At the moment, almost any application for smartphones can contain small “stories”. (Sometimes we’re surprised we don’t see updates about our friends’ night out on the town when we open the calculator app.) So it’s no wonder we’re living in the age of TikTok stories right now.
Following apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and others, TikTok is the latest app to follow the trend. And business is both good and good for your business. Before I get even more confused, let’s dive in.
What are TikTok stories and how do they work?
TikTok stories are short videos that expire after 24 hours. They are similar to Instagram Stories, albeit a little shorter, with a maximum length of 15 seconds (Instagram’s long-term 16-second limit was recently updated to 60 seconds).
Each 15 second story you post will appear in sequence, so you can string together a series of short clips if you need more time to get your message across.
@keenyakelly ❗️MAJOR TIKTOK STORIES UPDATE❗️
♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Despite their similarities to Stories on other platforms, some features make Stories stand out from the pack.
When you post a story on TikTok, it appears in your main feed with a blue story icon that redirects viewers to that particular story. This means that all of your relevant content is stored in one place, even if you had to post multiple segments because you exceeded the 15 second time limit.
Even better (well, if you don’t have a problem with trolls), TikTok stories have a comment section built into the post. While Instagram Stories only allows viewers to reply to a story privately, TikTok offers another place for public discussion.
@tabithaswatosh TikTok stories????😭
TikTok Stories has been out for a little over a year now, but the feature is still not officially rolled out to all users. So if you don’t have them yet, don’t worry, they will appear.
How to make a story on TikTok
If you happen to have TikTok stories, posting them is incredibly easy. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: Start making a regular TikTok.
Tap the plus icon in the bottom menu bar, then start creating your content. You can record videos, take photos, or upload existing content from your camera roll.
Step 2: Set up your content.
Use TikTok’s extensive library of tools including sounds, effects, stickers, filters and more.
Step 3: Click on your post.
Once you’re happy with your content and ready to post, you’ll be faced with two options: Next, which will create a regular TikTok post, or Post to Story, which will post to your story.
If that’s not easy enough, there’s an even easier way. Go to your TikTok profile and click on the blue plus icon next to your profile picture.
Boom – you are instantly taken to the “Create Story”section.
Once a story goes live, it will appear on the For You and Subscribed pages. When you post a story, a blue circle also appears around your profile picture. Curious followers can click on the ring to view your story.
Now you know how to add story on TikTok, let’s see why.
Why You Should Use TikTok Stories
There are two main reasons why using TikTok Stories will get you more TikTok views:
- The introduction of any new feature to this incredibly popular app is likely to have an impact on you and your brand.
- Stories have been successful in almost every other application.
But there are many more specific reasons why TikTok Stories would be good for your brand. Here are some of them:
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Be one step ahead
While they’ve been around in one form or another for over a year, the TikTok stories are just getting started. They may not be the most popular feature on the platform (yet), but that makes them the perfect sandbox for you and your brand. Social platforms want you to use their new features and often reward users who do more.
In addition, if you master TikTok Stories first, you will have a clear advantage over your competitors.
Check what works
Social media experts often use sponsored posts to A/B test content before deciding on a permanent post or campaign. Instead of spending money comparing two posts to each other, you can use Stories as a testing ground.
Try one campaign, then try another on a different day at the same time. TikTok metrics will let you measure which story had the most reach.
@chooseyoursocial
Find new ways to influence
TikTok stories also open up new opportunities for influencers and brands alike. After all, there are many ways to monetize this new feature.
A brand can hire an influencer to take over the management of their Stories for the day, or an influencer can charge a brand a lower fee to promote their product in Stories if they don’t want to pay a lot of money for a main feed post.
You can keep it short
You don’t have to be an industry analyst to know that audiences want shorter bursts of content in larger quantities, and Stories is the perfect place to do that. There’s no need to dwell on the time, and you don’t need to mumble either. Stories are the perfect place to give your audience quick access to content that makes them want more.
@baderalsafar My first TikTok story #baderalsafar #stories #tiktokstories #foryou #fyp #foryoupage
Low rates / higher returns
TikTok is for everyone, but the app’s explosive popularity has led to a gradual increase in the production of branded posts. This is certainly a good thing, but it can also mean more time invested in brands.
Generally speaking, stories on any social platform are expected to be content with less effort — and content that will expire. With that in mind, you can post more content and more often on TikTok stories and not worry about it hurting your algorithm.
Frequently Asked Questions on TikTok Stories
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about TikTok stories.
How long can TikTok stories be?
TikTok stories have a maximum length of 15 seconds, but you can post multiple stories at the same time. It’s important to find a sweet spot that works for your audience. If you’re just getting started, we suggest testing a maximum of four stories (or 60 seconds of content).
Do you see who has viewed your TikTok stories?
Good news for viewers: Unlike Instagram, TikTok Stories doesn’t offer a complete list of viewers. However, TikTok Stories includes a public comment section, as well as the ability to like, stitch, or duet stories, so there are plenty of ways to interact.
How long are TikTok stories kept?
TikTok stories will expire after 24 hours and will no longer appear in your public feed. Fortunately, you will still have access to the archive, where you can view all your old stories and study their statistics.
@brookyoursocialbestie TikTok stories expire after 24 hours but the story archive lives on 🙌🏻 Here’s how to see your story archive + final view counts on those clips 🙏🏻
Can TikTok stories be deleted?
Yes, deleting your TikTok history is easy. If you decide you can’t wait 24 hours for it to disappear, simply view your history and tap on the three dots at the bottom right of the screen. From here, simply click “Delete”to delete your history.
Why are there no stories on my TikTok?
The adoption of TikTok Stories has been long and slow, so you may not have TikTok Stories yet. But this feature is also quite hidden, so there’s a good chance you have it and haven’t noticed it. Make sure your TikTok app is up to date, then go to your profile and look for the blue plus sign next to your profile picture. If it is, you have Stories.
Who sees my TikTok stories?
Anyone who follows you will see your TikTok stories on the For You page as well as your standard feed. Stories are marked with a blue story icon. Also, if you have an active TikTok story that is currently live, your profile picture will have a blue clickable ring around it.