You’ve probably heard it a million times by now — “video is everything.” That’s the reason that AMP stories are getting so popular.
AMP stories are short, visually interactive narratives designed to grab customers’ attention.
Whether it’s a DIY video by a blogger or a quick product demo, AMP stories are growing in popularity.
Recently, Google dedicated placement in search for AMP stories within the travel industry.
This is a huge win for content creators that are using AMP stories to create a unique connection with their audience. Since AMP stories increase sales conversions by 20%, it’s a benefit for product sellers. For content managers, the fact that the average user spends 2x more time on a page is also huge. So, is it any wonder it’s so popular?
The Benefits of AMP Stories
AMP stories are an excellent tool for startups and small businesses, offering some of the most accessible customer engagement strategies out there. Let’s break down why even Google is jumping on board with this growing trend.
A Faster, More Seamless Experience
AMP stories are mobile-centric designs that use both text and visuals to tell a compelling story. The fact that they use asynchronous JavaScript to run pages means they load fast and easily move from one story to the next.
They were designed similarly to Snapchat and Instagram stories, but provide creators the opportunity for search via Google and other web-based interfaces.
In a world where people don’t spend more than a few seconds focused on something, AMP stories make it easier to interact.
Highly Searchable
As we mentioned before, AMP stories were designed to be found. They show up in google carousels and on the search results page.
Just like in the Instagram Stories feed, users can use Google to swipe from one story to the next. Already, publications like CNN, Wired, and The Washington Post are using AMP stories to present content to their users.
Part of the drive behind AMP stories was allowing brands to get more eyes on their storytelling by making searching easier. Thanks to Google’s push, this will definitely be the case.
New Advertising Avenues
While AMP stories focus around getting breaking news and published works seen, it also presents a new advertising avenue for brands.
Brands can use the space between stories to place ads (similar to what we see in Instagram Stories). You can use built-in templates as well as a variety of visual aids to build an ad.
Google Ads currently supports these ads with more opportunities on the horizon.
Amp Stories Builder
AMP stories are coded similarly to a web page, which means they’re not incredibly intuitive to build. However, several programs have popped to help non-coders create stories.
Here are just a few of the best:
- MakeStories
- Tappable
- Ztorie
- Newsroom
- EasyStories
All of the above make it easy for you to create stories and insert your images and videos.
This is only the beginning for AMP stories. If you’re looking for a new avenue to tell your brand story, it’s time to include these visual aids in your plan.
Need ideas? See our post on visual storytelling examples.
