By: Sarah Ullman
Snapchat Discover debuted this week, thus launching Snapchat into the race for digital video platform dominance. Snapchat will not only distribute video to its 200 million users, but also create and publish its own content on the “Snapchannel.” (No one could think of a better name )
Converting Users Into Customers
Snapchat is somewhat inelegantly designed but wildly addictive. I won’t waste time explaining Snapchat basics, but you should know that the company is valued at $10 billion, and that users, including me, feel a strong sense of brand loyalty to the platform. As a user, I have an impassioned connection to my posts: the impermanence of a “Snap” means that it’s the only place I will take selfies. Selfie snaps feel almost existential: Are you there, SnapGod It’s me, Sully. And then, it disappears! Did it ever truly exist
Can you tell that I feel a bit emotional about Snapchat I wrote a sentimental and embarrassing Snapchat dissertation on Tumblr two years ago, which you can read here. It explains my belief that Snapchat is actually the most raw, base form of filmmaking that exists.
In some ways, Snapchat is the inverse of Facebook: content is temporary but a user can see exactly who is consuming your posts. Honestly, the knowledge of who is looking at your posts is essentially social media crack.
Snapchat knows that its audience is addicted, and now it’s time to trade in on that platform loyalty.
This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.
