How to schedule Instagram Stories, step-by-step, and plus tips and tricks to get the most out of your content. 

Instagram Stories have completely changed how creators and brands use Instagram.

The short, vertical images and videos that disappear after 24 hours offer a whole new way to connect with your followers. From offering your followers a sneak peek behind the scenes to using the huge variety of fun stickers available in this part of the app to generate engagement, Stories are super fun and versatile. 

The best part about Stories? Unlike Instagram Reels and Feed posts, they don’t require much effort, as there’s no curated feed or video editing to worry about. In fact, Stories are meant to be less polished than the rest of the platform, explains Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram. 

“In a world where people are inundated with overly processed content, a lot of what people want to see from you as a creator is a little bit of an authentic insight into what it is like to be in your shoes.” 

For best results, you should post at least two Instagram Stories a day, Mosseri has previously said. Buffer data suggests seven is the sweet spot for engagement and growth on the platform. 

As easy as it may be to post Stories, if you’re a busy creator, business owner, or social media manager, that’s a significant number. How can you keep engagement high on Stories while still creating high-quality content for your feed?

That is where Instagram Story scheduling comes in. 

Planning and scheduling your Stories in advance allows you to create enough content to stay relevant and top-of-mind for your followers daily. It also allows you to be a little more strategic about what you post — because, let’s be honest, not every day is filled with interesting, Story-worthy moments. 

With Buffer, an all-in-one social media management tool, you can easily schedule Instagram Stories — along with Instagram Reels, feed posts, and carousels — for free. 

You can re-arrange and preview your Stories, too, so that you&#x2019