Snapchat Update Brings Discover Feature and Removes Best Friends
Biggest Snapchat Update Yet
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| highsnobriety.com |
So did you get a very long Snap from Team
Snapchat yesterday? Did you watch it up to the point of the lion taking a swipe at the
camera then start to lose interest? Me too. But, if you did skip it, here’s
what it was all about.
Snapchat have revealed the app’s new feature ‘Discover’
which allows companies to publish content on their app for users to consume. The
video that Snapchat users were sent included clips from brands such as National
Geographic, Vice and The Daily Mail to highlight how the new app can be engaged
with.
This comes following on from Snapchat revealing
just how much they’d be charging brands for the daily use of the app as an
advertising platform
This update solidifies Snapchat’s place in the digital
marketing world offering brands a unique way in order to reach their audiences.
To access the Discover feature you just need to click on the
option that would normally take you to your contacts, then you’ll have a little
circle in the top right of the screen which will take you to Discover. If you
click on the Snapchat logo in the middle you’ll get a nice run down of what’s
in store for you with the new update. Currently in the UK, you can access channels
for: Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail, Bleacher Report, The Food Network,
National Geographic, People, Vice and MTV.
Not a bad start, you’ll find me in the Food Network section.
I didn't know there was a dog café, gotta go there.
After taking Discover for a quick spin, it’s clear that this
is a really unique way of getting your dose of news and advertising. As
Discover develops and gets more brands involved, you’ll soon be able have a
tailored Discover feed which consists of everything that you want. It works seamlessly
as well, this is an impressive update for Snapchat. There have been some
reports of the app crashing and content not loading but I've yet to encounter any issues as of yet. Though, it has just launched so there will probably be some
kinks to work out.
In Snapchat’s blog post they claim that Discover is
different to other social advertising because it’s more creative and is ‘all
about the art’. Calling it art is a touch of a stretch though. Snapchat should
just embrace it as a new and unique way for brands to reach users, it will
still go far.
Snapchat was recently valued at about $10 Billion late last
year and with updates such as this it shows no signs of slowing down. This
update marks one of the largest steps that Snapchat will take in its evolution
from a simple picture sharing app to a major media platform.
In other news with this update, Snapchat have moved all of
your contacts around and have given everyone their own Snapchat QR code in
order to add people and companies as well as share your snaps. This feature
will probably be a great boost to Discover’s features letting users sign up to
whatever they want just by taking a picture of the Snap QR. Tell you what, I’ll
even share mine if there’s enough demand for it. I take great snaps, promise.
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| theverge.com |
In the last feature of the new update, and funnily enough,
probably the most spoken about is the news that Snapchat have removed the ‘Best
Friends’ part of your contacts.
I mean, I’m not too worried about this, the feature never
seemed to work properly for me anyway. Nonetheless, teens have stormed to
social media in floods of tears. They're complaining and arguing with each other about the removal of ‘Best
Friends’.
People seemed to love the feature because it gave people an
easy way to send naughty pictures to each other and not to their unsuspecting
mothers who they shouldn't have added on Snapchat. Some people are also upset
because they now won’t be able to keep tabs on who their significant other has
been Snapchatting the most. I think that there are more underlying problems
there than the removal of the best friends list.
Here are some of the repercussions on Twitter:
Guys Reaction vs Girls Reaction.
#SnapchatUpdate pic.twitter.com/Cfh1T7seV0
— Chris Tunny (@TunnySpartan27) January 27, 2015
The new #snapchatupdate reviews from the American #AppStore
It's disastrous pic.twitter.com/UeU7VUjvsS
— Black Irish™ (@AlexVonce) January 28, 2015
who is bae sending pictures to?! #snapchatupdate pic.twitter.com/zmecKl14qQ
— Δk (@autumnrayyy) January 28, 2015
If #snapchat best freinds are that important to your relationship it probs is a pretty bad relationship to begin with. #snapchatupdate
— Trent Somes, III (@TrentSomes) January 28, 2015
We'll bring back BFs soon. A few higher-profile friends wanted to keep their usernames private - we'll come up with a better way to do that.
— Evan Spiegel (@evanspiegel) January 27, 2015
Screaming teens aside, this is a remarkable update for Snapchat.
I'm excited to see Discover's potential.
Tom Welby
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info http://socialmediacambridge.co.uk/.
Tom Welby
Tom has just graduated from University of East London in Creative and Professional Writing. He loves writing and he currently manages, edits and writes for this blog. His other loves include Arnold Schwarzenegger films and his dog. Follow him @TomAtSMF
Snapchat Update Brings Discover Feature and Removes Best Friends
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
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