How to Make a Story on TikTok

TikTok Stories are a simple yet powerful way to connect with your audience in real-time, share behind-the-scenes moments, and keep your community engaged between your polished main feed posts. They offer a raw, immediate format that feels more like a conversation than a performance. In this guide, we'll walk you through exactly how to create your first TikTok Story, share strategies to make your content pop, and help you decide when a Story is the right call for your brand.

What Exactly Are TikTok Stories?

If you're familiar with Stories on Instagram or Facebook, you already get the basic idea. TikTok Stories are short-form photo or video clips that disappear after 24 hours. Unlike regular TikTok videos that land on the "For You" page and live on your profile grid permanently, Stories are more ephemeral and personal.

Here's the breakdown:

• They Expire: After 24 hours, they're gone from public view. This low-stakes format encourages more spontaneous and less-perfect content creation.
• Where to Find Them: You'll see Stories from accounts you follow on the left-hand column of your "For You" page. You can also view a user's active Story by tapping their profile picture, which will have a blue circle around it.
• They're for Your Community: While a regular TikTok video is geared toward reaching new audiences, Stories are primarily for your existing followers. They're a way to nurture that community, give them exclusive peeks, and build a stronger connection.

How to Make a Story on TikTok: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to post your first one? The creation process is straightforward and uses many of the tools you already know from making regular TikTok videos. Let's walk through it.

Step 1: Open the Creation Screen

This part is second nature. Just open your TikTok app and tap the "+" button at the bottom center of the screen. This takes you to the familiar camera screen where all the creation happens.

Step 2: Choose Your Mode and Record

At the bottom of the camera screen, below the record button, you'll see several creation options like "Photo," "Video," and "Templates." For Stories, you'll want to stay in either Photo or Video mode.

For a Photo Story:

Select the "Photo" mode. Simply tap the large red record button once to snap a picture. You're not limited to a static image, it's a great canvas for adding text, stickers, and sounds to share a quick update or message.

For a Video Story:

Select a video-length mode (like 15s or 60s). Press and hold the record button to capture video. A video Story can be up to 15 seconds long. This is perfect for short clips of your workspace, a quick "hello," or a sneak peek of an upcoming project.

Step 3: Upload from Your Camera Roll (Optional)

You don't have to capture content in real-time. If you have pre-recorded photos or videos you want to share, tap the "Upload" button to the right of the record button. This opens your device's camera roll, and you can select the content you want to add to your Story. It's a great option for sharing finished graphics, user-generated content, or higher-quality clips.

Step 4: Go All In With Creative Editing Tools

This is where you bring your Story to life. On the editing screen, you'll find a suite of creative tools along the right-hand side. Using these tools effectively is what separates a good story from a great one.

• Sounds: Tap "Add sound" at the top to add trending audio or viral soundbites. Just like regular TikToks, sound can completely change the mood of your Story and make it more discoverable or relevant.
• Text: Add text layovers to provide context, ask a question, or tell a story. You can customize the font, color, background, and placement to match your brand's aesthetic.
• Stickers: This is arguably the most powerful Story feature. Tap the sticker icon to add interactive elements like Polls, Q&A, and Mention stickers. These aren't just decorative, they are tools for driving direct engagement and starting conversations with your followers.
• Effects & Filters: Swipe through the available effects and filters to enhance your visuals. From simple color grading to wild AR effects, you can find something to match the tone of your content.
• Accessibility: Don't forget to add captions! Tap the "Captions" tool to automatically generate text for any dialogue in your video. This makes your content accessible to more viewers.

Step 5: Post Your Story

Once you're happy with your creation, look at the bottom of the editing screen. Instead of the typical "Next" button for a regular video, you'll see a white button that says "Post to Story". Tap that button, and voila! Your Story is live for the next 24 hours.

Actionable Strategies for High-Engagement TikTok Stories

Knowing how to create a Story is one thing. Knowing how to create a Story that people actually want to watch is another. Here are some strategies to elevate your content from a simple clip to a powerful community-building tool.

