We’ve got a few *stories* to tell you about some Snapchat copycats in this week’s edition of Social Snippets.
China calls for stricter Emoji regulations
Emojis have become part of our everyday life (can you remember the last WhatsApp conversation you had that didn’t include them?) but it seems that their use is still facing resistance in China. This week, the Chinese state press called for regulation on Emojis – reportedly due to inappropriate interpretations (we’re looking at you, aubergine emoji).
However, a spokeswoman for WeChat (China’s equivalent to WhatApp) defended the Emoji regulations they already have in place, stating that ‘the stickers that are submitted to WeChat are examined through manual review to ensure their compliance with national policy and our platform’s operating rules’. Stickers and Emojis are currently downloaded 20 million times per day on the app.
Facebook creates ‘Messenger Day’
What’s with all the storytelling updates? Facebook are launching a new feature that is *literally* identical to Snapchat and Instagram Stories. ‘Messenger Day’, as it has been named, allows users to post pictures and videos on Messenger for your friends to see, before – you guessed it – disappearing after 24 hours. The new function also has a range of customisation options including filters, stickers and the ability to draw in different colours over the images.
It’s not available in the UK just yet, but it has been found in Poland and Australia. That news may seem odd but it’s actually a pretty smart move from Facebook – they are targeting countries where Messenger is used far more than Snapchat, in the hope that the new feature will be taken up over its competitors.
Explore more with Instagram Stories
Instagram have had a clever new update, following the initial success of Instagram Stories.
Up until now, Instagram Stories have appeared at the top of user’s newsfeeds but will now also show at the top of the ‘Explore’ tab. There, you’ll be able to see popular stories from people you don’t already follow. The update will give Instagram an added edge over storytelling originators, Snapchat, as it aims to increase the number of people viewing Stories content everyday – a figure that is currently at 100 million. Speaking of Snapchat…
Snapchat changes the way it pays
It seems that Snapchat are making some serious moves ahead of their IPO next year, as they’ve begun changing the way they works with advertisers that supply content for its “Discover” section. They want to start paying a flat fee upfront instead of sharing ad revenue, like they do at the moment.
This means that companies will get a fixed sum when they supply content. They’ll have a guaranteed income but the changes may also limit how much they could earn from their adverts.
