TikTok Stories: How To Create Them (and Why You Should)

Recently, TikTok joined the short-form video content craze with its Stories feature — a tool for sharing easily consumable content. 

Read on to discover what TikTok Stories are and why making them boosts your content creation strategy.

What’s a Story on TikTok?

Unlike a planned TikTok post, Stories are short-form videos (up to 15 seconds) that disappear in 24 hours — much like an Instagram or Snapchat Story. You might use these videos to casually update followers, share day-in-the-life content, or promote other videos.

When you add a TikTok Story, a blue ring appears around your profile picture. This blue story logo indicates that you have new Stories and, when you as the creator click it, TikTok shows you the users who’ve interacted with your post. 

The key difference between TikTok Stories and similar features (like Reels) on other social platforms is that these videos show up on user feeds and For You Pages (FYPs). A Stories tag appears along with your video to inform viewers that you have more Stories on your profile. When they press the subject, it takes them straight to your page to explore more.

Because of this easy access across various parts of the platform, sharing Stories is a great way to get more views on TikTok.

Why Should Creators Use TikTok Stories?

Viewers love short-form video content because it doesn’t take much time to watch and offers quick information and entertainment. And the casual vibe of TikTok Stories means you can offer your followers a less formal, more personable brand perspective. 

Here are a few more reasons it’s worth sharing TikTok Stories. 

Unique TikTok content

The Stories feature is fairly new and only lightly promoted, meaning you can be one of the first influencers to use this method for increased engagement. Here are a few ways you might use TikTok Stories to connect with your audience: 

• Publishing exclusive content followers can’t find anywhere else
• Offering promo codes
• Conducting a Q&A
• Giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at your daily activities
• Making announcements
• Offering tips, tricks, and hacks

Lower production costs

Short-term, short-form content takes less time and effort to craft than long, high-production videos you hope will gain views for years. Plus, the whole idea with Stories is that they’re raw, authentic, and casual, making them more relatable for your audience. 

Increased engagement across social platforms

If a follower finds your Story on their feed or FYP, they might head to your account to view more content. Include a link in your bio to other social media platforms — like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook — to increase your reach.

A broader community

Because production costs are low and the creation process is relatively simple, you can share Stories frequently to engage with your followers more than ever. This new and frequent touchpoint helps you build a community with an important thing in common — a love of your content. 

For better community building, ask questions in your Stories to start conversations between followers and yourself. 

How To Use TikTok Stories: A Quick Guide

Uploading Stories to TikTok is similar to uploading Stories on other social media sites, like Instagram and Snapchat.

Here’s how to make and post a TikTok Story:

1. Open the TikTok app.
2. Tap the “+” button at the bottom of your profile (this is used when creating any content on TikTok).
3. Choose your content, either selecting existing files or hitting the record or photo buttons to create something new.
4. Edit your Story, adding effects, filters, hashtags, and music.
5. Upload by clicking the “Your Story” button.

If you want to delete a Story before the 24 hours is up, here’s how:

1. Navigate to your profile and click through your Story until you find the submission you want to delete. 
2. Press the three-dot button in the bottom of the sidebar and swipe to the very end to the delete option. 
3. Click “Delete.”

Create Quality Content With Captions

While creating TikTok Stories is clearly worthwhile, Captions’ AI-powered video editing software makes the decision even easier. Add captions and subtitles, remove background noise, and save video clips for future Stories — all with just a few clicks. 

Try Captions’ creative studio today and enjoy a streamlined creation process. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I See Who Viewed My TikTok Story?

Absolutely — just click on your Story, and TikTok will showcase view and engagement metrics.

Can TikTok Stories Go Viral?

TikTok Stories are primed to go viral because they show up on your feed and FYPs as well as in your Stories. They’re also short, meaning more people might find the time to watch them compared to long-form content.

Where Can I Find My TikTok Stories? 

You can find your Stories by tapping on your profile picture when the light blue circle is active (signaling that there’s a Story to view).

Why Do I Not Have TikTok Stories?

TikTok Stories are currently only available in select countries, so that might be the issue. Or try updating the app to ensure you can access this feature.