Snapchat has added a new channel from The Economist to its Discover section, thereby making the app even more appropriate for users. The channel publishes 14 to 17 snaps each weekend, disseminating stories pertaining to business, politics, science and technology through multimedia.
More Flexible Vis-a-Vis Publishing Frequency
The publishing schedule of the channel indicates that this popular social media site has become more flexible with regard to publishing frequency. Initial Discover partners, which included CNN and People, posted content on a daily basis. However, partners are now coming up with their own publishing frequency. Vogue has been publishing on Tuesdays and Fridays, while We the People uploads content from Sunday right till Thursday.
Variety of publishing frequency suits Snapchat as well as it enables them to promote a range of content in the Discover section.
Brands on the App
Brands are increasingly joining Snapchat’s Discover section to reach out to young users. As per Snapchat, the site reaches 41 percent of 18- to-34 year olds in the U.S. The presence of MTV, Cosmopolitan and BuzzFeed on the Discover section attested to this fact. The addition of The Wall Street Journal indicated that Snapchat was interested in providing users with a wide array of content. A publication such as The Economist jumping onto the bandwagon will help Snapchat appeal to old users.
Content Development for Snapchat Discover
Most brands on the Discover section are present on other platforms as well and they are likely to reformat the content that they use on other sites for Snapchat. However, there are some that prefer to remain original. They would do everything right from scratch.
Such brands deploy content development teams that prepare intriguing stories for the Discover section. The team in turn is generally split between visual and text-centric staffers, who figure out how they can blend sight, sound and motion on the Snapchat app in the best possible way. As they gain experience about the app, they learn what is working for them and what is not. Usually, stories that encourage interactions work well. For instance, a piece of information on a deodorant that invites people to respond, or a quiz about a well-appreciated movie that people can share with their friends is likely to get a positive response. Themed editions on trendy topics have been found to be popular on the Discover section.
Each story on the section is reviewed. The team factors in different metrics for each story. Some stories are meant to be read from start to end, some are shared, and for some, just their screen-shot suffices.
Summing Up
Marketers need to take a close look at the platform to discover how companies are reaching key audiences there. Professionally-made and community-curated content, which is as attractive as what friends share on the app, enables marketers to have the desired impact on their audiences. Snapchat Discover is going to evolve with time and the ability of marketers in making dynamic use of it will be of great advantage for them.