What Are TikTok Stories & How to Leverage Them for Business

What Are TikTok Stories?

TikTok Stories, reminiscent of other social platforms’ “Stories” features, is a format that allows users to post content that disappears after 24 hours. 

Unlike the traditional TikTok videos that remain on a user’s profile indefinitely, Stories are ephemeral, giving creators a chance to share more spontaneous, less polished content. These Stories can be viewed by a user’s followers and can include various features like text, stickers, and more. 

Just like with permanent videos, users can engage with Stories by commenting, sharing, and reacting to them. Businesses and influencers often use Stories to promote time-sensitive events, share behind-the-scenes content, or engage with their audience in a more immediate and temporary manner.

How Do TikTok Stories Work?

TikTok Stories incorporate the familiar format found on platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, but with a unique twist. 

Here’s a breakdown of how TikTok Stories work:

• Creation: Users can create a Story by selecting the “Story” option, usually available beside the regular video option. This allows you to record videos directly or upload them from your device.
• Duration: Just like standard TikTok videos, the length of a Story can range up to 15 seconds.
• Ephemerality: Once posted, a TikTok Story is visible for only 24 hours. After this period, it disappears and is no longer accessible to followers or the general audience.
• Visibility: Unlike permanent TikTok videos, Stories are typically visible only to a user’s followers, making them a bit more intimate and targeted.
• Engagement: Viewers can engage with Stories by commenting, liking, or sharing them. The creator can see who viewed and engaged with their Story.
• Features: TikTok Stories come with various creative tools. Users can add text, stickers, effects, and music, similar to the main TikTok video creation tools but adapted for the Stories format.
• Notifications: When someone you follow posts a Story, you may receive a notification, ensuring you don’t miss out on time-sensitive content.
• Business and monetization: For businesses and creators, Stories offer a fresh avenue to promote products, share behind-the-scenes glimpses, or announce limited-time offers. They can be an effective tool for driving urgency due to their temporary nature.

How Do You Make a TikTok Story?

So, you’re keen on exploring TikTok Stories? Let’s embark on this journey together, ensuring you grasp every nuance from the get-go.

Here are the steps you need to take to create TikTok Stories:

1. Open the TikTok app
2. Set your video’s duration
3. Craft your TikTok Story
4. Publish your masterpiece 

1. Open the TikTok App

Open the TikTok app, and you’ll immediately notice the recognizable plus icon, typically positioned at the bottom center of your screen. Tapping on this is your gateway to content creation.

As you’re keen on creating a Story, you don’t need to pre-record anything. The app provides an intuitive interface to film short form videos on the spot. If you want, however, to upload footage from your camera roll, that’s also possible! 

On the bottom bar, simply slide until you spot the “Camera” button. You can choose between adding shorther videos or images to your Story. If you want to load preexisting content, tap on the “Upload” option from the bottom-right corner.

2. Set Your Video’s Duration

If you choose to post a video on your Story, then this step is not to be missed. Once you’re in the Story creation mode, look towards the left sidebar.

Here, you’ll find a Timer icon waiting for your attention. Clicking on this reveals a user-friendly duration slider. This tool empowers you to decide how long your Story will be, offering a range from a quick 1-second glimpse to a more detailed 15-second narrative. 

But before you begin recording, there’s another decision to make: your preferred countdown. Whether you like a brief three-second heads-up or a longer 10-second preparatory period, TikTok’s got you covered.

3. Craft Your TikTok Story

Now, here’s where the real fun begins. TikTok Stories come fully equipped with all the creative arsenal you’re accustomed to. 

Once you’ve captured your video or selected your image, you have a plethora of editing tools at your disposal, such as stickers, mentions, hashtags, polls, or emojis. Feel like adjusting the video size for that perfect frame? Go right ahead. 

Maybe sprinkle in some stickers for added flair, or play around with transitions and effects to make your Story pop. 

If narration is more your style, you can overlay your video with a voice track or maybe even tweak the audio settings to get the perfect background score.

4. Publish Your Masterpiece

With your Story crafted to perfection, it’s time to post it online. Hit the “Your Story” button and see it out in the wild!

To ensure you’re in control, the privacy settings allow you to dictate who gets to view your creative piece: whether it’s just you, your followers, or the general public. And before you unveil your masterpiece, pick an enticing cover that grabs attention. Once satisfied, a simple tap on the “Post” button will broadcast your Story to your eager audience.

Once you post to Story, your content will hop on the “For You” page of other users, alongside multiple other TikTok videos and images. You can check if the material was successfully uploaded if there is a blue Story circle next to your profile picture, as below:

That’s the Story panel where you also need to go in case you want to delete TikTok Stories.

While Stories are a great way to engage your audience on TikTok, it’s essential to remember that the platform thrives on a mix of content types. Regular TikTok videos and images are just as crucial to capturing a diverse audience. 

And if you’re serious about a consistent content strategy that encompasses all these elements, tools like SocialBee can be invaluable. With SocialBee, you can plan and schedule your TikTok feed videos and images, ensuring you maintain a persistent and engaging presence on the platform. 

Share videos and images on TikTok from one single dashboard.

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Here are some other features of SocialBee that might interest you as a social media marketer:

• Supported platforms: SocialBee caters to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, TikTok, YouTube, and Bluesky.
• Design directly in SocialBee: With integrations like Canva, Unsplash, and GIPHY, editing your videos and images has never been easier.
• Leverage AI for content creation: Our AI Post Generator helps in whipping up catchy TikTok captions and vibrant images.
• Organize for optimal content mix: Segment your content into specific categories to maintain balance and variety.
• Tailor each post to its platform: Do you want to share the same video across multiple platforms? Make sure your content is customized for each platform with the help of post variations.
• Smart hashtag suggestions: Let SocialBee’s hashtag generator recommend the best TikTok hashtags based on your caption.
• Manage content lifecycle: Easily repurpose evergreen content or set expiry for time-bound posts.
• Plan with a posting calendar: Design a structured posting timeline across all your social profiles.
• Collaborate with ease: Get access to multiple workspaces and team-based features.
• Deep dive into metrics: Track your account growth and content performance.