---
title: "What is Stories? — Social Media Glossary | Postpone"
canonical_url: "https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/stories"
last_updated: "2026-10-08T07:16:55.047Z"
meta:
  description: "Stories are short-form photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours and are displayed at the top of a platform's interface."
  "og:description": "Stories are short-form photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours and are displayed at the top of a platform's interface."
  "og:title": "What is Stories? — Social Media Glossary"
  "twitter:description": "Stories are short-form photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours and are displayed at the top of a platform's interface."
  "twitter:title": "What is Stories? — Social Media Glossary"
---

**Platform Concepts**

# Stories

Stories are short-form photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours and are displayed at the top of a platform's interface.

[**Instagram **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/instagram-post-scheduler) [** Facebook **scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/facebook-post-scheduler) [** YouTube **Shorts scheduler](https://www.postpone.app/platforms/youtube-shorts-scheduler)

Stories changed how people use social media. Instead of crafting one perfect post per day, you can share a dozen quick snapshots that vanish tomorrow. Snapchat invented the format in 2013. Instagram copied it in 2016. Now it's everywhere.

## How Stories Work

Stories appear in a horizontal bar at the top of the app — above the main feed. Viewers tap through them one by one. Each story (photo or short video) plays for a few seconds before advancing. After 24 hours, it disappears unless you save it to a Highlight.

The top-of-screen placement is a massive advantage. While feed posts fight algorithms for visibility, Stories sit in a persistent, prominent position. People who might never see your feed post will tap through your Stories while waiting in line for coffee.

## Stories by Platform

**Instagram** has the most mature Stories feature. You get stickers, polls, quizzes, countdowns, music, link stickers, and mentions. Story ads run between organic stories with seamless placement.

**Facebook** Stories exist but see less engagement than Instagram. They're useful if your audience skews older or your business page has a strong following.

**LinkedIn** launched Stories in 2020 but discontinued the feature in 2021 due to low adoption. LinkedIn has since focused on short-form video and document posts as alternatives for casual, in-the-moment content.

**YouTube** offers Community posts and Shorts that fill a story-like role for quick updates between longer videos.

## Stories Strategy

Post consistently — aim for 3-7 stories per day on Instagram. Accounts that post Stories daily stay at the front of the Stories bar. If you go silent for days, you drop off.

Use interactive elements. Polls, questions, and quizzes boost engagement signals, which push your Stories higher in the viewing order. Instagram rewards stories that generate taps and replies.

Mix content types. Behind-the-scenes, quick tips, user reshares, and polls keep things varied. Don't just repost your feed content — give people a reason to watch both.

**Example**

A restaurant posts 5 Instagram Stories throughout the day: morning prep timelapse, a lunch rush boomerang, a poll asking "tacos or burritos?", a customer reshare, and a closing-time selfie. Each story gets 800-1,200 views — 3x more than their average feed post.

## **Why It Matters**

Stories let you stay visible without cluttering your permanent feed. They're perfect for casual, in-the-moment content that builds familiarity and trust. The ephemeral format lowers the stakes, so you can post more frequently without worrying about aesthetic perfection.

See how Postpone handles this in our [**social media scheduler**](https://www.postpone.app/features/social-media-scheduler).

## **Related Terms**

[Content Repurposing](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/content-repurposing) [Engagement Rate](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/engagement-rate) [Feed](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/feed) [Hook](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/hook) [Reels](https://www.postpone.app/social-media-glossary/reels)

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