How to Get More Views on a Facebook Story

Putting time and effort into a Facebook Story only to see single-digit views can feel incredibly defeating. You're not alone in that frustration, but the good news is that turning it around is entirely possible with the right strategy. This guide will walk you through actionable techniques to boost your Story views, from nailing the content basics to using interactive features that get Facebook’s algorithm on your side.

First Things First: Master the Fundamentals

Before jumping into fancy content tricks, let's make sure you have the basics down. Sometimes, low views are simply a result of a small technical setting or an inconsistent approach. A solid foundation is your launchpad for growth.

Check Your Privacy Settings

This might sound obvious, but it’s the most common roadblock. If your Stories are consistently getting low views, the first thing to check is your privacy settings. If they're set to "Friends," only people on your friends list can see them. For a business page, you’ll want your Stories to be public, for a personal profile you’re using professionally, switching your Story privacy to "Public" allows anyone who follows you or visits your profile to view them.

How to change your Story privacy:

• Create a Story.
• Before sharing, tap the "Privacy" settings (it often looks like a gear icon or says "Privacy" in the bottom left).
• Select "Public."

Post When Your Audience is Actually Online

Posting a Story when your followers are asleep is like hosting a party no one was invited to. You need to publish when your audience is most active and likely to be scrolling. While every audience is different, general peak times are often during commute hours (7-9 AM), lunchtime (12-2 PM), and in the evening (7-9 PM).

To get more specific, dig into your Facebook Insights. For a business page:

1. Go to your Page and find the "Insights" or "Meta Business Suite" tab.
2. Look for the "Audience" section.
3. Here, you'll find data on when your followers are most active online, broken down by day and hour. Use this data as your starting point for scheduling.

Experiment by posting Stories during these peak windows and observe if you notice a lift in initial views. That early engagement is a positive signal to the algorithm to show your story to more people.

Consistency is Your Best Friend

The Facebook algorithm favors consistency. Posting one great Story every two weeks won't build momentum. A daily Story keeps your account top-of-mind and signals to both your audience and the algorithm that you’re an active creator. When your followers get used to seeing your Story bubble at the top of their app every day, they're more likely to tap on it out of habit. Building that habit is a massive win.

This doesn't mean you need to create a masterpiece every day. A simple behind-the-scenes photo, a quick-fire question, or a shared post can be enough to maintain your presence on days you're short on time.

Create Stories People Actually Want to Watch

Once your foundation is set, the real work begins: creating content that captures attention and keeps people tapping forward. Generic, boring Stories get skipped. Dynamic, interactive Stories get views.

Turn Viewers into Participants with Interactive Stickers

Passive viewing is a thing of the past. The easiest way to boost engagement and make your Stories more memorable is to use Facebook’s interactive features. Every time someone interacts with your Story, it sends a powerful signal to Facebook that your content is valuable, which can lead to it being shown to more of your followers.

• Polls: Ask simple A/B questions. "Coffee or tea?" "This design or that one?" People love giving their opinion with a single tap.
• Quizzes: Test your audience's knowledge about your industry, brand, or just a fun topic. It gamifies the experience.
• Question Stickers: Use the "Ask me anything" format or prompt users for their feedback, ideas, or questions. Answer them in subsequent Stories to show you're listening and create a conversation.
• Slider Emojis: A low-effort way for viewers to react. Use a question like, "How much are you loving this new product?" with a heart-eyes emoji slider.

Example: A coffee shop can post a poll asking, "Which drink should be our special next week: Toasted Marshmallow Latte or Gingerbread Chai?" The engagement provides direct business feedback and boosts Story ranking.

Leverage the Power of Short-Form Video

Stories are a video-first format. Static images can work, but a well-made video will almost always capture more attention. Remember that the first two seconds are everything. You need to create an immediate hook that stops people from tapping past your Story.

