It’s time to meet AMP stories
It is undeniable that smartphones have changed the world, or at least, they have revolutionised the ways we both want and choose to engage with the largest digital space of all, the Internet. The digital landscape has evolved rapidly and will continue to change consistently in response to new technologies and ideas. This alone makes the online sphere a very interesting place to be, and both brands and marketers should be very excited about the future.
Forming meaningful connections through the power of storytelling
Storytelling has always been an integral component of the human experience and so it is no surprise that many brands have leveraged the power of the narrative form to engage with audiences and to forge a series of meaningful, lasting relationships that have paved the road to commercial success.
Social platforms like Snapchat and Instagram have brought the importance of storytelling to the forefront of brand marketing, proving that audiences now, perhaps more than ever before, crave content that they can engage with on an emotional level and that communicates a narrative they can both support and believe in.
‘Stories’ make their way to Google search
The platform specific ‘stories’ format we have come to know, appreciate and love, through Snapchat and Instagram, is now, perhaps somewhat inevitably, set to hit Google search pages in the very near future. Given the process of rapid change that we have seen in just a few short years, the arrival of AMP stories to SERPs could very well revolutionise the way we all engage with online content.
Although still in the testing stages, it is widely expected that we will all quickly begin to see an increase of slideshow style stories delivered to us in response to the searches we conduct. Although functional on desktop, AMP stories have been specifically designed for mobile and will comprise of visually rich storytelling components, including animated gifs and images.
Providing audiences with an immersive, open, and fast experience
AMP stories will expand to fill the screen of whichever device a reader is using and provide a platform for publishers to create increasingly immersive storytelling experiences that will not expire and disappear after a set amount of time.
Tappable interactions will help to create an engaging experience, which can be leveraged in a variety of ways. News outlets could utilise them to break down complex stories or as a source for rapidly developing breaking news, organisations like NASA could utilise the technology to showcase ongoing missions, and lifestyle/culture organisations could provide interactive guides to the latest blockbuster movies and top charting songs.
The AMP technology will ensure that stories are consistently quick to load and that they can be shared and embedded across different apps and sites without being restricted to a single platform. The creative possibilities here are vast and although there is an element of scepticism emanating from certain sources, AMP stories is certainly going to be something to watch closely over the coming months.
You’ll see Google promoting AMP stories from big publishers initially, but it will be available open-source to everyone. Only time will tell how effective this new format will be, but it is well worth familiarising yourself with the technology itself and its potential for success with your audience. AMP is still in it’s infancy but will have an increasing influence in your digital marketing strategy going forward as it grows more prominent.