Instagram Starts Stories for Your Friends, YouTube Reveals YouTube Stories, and Facebook Rolls Out Group Videos

8
Dec 2018

It’s story time across social media! Instagram has unveiled Instagram Stories for connecting only with chosen friends. YouTube has followed suit and has launched YouTube Stories just like its competitors, and Facebook has introduced Group Stories across the world. Here is what you need to know about the most recent updates to your favorite social media platforms.

Instagram Allows Your Friends to See Exclusive Stories

Instagram is helping you get closer to your friends. It’s new “Close Friends” feature lets you share stories with your inner circle. This new function has an added layer of privacy since it is currently not possible for anyone to request to join your Close Friends list or even see it. If you’ve been added to someone’s list of Close Friends, you’ll notice a green badge beside your username when you watch their Stories. You’ll also notice a green circle around someone’s story icon if you receive a story that is exclusive to Close Friends.

Do you like that Instagram is taking Stories to a new level?

YouTube Has Top Creators Tell Stories

If you have over 10,000 subscribers, you can be one of the few YouTube Creators who can share video through YouTube Stories. Like most other platforms, YouTube will allow you to create Stories using text, music, filters, and stickers that you can rearrange to make unique videos. Should YouTube follow every other platform’s lead, then we can expect stories to roll out to every user regardless of how many subscribers they have. To create a story (if you are able to) simply open the YouTube app and tap on the video camera icon where you can choose to create a story. YouTube will be setting itself apart from other video apps by letting viewers leave comments on Stories. People will be able to give thumbs up and thumbs down on comments, as well as heart them to provide more fuel for discussions. Creators will be able to reply to comments with photos and videos from the app. Stories will have a lifespan of 7 days before they disappear.

Facebook Rolls Out Group Stories

Group Stories are now available on a global scale for all Facebook groups. According to Facebook, “With group stories on Facebook, you can see, feel and experience different points of view and connect more personally with other members in your group.” Group Stories will require group admin approval before they are shared with a group’s community of members. Feedback from users shows that most members enjoy using it to share their lives with group members. Creating a story is as easy as tapping “Create Story” at the top of each group or from in the News Feed.

Speaking of stories, did you know that 76% of consumers say that they have purchased a product seen in a brand’s social media stories?

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