Story best practices

We looked at the top one percent of stories on the platform and pulled out the patterns. None of these are rules, but they are starting points that work.

Length

Aim for 9 to 15 seconds. Anything shorter does not give the viewer enough context. Anything longer loses retention sharply after second 18.

The first second

Open with motion or a face. Static product shots without context get scrolled past. The viewer has to know what is happening before second one ends.

Captions

More than 70% of stories are watched with sound off. Add captions on top of the video, not as a soundtrack.