Web Stories — Why You Should Be Paying Attention
Tappable stories are becoming a big thing when it comes to engaging consumers with content. Consumers. 6 out of 10 users interact with these stories on social media every day. But the question arises: what are these stories?
Many people are not familiar with this term, although they might be consuming them. They are interactive experiences on mobile devices that allow users to interact with full-screen visuals like images, videos, and text.
People love to consume stories. This might be the #1 reason for the popularity of tappable story experience. Many platforms offer to create these experiences. Google Web Stories is one of them.
They are powered by AMP technology. They are immersive, full-screen experiences that you can host on your website.
Do Instagram or Facebook stories come to your mind? Well, the main difference is that you can post Web Stories to your website. You also get to include links, calls to action, Adwords to them.
These stories include video, graphics, and other features. You can use them to share your experience. Stories are a big part of any individual’s or company’s success. People connect with emotions and stories, not with numbers.
Google Web Stories are not limited to your website. People can view them in a Google search, Google images, or Google Discover app. This is a surefire way to be different than other people in your niche. It helps with SEO and giving your audience an immersive experience.
Benefits of Using Google Web Stories
Are you convinced that using Google Web Stories for your brand is a good idea? If not, let’s talk about some other benefits Web Stories can give you. We’ll also talk about how they can be some social media alternatives.
You can grow your reach.
You might be thinking about ranking your blog posts in Google search results. But have you ever stumbled upon the idea that Web Stories can give users a new way to find your site in Google search pages or Google images? It’s just another way to up your SEO game. As you can customize these stories, you can add links or call-to-action buttons that can bring you traffic.
You own the content.
One of the major differences between these kinds of stories and social media is content ownership. As the content is hosted on your site, you own it. AMP or some other tool that you use to create them act as a third-party platform.
Those platforms allow you to have content ownership and do whatever you like with it. You won’t have restrictions like on some social media platforms. So you’ll get to exercise more creativity.
They offer an interactive experience.
They offer a different kind of experience for your audience. Using them, you can create your blog posts more engaging, unfold storytelling, and give a full-screen experience. And because both mobile and desktop users can see them, you’ll get more exposure.
They are fun.
If you are good at making Instagram stories, you’ll be good at Web Stories as well. Individuals who have a knack for Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok know how to entertain their audience. We know that Americans love scrolling through interesting topics, so that these fun stories will engage more people for you.
But keep in mind that you have to break through the noise. You must find a niche, become an expert, and learn to create amazing stories. This way, you’ll keep your audience hooked.
They will be fun to make.
Not always we get to make fun things during marketing. So it’s a break from the monotonous routine. You can learn design techniques to create engaging stories. You can study the basics of screenwriting and journalism to see how those fields use storytelling techniques. Overall, it is a fun process that keeps your creative juices flowing.
You can explore unique ad opportunities.
They can be integrated with Google AdWords and other ad platforms to expand your outreach.
Examples of Amazing Google Web Stories
Web stories are immersive, full-screen experiences powered by AMP technology and are owned by Google. The major difference between them and Facebook or Instagram stories is the fact that you can post them on your website.
Using them, you can share brand narratives in the form of stories. You already know that people love stories. In fact, the about us page on every website is one of the most visited pages. Think about cinema: people pay top dollars to see similar plots over and over again. This shows how much people love stories.
As this is a newer format, people are still learning what works and what doesn’t. So it is a good idea to look at a few good stories shared by a few top brands.
Let’s look at some examples:
How Stuff Is Made is a series by Refinery29. The website features an episode named How Money Is Made, which might seem like a boring idea at first. But they have a good combination of visuals, voice-over, and music to makes it compelling. You automatically want to find out what’s next.
Making a boring idea into a fun topic is not always what you want to do. Sometimes, you want to create empathy. This is what NowThis did with their story. They created a heartwarming story about a Paralympic swimmer who was struggling to train during the pandemic shutdown and how he built his own pool with his dad.
Like a heartwarming story, it’s good to tell family travel stories with Web Stories. Lonely Planet uses this feature to showcase 5 destinations to see wildlife with your kids.
Final Words
Everyone has a story to tell: what’s yours? Use Web Stories to show the world why you do what you do. Tell them why you matter in this noisy world.
Please let me know in the comments how do you use storytelling in marketing!
