YouTube announced that it will discontinue its Stories feature as of June 26, 2023. The decision comes as part of the platform’s shift in focus toward YouTube Shorts and community posts, which have been driving higher user engagement.
Launched in 2018, YouTube Stories were originally available to creators with over 10,000 subscribers. The feature, akin to Snapchat’s and Instagram’s disappearing messages, allowed creators to post updates that would stay live for seven days. It was designed for sharing behind-the-scenes updates, vlogs, sneak peeks at upcoming videos, and quick updates. the decision to remove the feature was influenced by mixed reactions from users and creators, with some finding it lacking in key functionalities like swipe-up and video linking features. Moreover, the Stories feature saw limited adoption compared to other engagement tools, such as community posts, which garnered more comments and likes.
As YouTube winds down Stories, the company is shifting its focus to community posts and YouTube Shorts. YouTube recently expanded access to community posts to millions of creators and incorporated popular aspects of Stories, such as editing tools and the ability for posts to expire after 24 hours. Community posts have consistently driven “many times more comments and likes” than Stories, according to the company.
YouTube Shorts, on the other hand, has emerged as a strong contender to TikTok’s short-form video content. Despite initial challenges, including technical issues and lack of monetization, YouTube Shorts has established itself as an effective tool for driving engagement and gaining new subscribers.
In terms of monetization, YouTube has made strides in improving the revenue generation capabilities of Shorts. The company announced a new process on February 1, 2023, where revenue from ads displayed between Shorts clips will be shared among eligible creators. This revenue-sharing model, which replaces the YouTube Shorts Fund, is seen as a more sustainable and equitable way to compensate creators for their work. However, YouTube faces stiff competition in the short-form video space, with TikTok, Meta, and YouTube being the current industry heavyweights. Despite this, marketers are beginning to see the long-term return on investment potential in Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts, indicating a shifting landscape in the industry.
Looking ahead, following the discontinuation of Stories, YouTube reassures its users and creators that it remains committed to investing in new and innovative tools to help creators grow. With more features for Shorts and community posts on the horizon, YouTube’s vision for the future is centered around the tools that show the most promise for user engagement.
