Current social media darling, Snapchat, has released yet another update. The change completely transforms the way users view content provided by publishers on the app. The Live stories and Discover sections are now merged into a neat row at the top of the Stories page.
Making It Easier To See Publishers’ Content
Previously, the Discover section was populated by about 20 publishers, such as National Geographic, Cosmopolitan, and People, that provided daily custom content to Snapchat. This seemed to be an attractive idea since the app boasts a user base of 100 million. However, prior to the update, users would need to swipe left to a separate page to find the Discover section, which allowed the page to go unseen by a majority of Snapchat users.
The latest update, which was rolled out last week, places the Discover section directly below the My Story option, making it impossible to miss. Users can now see a preview of the content they can expect to find should they swipe left.
Increased Traffic for Publishers?
While seemingly a great idea, it will be interesting to see if this new update will actually produce a major increase in publishers’ traffic. Even though the content placement has improved, the update doesn’t address the main challenge: users aren’t looking for content when they open the Snapchat app.
Most see Snapchat as a messaging app – a way to interact with friends and influencers by sharing their lives through a very ephemeral medium. Sending photos and videos directly to friends and uploading to personal stories are how most use the app. Snapchat’s real allure is the unique social experience it provides.
Unfortunately for publishers, the millions of millennials that use Snapchat aren’t necessarily looking to engage with content. There’s no way to predict how effective the update will be, but for publishers, any step to increasing views of their content it’s a step in the right direction.
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