Facebook Will Now Let You Add Event Invites To Your Stories

Facebook is continuing to double down on Stories, rolling out new updates to their 24-hour Snapchat-like feature. Starting today, you’ll be able to share events in Facebook Stories. This new feature will make it even easier to invite friends to Facebook events you’re attending. (...and even harder to avoid the influx of Facebook events flooding your notifications.)

Here’s how it works: When you go to the page of an event you’re interested in, you can click “Share” below the date/time of the event. Instead of sharing the event in a post or sending to someone on Messenger, you’ll now be able to click “Share to Your Story.” When friends view your story, they’ll be able to tap “Interested” using the in-Story button. Then, you’ll be able to see responses to your story (a la people responding to a poll on Instagram Stories). From there, you can tap the circle by friends who clicked “Interested” and set up a group message.

In other words, this new feature allows you to be like, “Hello, Friends Who Are Also Interested In This Event. Allow me to further peer pressure you into attending by setting up a group chat.” It’ll also give you another way to remind your friends to RSVP to that event invite.

Facebook started testing event sharing in Stories earlier this year, rolling out a beta version in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. “People connect on Facebook in different ways, so we’re always exploring new ways to help people do that,” a Facebook spokesperson told Download.com when event sharing in Stories was still in testing. “We also know that people share in more visual ways, so we’re working to give people the tools they need to share the way they want. With this feature, they have the option to add their own flair, like stickers, to capture the attention of friends.”

The tappable sticker within your story, as launched today, will show details for the event you shared and allow friends to respond “Interested” or “Going” directly from the story in a more visual, attention-grabbing way. Friends who view your story will also be able to click on the sticker to go to the event page if they want to learn more about the event.

In an email about the new features to Bustle, Facebook noted the timing of the roll-out is intentional: they’re hoping people are able to coordinate International Women’s Day (March 8) and Women’s History Month events starting next month. The press release also shared insights from a few female entrepreneurs who use Facebook for their businesses.

“We’ve used Facebook Events for all eight of our Dessert Goals festivals. It's our number one driver of ticket sales,” said Miraya Berke, founder of Dessert Goals. “We had more than 50k people interested in our first event, and we sold out of tickets within minutes. Facebook Events is the best way for friends to share the event organically, and it's the best tool to scale and promote our events. I'm always looking for ways to bring dessert lovers together, and I think this new feature is going give our fans a way to share their excitement and make a plan to eat their way through our next festival.”

Facebook also partnered with designer Kenesha Sneed to create Facebook Stickers and artwork in honor of International Women’s Day. You'll be able to use the Stickers starting in March. Facebook said in a statement: “We hope these features will help people share the women’s events that matter most to them, build excitement, and rally friends to support and celebrate the contributions that women around the world make to their communities every day."