In this guide, we’ll share some important information, along with tips and tricks, so that you can get the most out of this feature. In the end, you will find how Socialbakers tackles the compliance issue (Approaching the API Obstacle).
The whole process of scheduling and manual publishing of Instagram Stories and/or Carousel through the Socialbakers Publisher is exactly the same.
How to schedule Instagram Stories (Planning Phase)
Let’s take a look at how easy it’s to schedule an Instagram Story, getting that planning process done ahead of time:
- First, go to Publisher and press Create new Content;
- Select one or more Instagram Profiles from the side panel;
- Now, click the button to upload content assets - such as one or more pictures or a video (for the Instagram Stories format).
The only difference between scheduling an Instagram story or carousel is in choosing the proper button, as shown above. All the rest is exactly the same, and for this reason, let's focus on the process of scheduling and manually publishing of a story through the Socialbakers Publisher. - You can also add a publishing note, which is pretty useful for providing clear and concise instructions on how’d you like the final story to look when it’s published on the Instagram application.
- Set the date and the time for scheduling, just as you’re used to when you schedule a post currently.
- Now, the last easy step. Select the lucky user in charge of receiving all this info, so they can publish Stories at the right time on the Instagram App when it’s time to do so.
Let’s go with Mr Bob. He’s a trustworthy guy. We want him to take our content assets and instructions to share the Instagram Stories with the world.
As we will see later, Mr Bob will receive 2 useful notifications to help him do this - Once you’ve chosen Mr Bob, you’re done. Plans are set and good to go.
You’ve selected the content assets for the Instagram Stories/Carousel, chosen the date and time for them to be published, and selected the responsible user who’ll take it over the finish line.
At this point, the story/Carousel is visible inside the calendar view, or all the other views, of Publisher. - Now press the Save Button
- A pop-up window will show you the next steps
- Now it’s time for Mr Bob to shine! As said before, Robert will receive 2 practical notifications to easily execute his practical task: publishing Instagram Stories/Carousel directly on the Instagram application when it’s time.
Notifications and Publishing
a) The first notification will be sent to Mr Bob’s email or to his Socialbakers account, as soon as the Story/Carousel has been scheduled so that, besides being informed, he can also get ready for publishing.
He can download the content assets, like pictures and video clips, in advance.
How to download the content assets?
There are 3 ways of downloading content assets:
- In Suite Desktop, go to Notifications and press the Stories/Carousel Notification
You will be taken to the Notification - Scheduled Posts submenu, or directly to Publisher - Scheduled menu.
Once here, click on the image.
A new pop-up window will give you the option to download the assets. - You will receive an email from hello@socialbakers with the stories/Carousel notification. There, you will find a button to download the assets
- Through Suite Mobile!
Go to the Publisher - Scheduled, press the Post Details button and finally the Download button.
Check the gif below.
b) The second and final notification will be sent to Mr Bob’s email or to his Socialbakers account when it’s the time to directly publish the content assets as Instagram Stories/Carousel using the Instagram application.
Mr Bob can download all the media now, if he hasn’t already.
From there, Mr Bob will publish the Stories/Carousel directly on the Instagram Application at the specified time, following all the instructions prepared in advance during the planning phase.
Mission accomplished! Mr Bob’s done his job well and the Instagram Stories/Carousel are now published.
There’s one last step though!
Confirm Stories/Carousel Publishing
Once Mr Bob’s accomplished his mission, he should tap to confirm that the Story(s)/Carousel(s) were, in fact, published.
This action will move the Story/Carousel from Scheduled feed to the Sent feed in our Publisher Module. Keeps things clean and tidy, ensuring your calendar is the go-to place for a 360º view of your content.
Approaching the API Obstacle
As you may already know, Instagram doesn’t provide access to any automation functionality for the Instagram Stories/Carousel through its API.
- Non-Compliant Approaches
Instagram Stories/Carousel publishing is not available via the API. Some vendors that provide this service request their users to share their Instagram account password
These solutions allow users to schedule Instagram Stories/Carousel (and other types of posts), and once it is time to publish, the solutions access their client’s accounts and publish the posts. Sharing login credentials goes against social platforms’ T&Cs and is not safe, opening brands up to risk such as stolen information or hacked accounts. - Socialbakers’ Plan for a Compliant and Safe Approach
We assure our clients and partners that the services we provide are in compliance with applicable laws and platform rules governing the use of social media channels where Socialbakers sources data.
For Instagram Stories/Carousel publishing, Socialbakers planned approach is fully compliant – and safe for brands. We will never ask for passwords or sensitive credentials.
For this reason, we decided to develop a system to allow you to schedule Instagram Stories/Carousel in advance, and help your team to publish the right assets at the right time! The system is perfectly integrated inside Socialbakers Publisher, meaning you won’t have to onboard the team into a totally new workspace.