How to Schedule Instagram Stories in 2025

Instagram Stories are a powerful marketing tool that allows you to captivate your audience with engaging visuals and snippets of your brand's story.

We understand just how important it is for social media managers and agencies to maximise this dynamic channel without wasting precious time.

That's why we're thrilled to introduce you to a game-changing feature: scheduling and auto-posting Instagram Stories using Sendible.

In this guide, we'll explain the ins and outs of scheduling Stories and publishing them, revealing the numerous benefits of this process.

From saving time and boosting efficiency to expanding your audience reach, Sendible's scheduling tool is a must-have for any social media pro.

Why use Instagram Stories?

Since Instagram Stories were built to be temporary compared to photos and videos shared to your main feed, they create urgency and allow for more variety in the types of content shared by brands and creators on their business accounts. 

Here's how to use Instagram Stories to create a strong relationship with your audience, improve engagement, boost brand awareness, and learn more about your followers:

1. Share lists and tips to educate your audience. You can then easily link this Story to your website to improve traffic and conversion rates. If you don't want to do that, this is a great way to educate your audience with one Story or even a sequence of Stories.
2. Use Instagram Story polls for surveys. Interactive features such as polls are the best way to improve engagement and reach but also learn more about your audience. This will help you adjust your Instagram marketing strategy and give your audience exactly what it needs.
3. Repost your Feed posts. Don't just publish a post and leave it there. Instead, repost them to your Story for more reach, add an interactive element, or tease them to go to the post to uncover additional tips.
4. Use Instagram Stories to share BTS content. What's happening behind your latest product launch? What's going on in the office? What's your current state of mind? Share relatable sneak-peeks with your audience to create genuine connections.

Can you schedule Instagram Stories?

Yes, you can schedule Instagram Stories using third-party social media management tools like Sendible, Meta Business Suite, Later, Hootsuite, and Buffer.

However, Instagram’s API has some restrictions.

But you can use some social media management tools, such as Sendible, to schedule Stories and send a push notification to your phone. When you get the notification, you can manually add the poll sticker before posting.

Benefits of scheduling Instagram Stories

Who doesn't love a good Story? They're one of the most consumed content formats on Instagram.

Unfortunately, posting Stories can be a daunting task.

But fear not, because that's all in the past now!

We at Sendible believe in empowering social media managers and agencies with tools that simplify their workflows and drive results.

So, why is scheduling Instagram Stories with Sendible a game-changer? Let's break it down even further.

• Plan ahead and take control: With Sendible, you can plan your Instagram Stories in advance, seamlessly integrating them into your larger campaigns. No more last-minute rushes or missed opportunities. You're in complete control of when your Stories go live.
• Never miss a beat: Say goodbye to relying on reminders or push notifications that you might accidentally overlook. By scheduling your Stories with Sendible, you can publish them exactly when you want, ensuring you make the most impact without missing a single beat.
• Repurpose with ease: Why reinvent the wheel? With Sendible, you can effortlessly repurpose your short-form videos and other media used across other social channels and publish them as Instagram Stories.
  It's a time-saving hack that helps you maximize your content reach without breaking a sweat.
• Engage like never before: Instagram Stories are known for their engagement potential. By scheduling Stories in advance, you have a unique opportunity to connect with your followers on a deeper level. Spark their curiosity, share behind-the-scenes moments, and keep them coming back for more!
• Streamline your social media management: At Sendible, we understand the importance of having all your social content in one place. With our scheduling tool, you don't have to switch between platforms. Schedule and post all your social content, including Instagram Stories, without ever leaving Sendible.

Comparison with other tools

When it comes to scheduling Instagram Stories, not all tools are created equal. Here's why Sendible stands out from the crowd:

• Schedule a month's worth of content in minutes: Be the master of efficiency! With Sendible, bulk uploading from a CSV file, adding recurring posts to queues, and the dashboard's calendar featuring over 300 social media holidays, you'll schedule content at scale in a blink. No more wasting time, get ahead effortlessly!

Bulk uploads and visual calendar

Make scheduling a breeze by uploading or composing months’ worth of content in one go and visually managing your calendar.

Watch video tutorial

• Make every post pop: Stand out from the crowd! Dive into a treasure trove of millions of royalty-free images in Sendible. Not only that, take advantage of our built-in image editor and Canva integration to add that extra oomph to your Stories. Prepare for greatness! 
• Creative inspiration: Unleash your inner genius! Sendible's calendar auto-populates with hundreds of topical social media holidays, making it a breeze to share relevant content in just a few clicks. But wait, there's more! Get even more inspiration with automated RSS feeds and Google alerts. Fuel your creativity and watch it soar!

