How to Schedule Instagram Stories for 2022 [4 Easy Steps]

You may have wondered if you can schedule Instagram Stories if you are using Stories in your Instagram marketing mix.

It’s great news! You can now schedule your Stories ahead of time using the Instagram Story scheduler in Hootsuite and Facebook Business Suite.

This post will discuss the benefits of scheduling Instagram Stories instead of publishing them on-the-fly.

• You can save a lot of time
• Editing tools and templates make it easier to personalize Stories
• Avoid typos and autocorrect errors

We also show you how to schedule Instagram Stories.

Is there an app that schedules Instagram Stories?

Instagram doesn’t allow you to schedule Stories ahead of the time. You can schedule Instagram Stories using the Hootsuite desktop dashboard or mobile app. It is now possible to post Instagram Stories via Facebook Business Suite.

Are you not a great reader? We don’t judge. This video will show you how to schedule Instagram Stories. You can also watch it in its entirety.

How to schedule Instagram Stories with Hootsuite

Due to an Instagram API limitation third-party software and apps can’t publish directly on Instagram Stories. There are only a few additional steps that you need to follow within the Instagram app after you have created and scheduled your Story. The whole process is quick and easy.

Here’s how it works.

Before you begin, ensure that you are using the most recent versions of both the Hootsuite* app and the Instagram app.

While you can schedule and create Instagram Stories from your desktop, you will need to use the mobile apps for publishing.

*Instagram Stories scheduling available to Professional users and above

Step 1: Create an Instagram Story

1. Click the drop-down button next to the green New Postbutton in the Hootsuite dashboard and choose New Story.

2. In the Post to field choose which Instagram account(s) you wish to share the Story.

3. Drag and drop up 10 images or videos to your Story into the Media area. Or click Select files for upload. To create a Story with stock images or assets from your Enterprise content collection, click Open Media Library. Remember that each image file may not exceed 5MB and videos no longer than 60 seconds. You can change the order of your videos and photos in your story. Drag-and-drop your photos and videos to the right in the list at the top of your dashboard.

4. To prepare your Story assets with the Hootsuite Image Editor, click Edit beneath each file.

5. To crop your photo to the right size, use the Transform menu .

6. You can make any other edits to your image using filters, the Adjust or Focus tools.

7. Use the brush tool, frames, stickers and the brush to create your overlay text. Stories does not allow you to click on stickers or text that you have applied with the image editing tool. In a later step, you’ll add hashtags and links as well as other interactive elements. Once you are happy with your image click Save .

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Step 2: Create an interactive story by previewing your Story

1. To check the Story components, use the preview pane to the right.

2. You can add hashtags, links, or other interactive text elements to your Story by typing them into the Clipboard text field. This will save the text, so you can copy and paste it later when you finish your Story in Instagram.

3. If you haven’t already set up the mobile notification workflow click the bell and follow the steps. This is only necessary for the first Story you schedule. You cannot use the direct publishing option for Instagram Stories as Instagram doesn’t allow it.

Step 3: Schedule your Story

1. For later , click Schedule

2. Select your date/time and click Done.

3. Click the green

Schedule

Click the button to schedule your Story.

Step 4: Finish and publish your Story

When your Story is ready to go live, the Hootsuite app will send a push notification to your phone. You can publish your Story with just a few clicks.

1. To open a preview, tap the notification. Click Open In Instagram. This will open the Instagram app. Important: The Story can be posted to any account that is signed in. You should ensure that you are signed in to the correct Instagram account if you have multiple Instagram profiles.

2. In the Instagram app tap the camera button in top-left corner. Next, tap the gallery button in the bottom right. Your Story will display the most recent images and videos that you have prepared.

3. Tap Select Multiple to select all components of your Story. Next, tap Next. Tap the photo or video that is only part of your Story.

4. Any interactive text components can be added to your Story. You can now copy all the text you have entered in Hootsuite to your clipboard and paste it into the appropriate location. To add your hashtag text, you can either add a sticker to your screen or open a box. Tap-and-hold to select and paste.

5. You can make further edits to your photos using Instagram’s stickers and drawing tools. After you’re done, tap Send to. This is a great opportunity to double-check that your Instagram account is correct by checking the profile picture.

6. To publish your Story, tap Share beside Your Story.

You can see the entire Instagram Stories scheduling process in action in the video below.