Go Behind the Scenes (BTS)

Stories are perfect for pulling back the curtain and showing the unpolished side of your brand or creative process. People are naturally curious. Show them the reality behind the polished final product they see on your main feed.

• Creators: Show your filming setup, a time-lapse of you editing, or share your brainstorming session for your next viral video.
• Brands: Show a new product being packaged, introduce a team member, or give a tour of your office or workshop.

Use Interactive Stickers to Start Conversations

Don't just post content, create an experience. Interactive stickers turn passive viewers into active participants.

• Polls: Ask simple A/B questions. "Which video idea should I film next, A or B?" or "New mug design: this color or that one?" It's a low-effort way for followers to give their opinion, and it gives you valuable market research.
• Q&As: Host an informal "Ask Me Anything" session. This builds trust and positions you as an expert in your niche. You can answer questions directly in subsequent story slides, creating a multi-part narrative.

Create Story "Mini-Series"

A single post is good, but a series of connected Story slides is better. Think of it as creating a bite-sized narrative. Take your followers through a process from start to finish.

For example, a baker could post:

1. A photo of ingredients laid out ("Guess what I'm making!").
2. A quick video of the mixing process.
3. A poll asking followers to vote on the frosting color.
4. The final shot of the completed cake.

This format keeps people tapping through to see what happens next.

Promote Your Pillar Content

Don't let your big content pieces go unnoticed. Use Stories to hype them up and drive traffic.

• Before Posting: Tease a new TikTok video with a short "preview" or "coming soon" clip in your Story.
• After Posting: Announce that a new video is live. Post a clip from the video and tell people to "check it out on my profile!" You can even use a sticker to physically point toward your profile picture.

Leverage Urgency with the 24-Hour Timer

The ephemeral nature of Stories is a powerful marketing tool. Use it to create a sense of urgency for promotions, announcements, or limited-time offers. A "flash sale ending in 24 hours" message feels way more urgent when the content itself is also expiring.

Stories vs. Feed Videos: Which One Should You Use?

Now that you know how to make Stories, the final piece of the puzzle is knowing when to use them. Not every idea is suited for a permanent spot on your feed. Here's a simple guide to help you decide.

Use TikTok Stories For:

• Messy and Raw Content: Unfiltered commentary, quick walkthroughs, or moments that don't fit your polished profile aesthetic.
• Direct Engagement: Running quick polls, asking questions, and gathering feedback from your most dedicated followers.
• Timely Updates: Quick announcements, real-time event coverage, or "in the moment" thoughts.
• Traffic Driving: Promoting a new main feed video, a new YouTube episode, or a product in your shop.

Use Main Feed TikToks For:

• High-Value, Evergreen Content: Detailed tutorials, well-edited sketches, or cornerstone videos you want people to discover for months.
• Reaching New Audiences: Content designed to hit the For You page through trending sounds, popular hashtags, and clever editing.
• Building Your Brand Grid: Polished, high-quality videos that contribute to the overall look and feel of your TikTok profile. They are your digital portfolio.

Think of it this way: your main feed is your art gallery, and your Stories are the meet-and-greet with the artist. Both are vital for building a complete and engaging brand presence.

Final Thoughts

Adding TikTok Stories into your content mix gives you a fantastic, low-pressure way to build community and show the authentic side of your brand. By using interactive features and sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, you create a direct line to your audience that keeps them invested and engaged between your bigger, more polished video posts.

When you're fitting a new content format like Stories into your strategy, seeing your entire schedule in one place is a game-changer. As a team, we quickly realized that having a visual calendar helps us build smarter campaigns. It allows us to plan when we'll use Stories to promote a regular TikTok, making sure every small update serves a larger goal. Using a tool like Postbase gives us the bird's-eye view we need to ensure every piece of content, from an epic video to a simple Story, works together.