The Snapverse is abuzz with the latest update to Millennials’ third favorite social network.
What Makes it Unique?
Straight out of the gates, the update is bold and unlike similar product offerings in the market. The new features come in response to the growing importance that digitally-inclined audiences place on live, seamless human interaction. Facebook Messenger is going the transaction convenience route, WeChat and Line incorporate the sticker revolution trend (and integrate commerce too) and Whatsapp is just keeping it simple for their users. Essentially, Snapchat has picked a gap in the market and has filled it in with Chat 2.0.
So What are the New Features?
- Stickers! Stickers for everyone! It was only a matter of time before Snapchat integrated their own sticker albums into their chat platform. KakaoTalk does it amazingly. Line sets trends for originality. Even GChat and Facebook Messenger are in on the game in some shape or form. Be on the lookout in the coming months for how the platform may commercialize “sticker packs.” The opportunity for branding opportunities also presents itself for the more adventurous brands out there.
- Video gets real. Users can now make video (and audio) calls even when the other person isn’t “present” in the chat window. In the past, this feature was only available if both parties were in a chat at the same time. Whilst in a video call, one can share stickers and pictures as well as type away to your heart’s content – all making for a stimulating and engaging experience.
- Picture sharing goes high tech. Instead of single photos, users can now send multiple pictures to one another in chats. But wait, there’s more. Snapchat now allows picture editing functionality before sending off to friends.
- Curated Snapchat Novels. Remember when you finished viewing someone’s story and you would be defaulted back to the generic Story Page? Gone are those days, friends. The Story Page now stitches together your friends’ stories into one long novel. In our agency, there has been a mixed response to this feature. Luckily everyone knows how to swipe down and exit this mode of viewing. One thing this new format does prompt is more user viewing time. This equates to more time in app which is great for Snapchat overall. It is going to be interesting to see if this feature remains based on user responses.
How To Find out More
Snapchat currently has a tutorial up in the Discover Section for users to get a run down of the lastest updates. Go check it out!
Happy Snapping!