"I loaded an entire month of content across four platforms for one client the other day, each one with an image and a web link. It took me 35 minutes."

Anna Rump, founder of Amelia Rose Media

Read the case study

Who can benefit from this feature?

If you're a social media manager or part of a social media agency, scheduling Instagram Stories with Sendible is a game-changer for you. Here are the key beneficiaries:

• Social Media Managers: Juggling multiple client accounts? Sendible's scheduling feature ensures you stay on top of your Instagram Stories game, delivering consistent and timely content for each client.
• Businesses and Influencers: Want to maintain an active presence on Instagram without the hassle? Sendible simplifies the process, allowing you to schedule Stories and focus on engaging with your followers.
• Social Media Agencies: Streamline your social media workflows by utilizing Sendible's comprehensive scheduling tool. From planning and getting clients' approval to publishing, it's a one-stop solution for managing multiple clients efficiently.

Highlights for agencies

 If you haven’t been using Stories as a part of your client strategy, here’s a quick overview of just how impactful Stories can be: 

• According to Facebook, over 500 million users use and consume Stories daily 
• 200 million businesses are on Instagram with 90% of people following at least one business 
• 58% of people became more interested in a product after viewing Stories posted by a business 
• 50% of people then went on to purchase the product

No matter your clients' industry, your agency can take advantage of this engaging feature!

How to schedule Instagram Stories?

Here's the step-by-step guide to scheduling Instagram Stories efficiently:

Step 1: Access the Sendible Dashboard

• Log in to your Sendible account and navigate to the dashboard.

Step 2: Connect your Instagram Account

• If you haven't already, connect your Instagram account to Sendible. This will enable you to schedule and publish Stories seamlessly.

Step 3: Create a New Story

• In the Compose Box, under the Instagram tab, the option to toggle between publishing a "Post", "Reel" or "Story" will be displayed. Select "Story".

Step 4: Design your Story

• Unleash your creativity! Design your Story by adding engaging visuals, text, stickers, and more. Customise it to align with your brand's voice and style with our powerful Canva integration or with the help of our in-app editor that enables you to crop and adjust images, apply filters, add text, shapes, and stickers.

Step 5: Schedule your Story

• Once you're satisfied with your Story, select the desired date and time for it to go live. Sendible's intuitive scheduling interface makes it easy to choose the time when your audience is most active to improve the impact of your Story.

Step 6: Review and Confirm

• Before scheduling, review your Story to ensure everything looks great. Double-check the date, time, and content to avoid any surprises. Then assign it to the client or manager to get the approval.

Step 7: Sit Back and Relax

• Congratulations! You've successfully scheduled your Instagram Story using Sendible. Now, sit back and let Sendible take care of publishing it at the scheduled time.

Remember, Sendible offers a comprehensive support article with detailed instructions and visuals to assist you further.

Here's a video tutorial on how to schedule Instagram Stories with Sendible.

How to schedule Instagram Stories with interactive features?

Links, polls, and other interactive elements play a significant role in improving the engagement and reach of your Instagram Stories.

Due to limitations in the Instagram API, these features are not currently available for auto-posting on any third-party tools or even Meta Business Suite.

Instead, we recommend leveraging our Instagram Reminders feature.

For these purposes, you will need to create a separate Instagram Reminder profile. 

Once that is done, all you have to do is prepare your Story in our Smart Compose Box and schedule it. At the time of the scheduled post, you will receive a notification email as a reminder to publish the Story to Instagram manually, where you'll have a chance to add an interactive elemt.

Other Instagram features that you'll love

While scheduling Instagram Stories with Sendible is a game-changer, there's a plethora of other Instagram features that will make your life easy. 

• Plan and publish Reels
• Instagram Grid preview
• Plan and publish Instagram Carousels
• Schedule Threads
• Visually planning your posts
• Getting the client’s approval
• Maximising your reach with Instagram geotags
• Adding predefined tags right through the Sendible scheduling system
• Targeting the right audience with our hashtag selector
• Keeping your captions clutter-free with the first-comment feature
• Creating a thumb-stopping feed for Instagram with our Canva integration
• Generating targeted Instagram captions with AI Assist

Three actionable exercises to improve the performance of Instagram Stories

To fully harness the power of scheduling Instagram Stories with Sendible, here are some practical exercises to help you explore and utilize this feature effectively:

Exercise #1 | Showcase your brand's Behind-the-Scenes magic

Captivate your audience with an exclusive peek behind the curtain by sharing some behind-the-scenes moments that highlight the magic at your agency! 

