News
Twitch introduces video stories to compete with Instagram
Top 3 Key Points:
- Twitch adds 60-second video stories, challenging Instagram’s dominance.
- Streamers can share behind-the-scenes content directly on Twitch.
- Video stories are accessible on both mobile and web platforms.
Twitch is expanding its content options by launching video stories, following the introduction of photo and text stories last year. This new feature allows streamers to create and share 60-second videos directly within the Twitch mobile app or upload videos from their camera roll.
Twitch aims to give streamers the ability to engage with their audience even when they’re not at their usual streaming setup. Previously, streamers often shared their short-form, behind-the-scenes content on platforms like Instagram Stories or TikTok. Now, Twitch wants to keep this content on its platform, offering a new way for streamers to stay connected with their followers.
The story format, which was first popularized by Snapchat over a decade ago, has since been adopted by nearly every major social media platform, including Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Facebook. With Twitch joining the mix, streamers have a new avenue to reach their audience when they’re on the go.
Video stories on Twitch also offer interactive features. Streamers can ask questions, run polls, or use the @mentions tool to create personalized shout-outs for new subscribers. They can also share clips from recent streams, promote upcoming streams, or inform followers of any schedule changes.
By introducing video stories, Twitch hopes to reduce the need for streamers to rely on other social media platforms like Instagram to interact with their audience and update them on their daily activities. However, it remains uncertain whether top creators will fully commit to using Twitch as their sole platform for this type of content.
While photo and text stories were initially available only on mobile, Twitch has now made all stories accessible through its web app, recognizing that most Twitch viewers spend their time on the platform via web browsers.