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| YouTube Shorts. Image source: SocialMediaToday |
YouTube Stories was created in 2018 in order to capitalize on the Stories craze (which was initiated by Snapchat), with the goal of providing a similar, full-screen interaction option and more opportunities for creators to connect.
But it never really took off, and it was never fully released to all users. And, with Shorts and Community Posts gaining traction as interaction options, YouTube is abandoning the Stories format to focus more on these components.
According to YouTube; “Today, there are many ways to create on YouTube – from Community posts to Shorts, to long-form and Live. To prioritize these key features, Stories are going away. Starting on 6/26/2023 the option to create a new YouTube Story will no longer be available. Stories that are already live on that date will expire 7 days after they were originally shared.”
Given the option's minimal usage, the announcement is unlikely to have a significant impact, however it may change your future YouTube content planning.
However, you'd be better off concentrating on Shorts and Community Posts instead. Shorts are YouTube's fastest-growing content type, and the company is also adding new features to Community Posts, which were made available to all Channels this week.
According to YouTube, Community postings are significantly more effective at driving engagement and conversation, and with Shorts providing a similar, full-screen video experience, there are essentially better options than the Stories display.
As of June 26th, there will be no more YouTube Stories, with the format following in the footsteps of Twitter's fleets, LinkedIn Stories, and some of the other, lesser-used Stories reimaginings.