Instructions:

1. Gather captivating visuals: Create a captivating slideshow of behind-the-scenes photos or videos that showcase the inner workings of your agency.
   From brainstorming sessions to team collaboration, give your audience an insider view.
2. Schedule and approve: With Sendible's powerful scheduling features, effortlessly plan and organise new posts.
   For an extra layer of quality control, consider sending the selected images for approval from social media managers.
   Getting a second pair of eyes on your content can provide valuable insights and ensure that your behind-the-scenes showcase meets your agency's standards.
3. Choose the Optimal Time: Sendible determines when your audience is most active and engaged on social media, select this time to grab their attention by posting on your Instagram profile.
4. Build relationships: By sharing these behind-the-scenes moments, be that in the form of videos or images, you're inviting your audience to connect with your agency on a more personal level.
   They get a glimpse of the people, processes, and creativity that drive your success.

Exercise #2 | Create FOMO with event Instagram Highlights

Capture all the exciting moments, and get ready to create buzz and FOMO for your upcoming events!

Instructions:

1. Record event videos: During your events, make sure to capture engaging videos that showcase the energy, atmosphere, and highlights.
2. Content gathering: Instead of trying to post and edit videos or photos in real-time, focus on gathering all the content you need during the event.
   This allows you to fully immerse yourself in the experience while ensuring you have plenty of material to work with afterward.
3. Post or schedule content through Sendible: After the event, schedule those amazing videos, one at a time, as throwbacks to create FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) for your next event.
4. Build anticipation: By sharing event highlights, you generate anticipation and interest among your audience for future events. This fosters engagement and increases attendance at your upcoming gatherings.

Exercise #3 | Edit and schedule Stories with ease

Say goodbye to app-hopping and embrace a seamless storytelling experience.

With our Canva integration and Sendible's scheduling capabilities, you can now effortlessly edit your stories and schedule them for posting. 

Instructions:

1. Edit Stories with Canva: Customise your story's visuals, add engaging graphics or text overlays, and bring your brand's unique style to life.
2. Schedule with Sendible: Take advantage of Sendible's scheduling feature to effortlessly plan and organise your story posts. Schedule them at the optimal times for maximum audience reach and engagement and make sure you include engaging captions!
3. Ensure brand consistency: With the Canva integration, you can maintain brand consistency by using pre-designed templates or creating your own branded visuals. 

These exercises will not only familiarise you with the scheduling feature but also allow you to unleash your creativity and explore the various possibilities of Instagram Stories within Sendible.

Schedule your first Instagram Story.

Time to flex those social media muscles and schedule your very first Instagram Story! Use our exercises to start reaping this awesome feature's benefits.

Free resources to improve your Instagram marketing

To further enhance your Instagram Stories strategy and maximise your social media management capabilities with Sendible, here are some valuable resources to explore:

Free editable template:

• Instagram Audit Checklist

Blogs and Articles:

• Your Guide to Using Instagram for Business: 7 Helpful Tips 
• 7 Ways Brands Can Get the Most From Social Media Stories 
• 3 Reasons Why You Need Instagram Stories Templates (and How to Create Your Own)
• Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Video 
• How to Repost Stories and Feed Posts on Instagram Story (The Right Way)
• The Ultimate Guide to Creating Short-Form Videos

Wrapping it up

Congratulations! You've now mastered the art of scheduling Instagram Stories using Sendible.

By leveraging this powerful feature, you can take your social media management to new heights, captivating your audience, and driving meaningful results.

With Sendible's user-friendly interface, comprehensive analytics, and the ability to plan ahead, you can seamlessly integrate Instagram Stories into your larger campaigns. No more missed opportunities or last-minute rushes.

Take control of your content and engage your followers like never before.

Remember, as social media managers and agencies, your time is valuable.

By streamlining your social media workflows within Sendible, you can focus on what matters most—building meaningful connections with your audience and achieving your business goals.

So, what are you waiting for?

Dive into Sendible, explore the scheduling feature, and unleash your creativity. Let your Instagram Stories shine and leave a lasting impression on your followers.

Ready to take the next step? Start your Sendible journey today by signing up for a 14-day free trial and experiencing the full potential of our scheduling and social media management tools.