YouTube just came out with its own version of Stories, rolling it out to creators with a minimum of 10,000 subscribers. What does that mean for your branding?

 

YouTube has quickly become one of the most important media platforms.  It is currently the second largest search engine with 8 out of 10 web users watching videos on there. On the other side we have Instagram Stories, which has become the most successful format on social media. As a result of this success, it is understandable that YouTube, like many other websites, wants to launch their own iteration of the format.

 

As of today, stories are only available to selected creators with an audience of more than 10,000 subscribers. Their aim is to help creators build on their communities, promote channels, and foster audience engagement. “Stories are short, mobile-only videos that allow you to connect with your audience more casually, on the go,” Google Support explains.

 

The type of content includes videos informing the audience about what’s coming next, or giving viewers a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes of videos. It’s the perfect way to cut out the middleman: it takes away the need for creators to head elsewhere (Facebook or Instagram).

 

And although YouTube is putting creators at the forefront of this new feature, it can definitely have a positive impact on brands.

 

Instagram Stories and Snapchat are already being used to engage with users on a more personal level, and brand marketing on YouTube Stories could look very similar.  The biggest difference between Instagram Stories and YouTube’s beta version is the duration of the content, 24 hours vs. 7 days – which may prove to be a substantial advantage for companies that have already build a presence on the platform.

 

That being said, with the current algorithm that pushes already established creators and favours their content over the new ones, it might be more difficult for the brands to gain a substantial audience to be able to use this feature.

 

WhiteNoise Media specialises in video content. If you want help in building your presence on social media, get in touch.