What TikTok Stories Are and How To Post Them (2024)

Businesses in every corner of the internet leverage TikTok for marketing, posting short-form content to take advantage of the platform’s powerful algorithm. You may already be well-versed in creating viral TikToks—but what about the Stories feature? 

A relatively new feature, businesses often overlook Stories, and creators might question the value of investing time in a temporarily visible video. Here’s an explainer on TikTok Stories and how to use the feature to deliver more content to your followers.

What are TikTok Stories?

Stories are 15-second TikTok videos that expire after 24 hours. Released as a new feature in late 2021, they work like Snapchat or Instagram Stories, adding casual, bite-sized shorts to your regular content. 

TikTok Stories appear on a scrolling bar at the top of the Following and Inbox pages or when you tap your profile icon. When you post a TikTok Story, a blue ring appears around your profile icon, which followers can tap to view.

After a 2024 update, some users have reported that TikTok Stories may be accessible only via the scrolling Stories bar or directly through your profile, rather than appearing in feeds and For You pages. This means views primarily come from existing followers, which gives Stories a more intimate, community-based feel than the rest of the public-facing content. 

Previously, users could publicly like and comment on TikTok stories. However, many users have noticed that comments on Stories are no longer visible publicly and now go straight to the poster’s direct messages (DMs). As the Story feature continues to evolve, accessibility may change.

Ways marketers can use TikTok Stories

Here are some ways your brand can experiment with the Stories feature to engage your TikTok audience:

Experiment with variety

The temporary nature of TikTok Stories is the perfect opportunity to test out new types of content without cluttering your profile feed. 

Experiment with different video formats or topics to see what resonates. Jump on trends, try videos with sounds or meme formats, or experiment with different lengths. You might discover a new approach to incorporate into your regular posts.

Offer more casual content

Many TikTok accounts use Stories to share short-form, informal, intimate content that contrasts with the higher production values and effort of their regular videos. Videos that incorporate behind-the-scenes, day-in-the-life, Q&A, and FAQ content are all effective ways to give followers a fun inside look at your business journey.

Tease upcoming content

Use Stories to boost views on your regular posts. For example, you could offer sneak peeks of upcoming videos, give previews of a new campaign, or tease important announcements. 

Create a feeling of community and exclusivity

The 24-hour lifespan of TikTok Stories can help you create an engaging culture among your followers, allowing you to post exclusive offers or time-sensitive content. Users who don’t regularly watch your Stories may feel motivated to keep up so they don’t miss out. 

How to post a TikTok Story

1. Tap the “+” button
2. Record or upload a video
3. Click the Your Story button

TikTok has made it easy to post a Story to your account, following a similar process to the one used when posting a regular video. Here’s how:

1. Tap the “+” button

While logged in to the TikTok app, go to the toolbar at the bottom of your screen and tap the “+” button in the center to create a new post.

2. Record or upload a video

Tap the round Record button in the bottom center to record a new video, or tap the Upload button on the bottom right to select a video from your camera roll. Each Story can be a maximum of 15 seconds long. Note that if you decide to record or upload a longer video, TikTok splits it into back-to-back 15-second segments.

You can also use this tab to customize your video with stickers, filters, text boxes, trending sounds, and more.

3. Click the Your Story button

Once your video is ready, you’ll see two options at the bottom: Your Story and Post to Feed. Tap Your Story to post the video as a Story or tap Post to Feed to post the video as a standard TikTok post. Once published, a story is visible for 24 hours.

To view a TikTok story you’ve posted in the past 24 hours, go to your profile and tap on your profile picture. To view your expired Stories, go to your profile and select the private tab, marked by a lock icon.