Messaging apps are continually evolving into more than just ways to exchange messages or even pictures. With so many out there like LINE, Viber, WhatsApp, etc, competitors are pulling out all the stops to become the app of choice. SnapChat has a following all its own, with the ephemeral nature of the pictures exchanged. Now they’re branching out into publishing as they introduce a new feature called Discover, where media companies can now also enter their realm with pictures, videos, and stories.
But in keeping with the original nature of Snapchat, the content will be available on a limited amount of time for users, which can be a challenge for both the publishers and the users as well. But it also gives a certain amount of urgency that can serve its purpose for certain types of stories, particularly current events. Each edition of Discover includes photos, videos, long form layouts, and yes of course, even advertising (but we’re promised it’s gorgeous). The compiled stories are refreshed every 24 hours as expected, given the news cycle on social media.
Snapchat has made Discover easy to use and navigate. Just tap on the edition you want, and if you want to view the Snaps, just swipe left. If you’re interested to know more about the Snap, just swipe it up for additional information. During the announcement of this new feature, initial media companies included are Vice, CNN, National Geographic, ESPN, Cosmopolitan, among others.
This is probably the biggest step that SnapChat has taken in its quest to not just become a place where people exchange pictures that sometimes they’re not proud of (if you know what we mean) into a legit media platform. Their Stories feature, launched last 2013, allowed users to go beyond just sharing ephemeral pictures, but rather use them to create stories (and they didn’t disappear!). Let’s see if their loyal users would also bite on this new feature.
VIA: Snapchat