Tips for Better Story Videos:

• Shoot Vertically: Always use the 9:16 aspect ratio. It fills the entire mobile screen and feels native to the platform.
• Keep it Punchy: Each Story slide is only 15 seconds long for video. Make your point quickly or string together multiple clips for a longer narrative.
• Add Captions or Text Overlays: According to multiple studies, a huge portion of users watch Stories with the sound off. Adding captions or overlaying text ensures your message lands, sound on or off. Facebook’s auto-captioning feature works surprisingly well.
• Inject Movement: Even simple movements, like a quick pan, a short boomerang, or animated text, can make your Story feel more dynamic and less static.

Tell an Actual Story

They’re called "Stories" for a reason. Instead of posting a single, random image, think about creating a narrative in a few slides. This encourages people to keep tapping to see what happens next, signaling higher engagement to the algorithm.

Storytelling Ideas:

• A Day in the Life: Show snippets of what goes on behind the scenes at your company or in your creative process. People love feeling like they have insider access.
• Mini-Tutorials: Break down a simple "how-to" into 3-5 quick slides. This provides immediate value. A personal trainer could show a 3-part exercise, or a chef could share a quick recipe tip.
• Before and After: This format is incredibly satisfying to watch. From home renovations to graphic design projects, showing the transformation is a guaranteed attention-grabber.

Make Your Stories Visually Appealing

People are more likely to watch and engage with Stories that look good. You don’t need to be a professional designer, but putting a little thought into the aesthetics goes a long way.

• Use Music: Adding a trending song or audio clip can instantly make your Story more engaging and relevant. The music library is vast and easy to use.
• Be Smart with Text: Don't write a novel. Use bold, clear text that is easy to read. Place it in a way that doesn't cover the main subject of your photo or video. Use color blocks behind text to make it pop.
• Add GIFs & Stickers: A well-placed GIF can add humor and personality. Just don't overdo it - too much clutter can be distracting.

Amplify Your Reach and Get in Front of New Eyes

Great content isn't enough if no one sees it. You also need to actively promote your Stories and make them discoverable to people who don't already follow you.

Use Location and Hashtag Stickers

This is one of the most underutilized ways to expand your reach. When you add a location tag (e.g., your city or a specific coffee shop), your Story can appear in the public Story for that location. Anyone browsing Stories related to that place might see yours.

Similarly, using one or two relevant hashtag stickers can get your Story included in that hashtag’s aggregate Story. Someone interested in #SmallBusinessTips or #HomeDecorInspo might discover your content this way.

Cross-Promote on Your Feed

Your followers who only scroll the main feed might miss your stories completely. Once in a while, create a dedicated Facebook post that specifically points people toward your Story. Create a sense of urgency or exclusivity.

For example: "We're doing a flash poll over in our Stories right now to decide on our next product color! It’s only up for 24 hours - go cast your vote!" This drives direct traffic to your Stories and trains your audience to look for them in the future.

Analyze, Iterate, and Improve

Finally, you can't improve what you don't measure. Get into the habit of checking your Facebook Story insights to see what’s working.

What to Look For:

• Reach: The number of unique people who saw your Story. This is your primary growth metric.
• Forwards & Backwards Taps: Lots of backwards taps can mean your content was so good people wanted to see it again. A high number of forward taps or exits means people were skipping through, signaling that content may be a bit boring.
• Sticker Taps: How many times people interacted with your polls, quizzes, and questions. This shows you how effective your interactive elements are.

Pay attention to the Stories that get the most reach and engagement. Was it a behind-the-scenes video? A question sticker? A mini-tutorial? Once you identify a format or topic your audience loves, do more of it. Let the data guide your content strategy.

Final Thoughts

Boosting your Facebook Story views comes down to a consistent combination of technical setup, captivating content, and strategic promotion. By treating each Story as an opportunity to engage, educate, or entertain, you’ll slowly build a loyal group of viewers who actively look forward to your content.

Managing this consistency can be a challenge, especially when juggling multiple platforms and content ideas. To help, we designed Postbase with a visual content calendar that makes planning your Stories, Reels, and feed posts intuitive. Seeing your entire strategy in one place helps you stay on track and spot gaps ahead of time, ensuring you’re always just a few clicks away from publishing engaging content exactly when your audience is ready to see it.