P&P celebrates Instagram Stories turning 2!
We’re putting our phones down for a minute to wish Instagram Stories a happy 2nd birthday! They grow up so fast. Since its launch in August 2016, Stories has become the ephemeral arm of Instagram. Where Instagram posts can feel more polished and curated, Stories allows users to share everyday moments spontaneously and watch them disappear after 24 hours.
Although the recent addition of the Highlights feature gives us the ability to archive Stories and let them live on, there is still something fleeting about the whole experience. Candid photos and videos are played like a movie reel in quick succession. The creative “toolbox” has grown too, giving users endless possibilities to personalize Stories and make them interactive.
To celebrate this social media milestone, we asked fellow P&Pers about their experience with Stories. Take a look below for the results of our survey!
- 50% of us prefer the Normal camera format for Stories.
Half of us agree that Normal is a good foundation to work off of:
· “I tend to stick with the default and add things to it later, unless I know I’m doing a boomerang.”
· “I like to make my own edits.”
· “I mainly use stills and videos with type and GIF overlays.”
2. The Boomerang camera format came in second at 30%.
“Boomerangs are quick to understand, like still images,” says one P&Per. “But they are silly and fun, making them more enjoyable to watch.”
Some use Boomerangs out of necessity: “I don’t know what the other formats are aside from Boomerang.”
3. GIFs and text are how we get creative with our Stories.
Pop culture references reign supreme with GIFs. We’re fans of Beyoncé, Fresh Prince, and The Office, as they are typically relevant to what we’re posting about. A few of us still haven’t given GIFs a try.
4. We’re also very appreciative of location stickers.
The verdict is in. Show us where you took your photo so we can check it out!
· “I like to share where cool things are, and I like seeing where other cool things are.”
· “People usually post images or videos of fun places they go to, and I want to know where it is, so I can go to!”
5. To start a conversation, 70% of us @Mention other users.
We just really want to make sure certain people see our Stories! As for other interactive features like the Poll, Emoji Slider, and Questions stickers, we’re a little more hesitant to use them.
6. Stories trump posts by 20%.
With Instagram Stories, there’s less of a feeling that you’ve over-posted since you can share as much as you’d like throughout the day. Says one P&Per: “Instagram stories are more jokes and less curated life experiences, so they require less thought.”
7. 40% of us think Stories Highlights is cool, but the rest say pass.
The majority of those surveyed would rather Stories remain short-lived. This 60% of employees could be considered purists, holding tight to the original functionality of the platform. Given the spontaneity of Stories, it’s understandable that one wouldn’t get attached to those moments. Still, it’s nice to have the option of a permanent home for them.
8. Facebook Stories? It’s a pretty resounding “no” from us.
Okay, one P&Per does like the Stories feature on Facebook. However, there were some strong words against it. Without further ado:
· “Who even uses Facebook Stories?”
· “I don’t use them and almost none of my friends do.”
· “I have never used them, I have never watched one. Not once. Sorry, FB.”
· “Haven’t used it.”
· “I do not watch them as I believe they are super similar to Instagram Stories and most people just sync their Instagram Stories to Facebook. No need to watch the same stories twice. :)”
· “Facebook Stories is an afterthought that takes up space.”
So much has changed with Instagram Stories over the past two years. As the platform continues to evolve, we’re excited to see what new tools are added to further our creativity and self-expression! If any Instagram developers are reading this, we’d love to see longer video length and improved filters. As one P&Per put it: “I just want Instagram to keep having fun with it! The weirder the better.”
