Stories are everywhere – literally and figuratively.
As a marketer or advertiser, it is our job to tell a story in order to engage our consumers or potential customers. As an individual, we follow the same rules in wanting to engage our followers on a more personal or professional level. While it’s nothing new, “stories” on social media are expanding even further and appear to be taking over all of the social platforms that we find most inviting. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and even YouTube have adopted and developed the “story,” a feature each platform that allows users to share a video message with all friends or followers for a typical period of 24 hours. In addition to stories, we are now beginning to see the development of social television – another outlet to tell a story in the moment when it is most relevant.
Stories did not land on the playing field until the Instagram story was released in 2017. Not long after in 2018, other social platforms recognized the popularity and from there, stories exploded. The trend caught on, but it is not until 2019 that we really expect the “story” to have an even greater impact on social and media.
According to Buffer and the social media trends for 2019, “in-the-moment content will win out over highly-produced content.” The social media platforms have taking time to acknowledge the data and give consumers what they want. People are no longer worried about what was posted ten days ago. Instead, viewers are most interested in viewing and interacting with content that speaks in real-time.
With the “story”, brands are able to do just this across social media platforms. No longer do consumers have to stand by waiting for their favorite brands to post new content. Instead, they can expect real-time content at the tips of their figures. “Interactive stories are the hottest opportunities for brands wishing to engage with their audience.”
With the popularity of real-time content and sharing stories on the most popular social media platforms, I can imagine a grand shift in the media strategies of many brands and companies that will differ than how they are choosing to post content and when. In contrast, the growth in stories and social television will certainly impact how individuals are getting their desired pieces of entertainment. Already today, we see a shift in television trends as consumers can use the DVR to record their favorite shows and view them on their own terms. In the future, social television and stories may have the ability to dictate where our favorite shows will be viewed. The Entertainment Channel can release sneak previews and real-time free access content that’s available at the tips of our fingers.
Although stories aren’t new, they’re certainly trending upward in this current media environment.
Theresa Messenger 
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