Facebook has added yet another tool to Facebook Stories, this time in the form of a new ‘Animate’ option which enables users to add basic motion, of varying types, to still images.
As you can see in this example from social media expert Matt Navarra, the option provides four basic animation modes:
- Bounce
- Pan
- Zoom In
- Zoom Out
Within each of those modes, however, there are additional controls that alter the presentation. There are three ‘Bouce’ modes available, and you can choose the direction the image moves in ‘Pan’, while you can also zoom in and out faster and further, depending on your preference.
It’s a simple way to add animation to your Stories, and an easy option to potentially make them more engaging. How much more they add to your presentation is obviously relative to the content itself, but it could be another option to consider as you look to compose more eye-catching, attractive frames.
In some ways, it reminds me of Facebook’s recently launched artificial 3D layering in still images, which enables you to turn any regular photo into a 3D picture (but not really).
This is kind of similar, in that you’re creating video content, but you’re not really – you’re simply adding slow scroll and zoom effects to a still image. But still, there may be ways that you can use that to advantage.
It’s the latest in Facebook’s steady flow of new tools and options within Stories, both on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook is also testing out a new ‘Mood’ option for Facebook Stories, which taps into the popularity of GIF reactions, while its also considering longer lasting Stories, which a user could choose to keep active for up to three days (as opposed the current 24-hour expiry).
And while Facebook Stories still doesn’t feel like it’s really catching on, Facebook remains convinced that Stories are the future, so you can expect them to keep on adding in new tools and options like this to ideally boost Stories usage.
Facebook is testing ‘Animate’ with a range of users, so you may have access now, you may not. We’ll look to clarify a broader rollout of the option.
