What is a TikTok Story?
A TikTok Story is a short video or photo that is posted to a user’s profile and disappears after 24 hours, similar to Instagram or Snapchat Stories. TikTok Stories were introduced in 2020 as a way for users to share more casual, behind-the-scenes style content with their followers.
Unlike regular TikTok videos that go on a user’s main feed, Stories only appear on the user’s profile. Users can post multiple times to one Story throughout a 24 hour period before it disappears. The Stories format allows for a more intimate, ephemeral way of sharing versus more polished videos. TikTok Stories also support features like polls, quizzes, emojis, and more for engaging followers.
Source: https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/creating-videos/tiktok-stories
What is a TikTok Post?
A TikTok post refers to the regular videos that users post to their main feed on the platform. Unlike Stories, posts on TikTok:
- Don’t disappear – They remain visible on a user’s profile indefinitely unless the user chooses to delete them.
- Are the main content that users see in their For You feed. The For You feed is the default homepage that shows a customized feed of videos for each user based on their interactions.
So in summary, a standard TikTok post is a regular video uploaded to a user’s profile that stays there permanently for all of their followers and other users to see via the For You feed algorithm.
Can You Convert a TikTok Story to a Post?
Yes, it is possible to convert TikTok Stories to regular posts. However, it requires downloading the Story first and then re-uploading it as a new video post.
Here are the steps for converting TikTok Stories to posts:
- Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page.
- Tap on the Story you want to convert.
- Tap on the download icon in the bottom left corner to save the video to your device.
- Open the TikTok app again and tap on the plus (+) icon to create a new post.
- Select the video you just downloaded from your camera roll.
- Edit the video as desired by adding effects, text, filters etc.
- Tap “Next” and add any captions or hashtags.
- Tap “Post” to publish it as a normal TikTok video on your profile.
So in summary, you can reuse your TikTok Stories as regular video posts, you just need to download them first before uploading again as a new post. This gives you more flexibility with the content you create.
Benefits of Converting TikTok Stories to Posts
One of the main benefits of converting TikTok Stories to posts is that posts are more permanent, whereas Stories disappear after 24 hours. As SocialBee notes, “Stories have an ephemeral lifespan of just 24 hours before disappearing forever” (https://socialbee.com/blog/tiktok-stories/). By turning Stories into posts, you can preserve interesting or high-performing content.
Additionally, posts appear on your TikTok profile and in For You feeds, allowing them to reach more users than Stories which are only visible to followers. As Social Champ explains, “Posts have a longer shelf life and appear on your profile and For You page for new users to discover” (https://www.socialchamp.io/blog/tiktok-stories/). Converting Stories to posts expands their potential audience.
Finally, turning Stories into posts allows you to repurpose or reuse interesting Story content. The TikTok Creator Portal suggests creators can “reuse interesting Snippets as posts” (https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/tiktok-content-strategy/tiktok-stories-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/). By giving Stories a longer lifespan as posts, you can maximize quality content.
Downsides of Converting TikTok Stories to Posts
One downside of converting TikTok Stories to regular TikTok posts is that it loses the ephemeral nature of Stories. As explained on Reddit, “TikTok Stories are a great way to increase engagement and build a stronger TikTok community. They’re a more casual sharing medium” (source). When Stories expire after 24 hours, it creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity. Converting them to permanent posts takes away this ephemeral quality.
Additionally, downloading Stories and reuploading as posts requires extra effort compared to just posting directly to your feed. There are additional steps involved in saving, editing, and reposting Stories content as standalone posts.
Lastly, if the original video wasn’t created with the intention of being a regular post, the quality and formatting may suffer. As Quora discusses, “Posting too many similar videos in a row may lead to audience fatigue” (source). Stories videos meant to be casual and temporary could seem repetitive or low-quality if reposted.
Tips for Converting TikTok Stories to Effective Posts
If you want to get the most out of converting your TikTok Stories into regular posts, follow these tips:
Ensure content quality suits regular posts. Stories are often more casual, but posts should be high-quality. Refine the video, improve editing, and enhance the overall production value.
