What is TikTok Story?
TikTok Story is a feature that allows users to share short videos and photos that disappear after 24 hours (source). Users can post multiple Stories in a 24 hour period, with each individual Story video being up to 15 seconds long. The content posted to TikTok Stories appears in a bar at the top of your profile and followers can click on it to view your stories.
TikTok describes Stories as an “ephemeral, authentic and intimate” way to share your daily life with followers (source). The content disappears after 24 hours, creating a sense of urgency and immediacy for viewers. Overall, TikTok Stories provides a more casual and temporary sharing experience compared to standard TikTok posts which remain visible on your profile indefinitely.
Who Can Use TikTok Story?
TikTok Story is available to all users with a TikTok account. However, there are some requirements in order to be able to post TikTok Stories:
You must have at least 1,000 followers on TikTok. This is the basic requirement to unlock the Stories feature.
Your account must also meet TikTok’s criteria for being deemed an “Authentic” account. This involves factors like having a complete profile bio, posting original content, and following TikTok’s community guidelines.
TikTok Stories is not available to accounts designated as “private.” Your account must be public to post Stories.
Users under 16 years old cannot create Stories. The feature is only for users 16 and over.
In addition to these requirements, TikTok may also limit Stories access in certain regions or for certain users. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee you will have access.
TikTok also offers a TikTok Creator Fund for those who produce high-quality content. To qualify for the Creator Fund, you must have at least 100,000 authentic video views in the last 30 days. Access to the fund provides additional options for monetizing your TikTok Stories.
Sources:
https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/tiktok-creator-fund-your-questions-answered
How to Access TikTok Story
The TikTok Story feature is accessed from the main TikTok app. To find it:
1. Open the latest version of the TikTok app on your mobile device.
2. On the bottom menu bar, tap on the “+” icon to open the content creation page.
3. At the top of the screen you will see options for “Post”, “Live”, and “Story”. Tap on “Story” to begin creating a TikTok Story.
4. The Story camera will open up, allowing you to capture photos, videos, and more for your Story.
5. Once you’ve captured content, you can edit it and share it to your Story. The Story will be available for 24 hours for your followers to view.
So in summary, tap on the “+” icon in TikTok, then select “Story” to access the TikTok Story feature and start creating ephemeral photo and video content.
Creating Content for TikTok Story
When creating content for TikTok Story, it’s important to keep in mind that Stories disappear after 24 hours. This means the content should feel timely, relevant, and fun. Here are some best practices for creating great TikTok Stories:
Go behind-the-scenes. Give viewers a glimpse into your daily life or behind-the-scenes of an event. These real, candid moments tend to perform well.
React to trending topics and memes. Comment on viral content and news to join in timely conversations.
Engage with your audience. Ask questions, run polls and react to comments to create an interactive, community vibe.
Use creative effects and editing. Take advantage of TikTok’s many AR effects, text tools, stickers and editing options to make your content pop.
Post consistently. Add to your Story daily or multiple times per day so followers have a reason to check back.
Have fun and don’t overthink it! TikTok Stories are meant to showcase your spontaneous, authentic side.
Keep videos under 15 seconds. Quick video clips tend to get more views and engagement on the platform.
Consider using music and sounds. They can enhance your videos and tap into trends.
Be yourself. Let your personality shine through in a natural way. This type of content is different than highly produced TikTok videos.
Uploading Photos and Videos
Uploading photos and videos to your TikTok Story is easy. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on the plus (+) icon at the bottom of the screen.
- This will open the camera viewfinder. You can either tap on the camera icon to take a photo or tap and hold on the red button to record a video.
- Once you have captured your photo or video, you can edit it by adding text, stickers, effects and more.
- When you are done editing, tap on the “Next” button.
- This will bring you to the posting options. Make sure “Story” is selected at the bottom.
- You can add a caption and sounds if desired.
- Finally, tap on “Post” to upload the photo or video to your TikTok Story.
You can also upload existing photos and videos from your camera roll. Simply tap on the “Upload” button on the capture screen and select a photo or video to upload to your Story.
Photos and shorter videos are recommended for TikTok Stories. Videos can be up to 60 seconds long. Your content will be visible in your Story for 24 hours.
Adding Effects to TikTok Story
One way to make your TikTok Stories stand out is by adding effects. TikTok offers a wide variety of effects that can be added to photos and videos in your Story.
Some popular effects on TikTok Stories include:
- Face effects – These add things like bunny ears or glasses to a face in the photo or video.
- Background effects – Change the background to something colorful or animated.
- Filters – Add a filter that changes the look and feel of the visuals, like black and white or dreamy.
