle content for several clients. You upload once, set your schedule, and every account gets the content it needs.

To schedule posts across multiple Instagram accounts, start by creating your cloud phone profiles inside GeeLark.

• Log in to GeeLark and create your cloud phone profiles.
• Open each cloud phone and sign in to the Instagram accounts you want to manage.
• Go to Automation → Marketplace and choose the template you need:
  • “Post Reels video on Instagram” for videos
  • “Instagram publish Reels gallery” for images
• Upload your content, add captions, covers, and other details.
• Set your posting time and confirm the task.

After that, GeeLark handles everything automatically across all selected accounts, even if you close your computer.

Who Can Benefit from Instagram Story Scheduling?

Any Instagram user looking to maintain a consistent Stories presence. That said, some groups stand to benefit more. These include:

• Business owners: Scheduling content allows them to maintain audience engagement, keeping their brands front and center in potential customers’ minds.
• Social media managers: Content scheduling makes it easier to juggle multiple clients’ accounts. It reduces the risk of missing posting windows on some accounts and prevents burnout resulting from overwhelm.
• Content creators: Scheduling takes the hassle out of maintaining an active Instagram presence. Creators and influencers can focus on other important tasks, such as creating Feed content and responding to DMs, all without missing a beat on their Stories.

Instagram Stories Scheduling Tips

There’s more to scheduling content than picking a random publishing date and time. To make the most out of Instagram Stories:

Schedule Content to Go Live at Peak Times

Use data from Instagram Insights to identify when your audience is the most active every day. Then, schedule your content to publish at those times. This will help you capture views and engagement from users who tap on the most recent Stories.

Review Your Content

It’s normal to make mistakes when scheduling Stories, especially if you’re managing multiple accounts or posting bulk content. You may schedule content on the wrong account, select the wrong day and time, or upload duplicate content.

To prevent such mistakes from harming your engagement, review all content before finalizing your schedule.

Confirm Content Aligns With Instagram’s Recommended Dimensions

Most people watch Instagram Stories full-screen while holding their mobile devices vertically. As such, Instagram recommends a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels).

Confirm all scheduled Stories follow this guideline to prevent content from getting cut off. If you include text on your videos or images, make sure it’s within 1080 x 1420 pixels to avoid being cropped out.

Use Interactive Features

Don’t let your Stories be passive. Include interactive features like emoji sliders, quizzes, and polls in your content to encourage engagement. This could, in turn, send positive signals to the Instagram algorithm, potentially securing your ranking. These features can also help you collect audience feedback on everything from your content to your brand, enabling well-informed improvement decisions.

If you want to promote a product or other social media pages, use Instagram’s link sticker. All you need to do is copy your destination’s URL, upload your content, tap the sticker icon, and paste the link.

Maintain Brand Consistency

Stories are much more flexible than the Feed, since they expire after 24 hours. Still, it’s important to maintain your brand identity. Stick to your overall style and align content with your niche to promote audience recognition and engagement.

Mix Things Up

Schedule a mix of videos, images, and text-based slides to keep your Stories dynamic.

Diversify the kind of content you post as well. For example, you could schedule product images, team photos, behind-the-scenes footage, and short video tutorials.

It’s also important to keep things light. Occasionally, include a few funny videos and memes to remind your audience that there’s a real person behind your account.

Don’t Spam Your Stories

Contrary to some belief, more isn’t always better. Scheduling too many Stories in a row can overwhelm your audience, leading to lower views or engagement.

Prioritize content quality over quantity. If you can communicate your message in a couple of Stories, don’t drag it out to ten just to appear active.

FAQs