Storify, our beloved storytelling tool for the social Web, has just launched a redesign of its homepage that features top stories, topics and users. It also displays a banner across the top, filled with clickable links to the people of Storify, bearing a clear message: “All the stories happening on social media…”
Those aren’t the words of a mere curation tool. That sounds like a news site. The homepage of Storify is now a destination that displays the big stories of the day according to citizens of the Web. That’s homepage material for anyone who spends time on social networks, which means it’s a natural place to put some ads and turn Storify into a media business.
Storify reflects a belief that real news – not just idle chatter – unfolds on the social Web, and it provides tools to help us capture and share them. “Our vision is that the world needs a new information network to make sure we can remember what’s happening and what’s being reported by people on social media,” says Storify co-founder Xavier Damman.
But the new features are also about surfacing the work of members, who can be anyone, not just journalists. “We want to help our users get the attention they deserve for their stories,” Storify co-founder Burt Herman says. In addition to the homepage, all story pages now display a list of related stories.
Storify’s founders describe the new homepage
Making Moments Into Stories
Storify is an excellent tool for journalists, providing embeddable, search engine-friendly stories compiled from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or most anywhere on the Web, if you put your mind to it. I recently posted a how-to post of my favorite uses of Storify on ReadWriteWeb, all of which are made possible by the great input of our faithful readers.
But Storify’s new editing interface released last month makes it even easier for anyone to turn social media moments into lasting stories. It’s worth a try, even if all you want to do is share an inside joke among friends. But the new homepage makes it possible for anyone’s great work to become big news on the Web. It also means ReadWriteWeb has to be on the lookout for ace social Web reporters like you!
Follow ReadWriteWeb on Storify.
Have you ever used Storify? Share your favorite stories in the comments.
