Starting from June 26th, YouTube Stories will end their run on the platform. YouTube stories are a temporary post medium specifically designed for posting short-term content. The announcement of this change had been made through a community post, where the company explained it would shift its focus to YouTube Shorts and Community posts instead.
YouTube intends to prioritize Shorts as their potential outreach and easy digital engagement capabilities surpass those of stories. In addition, they provide great opportunities for creators to become more visible and attract subscribers. Meanwhile, Community posts have been deemed preferable for sharing ‘lightweight updates’ and initiate conversations among followers.
YouTube Stories were originally introduced to the platform in 2017 under the name “Reels.” A year later, they were rebranded as “Stories.” As the name implies, stories refer to temporary updates, as their expiration limits users to keeping updated content.
Stories began as a feature on Snapchat and later moved to Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn. In 2017, YouTube felt the urge to follow the trend and added their version of stories to the site. It allowed creators and viewers to share updates on content, communicate with their followers in real-time, and could be highlighted in their profiles.
Now, three years later, YouTube Stories will be omitted from the system. It was designed as another platform to reach viewers and followers. Still, it appears YouTube has deemed it as no longer necessary as it focuses more on other alternatives, such as Community posts and more prominently, Shorts.
When it comes down to viewership and retaining it, YouTube Shorts will likely have a more substantial impact, as it doesn’t require a user to scroll through their subscribed feed to find them. It has the potential for greater audience engagement because it appears on home screens, similar to the explosive success of TikTok. Unlike YouTube Stories, Shorts poses a more expanded opportunity to curate a video rather than a picture that only lasts twenty-four hours before being deleted.
The announcement of the stoppage of Stories has left many creators and audiences with bittersweet feelings. Some creators have already formed a bond with their followers and feel that it was the only way to bring fans into their world. Despite this, the platform is determined to switch gears as it believed that Shorts and Community posts are more effective.
The continuous growth of the platform stems from its inclination to implement new ways of delivering content, resulting in YouTube’s unfaltering popularity. As news of YouTube discontinuing Stories surfaces, it is expected that the platform is working on improving its other features, thus leading to even more opportunities for creators’ engagement and content.
