Facebook introduces story feature- Tuesday morning Facebook announced a new Facebook camera feature that allows users to overlay special effects on photos and videos. This new function labeled Facebook Stories, will permit users to post public updates to their feed that will expire after 24 hours. Sound familiar?

What is a “Story”

A story is simply a photo or video you post to your very own ‘stories’ section (or feed) of your account which is visible by you and all your friends. From 2013-2016, the word ‘story’ was synonymous with the social platform Snapchat. During this three year period, Snapchat was the only platform that had a story feature. Additionally, many brands utilize the ‘story’ feature to communicate with consumers. The story feature attracts brands from every industry from Sour Patch Kids to General Electric, and even Soul Cycle. These brands are using Snapchat to connect with customers in an authentic, low-cost, and personal way. Rather than posting traditional ‘polished’ content, the ‘story’ content is often raw and fun. This allows them to showcase their brand personality on a human level.

Facebook Strikes Again 

The addition of ‘stories’ speaks to the established strategy of Facebook. With a majority share of users,  Facebook drives growth by keeping those users engaged as much as possible. Facebook Camera product manager Connor Hayes explains, “as people mostly post photos and videos, Stories is the way they’re going to want to do it.”

Facebook’s introduction of ‘stories’ continues to blur the lines between their services, Instagram, and Snapchat. Frequent users visit Facebook for news, Instagram to connect with influencers, and Snapchat for direct messaging. While these ‘services’ may differ, the user-generated content is what brings the three platforms together. With the notable focus shift to smartphones, companies are forced to come up with engaging new features. The future is social and it’s an arms race between the platforms to come up with the next big idea.