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How to schedule Instagram Stories with Facebook Business Suite

You can schedule Instagram Stories by using Facebook’s native Business Suite if you have an Instagram Business account.

Facebook Business Suite is great if you are only publishing to Facebook and Instagram. However, most social media marketers can save a lot time and energy by using a social management tool that allows them to manage all their social channels from one place. Hootsuite allows you to schedule content for Facebook, Instagram (including Stories, Posts, Reels), TikTok and Twitter from one place.

Follow these steps if you want to schedule your Instagram Stories with Facebook’s native solution.

Step 1: Navigate To The Business Suite

Go to your Page, and select Business Suite in the menu on the left.

Once you are logged in, select your account from a drop-down menu at the top left corner.

Step 2: Start drafting your Story

This can be done from 3 spots on the dashboard

• The Posts and Stories menu is located on the left side.
• The Create Post button is located in the menu at the left side.
• The Create Story button is located in the middle of the dashboard

Click on any of these options to open a Story creator window. Select the account to which you wish to share your Story, and then upload an image or a video to begin creating your Story.

Business Suite’s Story editing options are limited in comparison to those in Instagram or Hootsuite. You can only crop the media file and add text or stickers.

Step 3: Schedule your Instagram Story

Once you are satisfied with your creation, click on the Publish story button to schedule options.

Click Schedule Story. Next, choose a date and a time to publish your Story.

After saving the date and time, click Schedule story. You’re done! Your Story will automatically be posted to Instagram at the time and date you specify.

You can confirm that your Story is scheduled by navigating into Posts & Stories, then Stories and finally Scheduled.

Here you can also manage your post – reschedule, publish it immediately, or delete it from the pipeline.

6 reasons to schedule Instagram Stories

1. Save time

You can save a lot of time by learning how to schedule Instagram Stories. It also makes it much easier to share Stories without disrupting your workday. Instead of creating and posting Stories on the spot multiple times per day you can now prepare your Stories for the week in one sitting.

You can push your scheduled Stories live with just a few clicks.

If you wish to update your audience about something happening right now, you can share live Stories between your scheduled ones.

2. Upload Instagram Stories to your desktop or laptop

How many times have it been necessary to send a file or photo to your phone in order to post it on Stories. Then you have to go through your camera roll looking for the right posts in the correct order.

This step can be eliminated by using an Instagram Story scheduler. Upload your Stories files from your computer or laptop. When your Story is ready to go live, all components will automatically appear in the correct order at the top.

3. More editing options

Hootsuite allows you to schedule Instagram Stories and access all the editing tools in the Hootsuite dashboard. This means that you can create Stories using fonts, stickers, frames, and other features not available in the Instagram app. To give your Story a unique look, you can upload your own stickers.

As we mentioned, you can edit on your computer or laptop. To fine-tune your edits and give you greater creative control, you can use a full-size keyboard with a monitor.

4. Templates can help you maintain a consistent look with your brand.

You can create consistent Story posts using Instagram templates that match your brand’s overall look. Templates are particularly useful for sharing text, quotes, and links to your blog posts.

To create Instagram posts, many templates require that you use a computer-based program like Adobe Photoshop. It can be tedious to transfer your posts from Photoshop onto your phone for posting.

It’s easier to use templates when you can upload your posts right from your computer. This makes it easier to incorporate these useful tools into your Instagram Stories posts.

Are you new to templates? We have a whole post about how to use them, which includes a set free templates for Instagram Stories to get you started.

5. Avoid typos and broken hyperlinks

It is not the best way of creating beautiful content. Autocorrect is a real problem.

You can plan your posts ahead of time so you can plan your text and link structure more precisely. Use a proper keyboard to type your captions. Run them through a grammar and spelling check program. Test your links. Check out what other posts have been shared using the hashtags that you are considering.

It is always a good idea for you to take a break from your content and then return to it with a fresh set of eyes. You can even ask a colleague to take a look. This is difficult when you are posting on the spot. Once you’ve scheduled Stories you can review them in Hootsuite at any time before they go live.

6. Encourage engagement

Once you learn how to schedule Instagram Stories, it’s likely that you’ll be posting more Stories and more often. Your audience will be more likely to engage with your Stories if they know what to expect and when.

Are you ready to schedule Instagram Stories and save time with Hootsuite? Hootsuite allows you to manage all of your social networks and schedule posts from one dashboard.

Try it for free for 30 Days

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