Add relevant captions and hashtags for the post format. Optimize your caption and tags as you would for any other post so it reaches the right audience.
Enhance or edit content before posting if needed. You may want to trim the length, refine transitions, or make other edits so it works as a standalone post.
Credit the original Story if reposting exact content. Give your followers context by mentioning in the caption that it was originally a Story.
Following these tips will help adapt your Stories into engaging, polished posts that feel purposefully created.
Examples of Successful TikTok Story Conversions
Some of the most popular TikTok creators have found great success repurposing their Story content into regular posts. For example, Charli D’Amelio shared a behind-the-scenes Story from a photoshoot that went on to get over 50 million views once converted into a standard post (1). Other top creators like Addison Rae and Bella Poarch have also leveraged this strategy to great effect.
One analysis by Later found that TikTok Stories get around a quarter of the views of a typical video post. However, the content in Stories can still attract a lot of engagement once given the broader exposure of a regular post (2).
Small business owners have also gone viral from converting their Stories. Andrea Osstifin from Peachy BBs Slime posted a Story showcasing her colorful slime cuts, which blew up into a post with 4 million Views and 850,000 Likes (3). The visual nature of Stories can make them perfect fodder for viral posts.
Overall, repurposing TikTok Stories as posts allows creators to maximize the value of their content. The built-in editing tools make conversion straightforward. As long as the content aligns with audience interests, TikTokers of all sizes can benefit from giving their Stories a second life.
(1) https://later.com/blog/tiktok-statistics/
(2) https://later.com/blog/tiktok-statistics/
(3) https://www.shopify.com/blog/tiktok-success-stories
Pros Using This Strategy Effectively
Top creators who leverage TikTok Stories and posts strategically include Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae, and Bella Poarch. As described in this article, these creators use TikTok Stories to test out content ideas and then convert the best performing Stories into full posts later. They strategically cross-promote between the Story and post formats to maximize views.
One benefit seen by creators who repurpose content across formats is increased exposure. As explained by this guide, converting a popular Story into a post allows the content to live beyond the 24 hour limit and reach a wider audience. Creators also save time by reusing content instead of starting from scratch. Overall, leveraging both Stories and posts allows creators to experiment, promote across formats, and extend the lifespan of their best content.
When Is It Best to Convert TikTok Stories to Posts?
Some of the best times to convert a TikTok Story to a full post include:
When the Story gets high engagement and you want to extend reach – If a Story is performing particularly well and gaining a lot of views, likes, comments, etc., turning it into a post can help extend that content’s lifespan and reach a wider audience. Stories vanish after 24 hours, so converting viral Stories to posts lets you continue capitalizing on that momentum.
Trending audio or meme Stories that gain popularity – TikTok Stories using top trending audios or popular meme formats that gain traction can also be great candidates for conversion to posts. This lets you maximize the viral potential.
Test potential post ideas/formats using Stories first – You can also use Stories to test out different post ideas and formats before investing the time in creating a full video. See what resonates in Story form, then expand the top performers into posts.
Interesting ‘behind the scenes’ Stories – Authentic behind-the-scenes glimpses from your business or brand shared via Stories can sometimes warrant conversion to longer-form posts as well.
Conclusion
In summary, it is entirely possible to convert a TikTok Story into a regular TikTok Post. This can be a great way to repurpose high-quality video content and maximize its reach across different formats. The key benefits of converting Stories to posts include reaching new audiences who don’t check Stories, giving your content more longevity, and building your overall profile’s content library. The main downsides are the extra effort required, and potential for lower engagement rates if the content doesn’t resonate as well in post form.
When converting TikTok Stories to posts, it’s important to choose your best-performing stories, edit and optimize the video for the new format, and create compelling captions and hashtags tailored to posts. The ideal candidates are evergreen, entertaining videos that align with your brand and niche. Check your analytics to identify your top Stories before repurposing.
Strategic content creators leverage both Stories and posts to engage their target audience. Well-produced Stories offer authenticity, personality and a behind-the-scenes look at your brand. Posts enable you to publish your most polished content optimized for discovery. By repurposing your top Stories as posts, you maximize high-quality content and generate more value from your efforts.
