As the leading social media marketing platform, there’s no question that Facebook holds massive potential to help businesses grow – and marketers do their job.
Although struggling to keep up the appeal to younger generations lately, Facebook is still growing its user base steadily by also expanding the array of features it offers.
In fact, this long Wikipedia page listing all Facebook features is the perfect example to prove just that: Facebook has far surpassed the simple ideology of connecting with friends and family. It has become the Internet’s front page for most users (who are clearly unaware Google exists! 💁♂️), and it is slowly trying to take over all possible interactions they need to do online.
Marketplace proves that. The Facebook search engine proves that. And over 200 million business pages on Facebook prove that.
The Story of Facebook Stories
Social media never stands still. In the ever-growing social side of the Internet, change is not just inevitable; it’s the norm. New trends and features pop up all the time, bringing hot new topics that everyone talks about. And we quickly get used to the latest features, wondering how we ever did without them.
This is exactly what happened with Stories.
Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, made a big splash back in 2016 by adding Stories to its app. Button for button, affordance for affordance, the feature almost completely copied the Snapchat feature which is also called Stories. Facebook itself added the feature in 2017, and WhatsApp, also owned by Facebook, has a similar feature called Statuses.
As you can see, Stories is clearly a big feature for Meta, and it will continue to be so, but what exactly is the benefit?
It is quite simple really: We know the Facebook algorithm can be a little tricky for gaining organic reach. But the good news is that stories are displayed prominently at the top of every newsfeed where people are likely to take notice.
The feature has seen significant adoption in recent years. About 500 million people now use Facebook stories every day, meaning it has the potential to help you reach a massive audience with the right strategies.
Schedule Facebook Stories with Publer!
Thousands of Publer users take advantage of the platform to schedule their Instagram Stories daily. We’ve had this cool feature for quite a while (as soon as the API allowed it) and it has been a fan-favorite ever since.
However, a recent Meta API change has also made it possible for Facebook users to schedule their Facebook Stories through third-party apps like Publer. Starting today, you can schedule your Facebook Stories with Publer, and the process is quite simple!
1️⃣ Select The Facebook Account You Want To Post To.
You can do so by logging in to your Publer account both on the mobile app or desktop, selecting the Facebook account where you’d like to schedule Stories, and clicking on the “Story” tab right next to “Post”
2️⃣ Upload The Media You’d Like To Share.
Now it is time for you to upload your media! Use the live preview to make sure that your story is pixel-perfect. Keep in mind that Facebook Stories are designed to occupy the full screen of your phone, so they need to have a 9:16 aspect ratio with the recommended size of 1080px by 1920px.
You can make sure you are scheduling Instagram Stories in the right format by using our Canva or VistaCreate integrations to design your content. Their platforms have exact resolutions for Facebook Stories or any other social media format and offer thousands of templates for you to get your creative groove on.
And if your content still needs cropping, just hit “edit” on the uploaded image. Publer’s own Built-In Photo Editor can quickly edit visuals with the correct aspect ratios for any channel you choose.
Things To Keep In Mind
Just like regular posts, Publer can automatically publish your Facebook stories at the scheduled time. You don’t need to be online or take any additional actions, however, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
- You can only schedule single-photo and single-video stories for Facebook Pages, not Groups. When you select both a Page and a Group, the story will be shared as a regular post on the Facebook Group.
- You cannot find/add the elements you have on the Facebook app (i.e. links, stickers, emojis, GIFs) when you schedule your story within Publer. However, you can use the built-in photo editor to make a few last-minute changes.
- Due to API limitations from Facebook, it is not possible to collect insights/analytics, tag accounts, or add a caption for your Facebook stories.
- It is not possible to sync Facebook Stories into Publer, so you won’t be able to see old story posts on Publer. However, all the stories that you share using Publer will be stored under Posts > Posted and you will always be able to access them in the future.
Take It To Another Level
- You can apply a watermark to your Facebook stories, just like you would for any other photo or video post.
- You can use the built-in photo editor to make last-minute changes, such as adding text, changing the aspect ratio, cropping/resizing the photo, and a few more options.
- You can customize the cover of a video story through Publer, and add a custom cover of your choice.
- You can quickly schedule Facebook stories in bulk using the CSV file on Publer.
✨ And That’s It! ✨
You are now a master of Facebook Story Scheduling from Publer! Now you just have to make sure you are using the feature in a way that is helping your social media marketing efforts. To do that, we recommend starting with a simple content plan that can be built around your Brand and personality.
‘Till the next big feature! (It’s coming much sooner than you think, we promise.)
Alkeo Taga
