Since its launch in late March, users have been slow to adopt Facebook Stories to generate social media content, and the feature is still not actively used comparatively to their cooler, older friends – Snapchat and Instagram Stories. They also lacked the same capabilities that these stories offered – until now.
On August 15th, Facebook added the ability to go Live, shoot two-second GIFs, and share text-based posts on a colored background. You can share these creations on your story, in a direct message, or publicly to your news feed.
Another feature within these updates that aren’t yet available on Instagram is the ability to use AR face filters while filming live. This update may encourage users to take advantage of the Live Facebook feature and make them more comfortable during their broadcast.
These features are Facebook’s attempt to engage a younger audience and encourage creativity on the platform. Most Millennials and Gen Z’s, live on Instagram (a whopping 88% of them actually). This is likely because the platform is entirely visual, with limited advertising, and offers a more creative experience. Since Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram, they have taken pages from their book to appeal to their youngest audience, and this is no different.
Facebook initially started testing these features as far back as December 2016 when they released text posts on colored backgrounds as status updates. From there, they tested the GIF creator and the Live Camera feature with select users last month, and have decided to roll them out to all iOS and Android users.
The question that everyone is asking with the rollout of these functions is evident. Do we need multiple apps to show every second of our lives to our connections on social media? Personally, I believe choosing the best platform based on the camera depends on the audience you’re trying to reach. Facebook is where I communicate with my family for the most part, and I don’t feel the need to share pictures of my new Nike’s with them or perfectly crafted Boomerangs of my cat yawning. Snapchat is a place where I connect with my closest friends and send short form content. The people I want to reach are on Instagram – individuals invested in what I have to say through organic imagery that flows with my personal brand.
It doesn’t seem like Facebook is going to let this go anytime soon. They want to develop their Camera feature and make it popular with users across the board. What would Facebook have to add for you to use their stories on the daily? Let us know by tweeting to @socialfly!
