Snapchat is primarily a messaging app where users send “Snaps” to each other. Snaps are photos or videos that “expire”, meaning that once the snap has been opened, after 24 hours it will self-delete and can never be opened again. Users can also post “Stories” which aren’t a direct message to another friend, but a 24-hour expiring highlight of what they’ve been up to for everyone who follows them to view.
There’s no pressure to stage photos or lifestyle videos because snaps are temporary, unlike other video and photo based social media platforms. This makes it a great platform for friends to send what they’re currently up to with each other in a casual and quick manor, making it a more genuine and intimate social media platform.
“34.3% of New Zealanders and 33% of Australians use Snapchat monthly!”
Although many users only use Snapchat as a messaging app and a way to keep up with their friends, it also has a video watching platform built into it. The Snapchat discover page is a short form video feed that, unlike its main messaging features, is permanent.
The Discover page is for video permanent content that your friends have posted, with the addition that creators and businesses can also post to it. This is done through posting videos called “spotlights” and “stories” that have no expiry date, so users can scroll through and watch whenever they want to.
