It’s here.
Just this week, Google officially rolled out the Web Stories WordPress plugin. It’s a tool that streamlines the process of creating Web Stories.
And you can use those Web Stories to reach people in your target market.
Let’s take a look at what we know about the new plugin.
Out of Beta
If you’re a tech geek, then you might already know that the plugin has been available for some time. However, it was in beta.
If you’re not a tech geek, “in beta” means that Google was still testing it with end-users and collecting feedback.
The tool is open source. Even when in beta, it was available on GitHub for anyone who wanted it.
Now it’s released to the public.
Making Your Life Easier
If you want to publish Web Stories, you’ll need to follow the rules.
For example, you’ll have to ensure that your font size is at least 24 pixels. Also, each page should include no more than 200 characters.
And there are other requirements as well.
Who has time to keep track of all that? Probably not you.
That’s why the plugin is so valuable. It will handle the task of formatting your Web Stories so you can focus exclusively on the content.
Even better: it uses a drag-and-drop interface so you can move elements around as you see fit.
Image Courtesy: Google
The tool also allows you to create templates. They make a great “starting point” when you’re interested in creating content with a consistent layout.
There’s more. Google also partnered with stock photo and video providers to give you access to free assets.
Here’s what Google says about that: “we’ve collaborated with Unsplash to make their extensive high-quality photo library just a click away, as well as Coverr, giving you high-quality, free stock video right from the editor.”
The Big G says it will add more templates and stock media integrations in the future. So the best is yet to come.
Further, you can share and embed your Web Stories content across other sites and apps. You aren’t confined to WordPress.
And, perhaps best of all, the plugin also enables you to monetize your Web Story content.
Requirements
So what are the requirements for the tool?
For starters, you need to be running WordPress v5.3.1 at a minimum. That’s not the latest release, so even if you aren’t completely “caught up,” you can still use the plugin.
You’ll also need v5.6 of PHP.
You can grab the tool from the WordPress plugin repository.
What, Exactly, Are Web Stories?
If you’re a little new to this digital marketing thing, you might not know about Web Stories.
They’re a type of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) technology. As the name implies, they’re designed for mobile users.
Web Stories work well for a mobile audience because they’re nuggets of what meant to be consumed in small chunks.
Google describes the ideal Web Story consumer as someone who’s viewing content on a subway train or at a restaurant waiting for service.
Each Web Story includes between 4 and 30 pages. But each page can only contain a maximum of 10 words.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re interested in reaching people in your target market on a mobile platform, you should consider using Web Stories as a form of content marketing.
Alternatively, you can monetize your Web Stories and earn some extra cash that way.
And now you have a WordPress plugin that will help you follow either path. Why not check it out today?