- Text effects – Overlay text on top of photos/videos with different styles.
- Stickers – Decorative stickers like emojis or sparkles.
To add effects to a TikTok Story:
- Tap the effect icon when creating or editing your Story.
- Browse the available effects.
- Tap the effect you want to add.
- Customize the effect if options are available.
- Tap “Done” to apply it.
Get creative and mix multiple effects on one Story! Effects are a great way to add creativity, humor, and your own personal flair.[1]
Including Music in TikTok Story
Adding music is a great way to enhance your TikTok Story and make it more engaging. Here are the steps to add music to your TikTok Story:
Open the TikTok app and tap on the plus (+) icon to create a new TikTok Story. After recording or uploading your video/photos, tap on the music note icon at the top.
This will open up the music library where you can browse or search for songs and audio to add. TikTok has a large library of licensed music you can use without worrying about copyright issues.
Once you find a song you like, tap on it to preview the clip. If you want to use it, tap the check mark on the right to add it to your TikTok Story. You can trim the clip or adjust the volume before posting.
You also have the option to use sounds and music from your own device. Tap on the upload icon on the music page and select a song from your phone’s media library to add it to your TikTok Story.
According to TikTok’s newsroom, you can record sounds around you to use as original music as well.
Once you’ve added music, you can preview how your TikTok Story looks and sounds before posting it for your followers. The music will playback while viewers watch your TikTok Story.
Controlling Viewership of TikTok Story
TikTok allows you to control who can view your TikTok Story. By default, your TikTok Story is only visible to your followers. However, you can change the audience for your Story in your privacy settings.
To control who can view your TikTok Story:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
- Tap on the three-dot menu icon in the top right and select “Privacy”.
- Under “Account”, tap on “Story”.
- Select your preferred audience option:
- Followers Only: Only your followers can view your Story (default setting).
- Friends: Only users you have added as friends can view your Story.
- Everyone: Any TikTok user can view your Story.
You can also choose to allow direct messages about your Story from everyone, friends only, or no one. This controls who can send you messages referencing your Story.
Additionally, you can hide your Story from certain followers that you don’t want viewing your content. To do this:
- Go to the profile of the follower you want to restrict.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Hide your Story from this account”.
This will prevent that particular follower from being able to view your TikTok Story while allowing your other followers to continue seeing it. You can toggle this restriction on and off for individual followers at any time.
By customizing your Story audience in your privacy settings, you can control exactly who can view your TikTok Story. Restrict individual followers as needed for maximum privacy.
Editing and Deleting TikTok Story
One of the benefits of TikTok Story is the ability to edit or delete your stories before and after posting. Here’s how to edit or remove a TikTok Story:
To edit a TikTok Story that you haven’t posted yet, simply tap the pencil icon in the bottom left corner of the story screen. This will allow you to rearrange, delete, or replace any of the content in your unposted story.
To delete a TikTok Story that has already been posted, open the story from your profile and tap the three dot menu icon in the bottom right corner. Select “Delete” and confirm to permanently remove the story.
If you have multiple stories posted that you want to delete, you can delete them individually or select “Delete All” from the three dot menu to remove them all at once. Deleted stories disappear right away and cannot be recovered.
You only have a short window of time to delete a TikTok Story after posting – around 24 hours. After that time, the story will expire and be removed automatically after 24 hours. So if you change your mind, be sure to delete within that first day.
Overall, TikTok makes it simple to edit and delete stories as needed before and after posting. Just tap the pencil icon to edit unposted stories, and use the three dot menu to remove posted stories. You have about 24 hours after posting a story to delete it before it expires on its own. For more information, check out this helpful guide.
Tips for Using TikTok Story
Here are some tips for creating engaging TikTok Stories that your audience will love:
Keep it short and sweet. Stories on TikTok are capped at 15 seconds so get right to the point. Use quick cuts, text overlays, and other creative editing techniques to pack a punch.
Leverage trends and viral sounds. Use popular audios and hashtags to make it easy for your Stories to be discovered. But give trending content your own creative twist.
Be authentic and casual. TikTok Stories promote an intimate, behind-the-scenes look. Let your personality shine through.
Post consistently. Add new Stories daily or multiple times per day so followers check back for the latest updates.
Cross-promote with regular TikTok posts. Share preview clips or tidbits in your Videos to drive traffic to your Stories.
Engage your audience. Ask questions, run polls and encourage comments to spark meaningful connections.
Analyze performance data. Pay attention to viewer stats and feedback to create more of what resonates.
Have fun with it! TikTok Stories invite creativity and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
