Snap Inc is considering changes to its Snapchat app that could make users’ public posts last longer or even permanent.
Quoting sources familiar with the matter, the company is also weighing an option to reveal the identities of Snapchat users who make public posts.
Together the changes would mark a big step in Snap’s effort to lure and keep users by making content shared publicly via the “Our Story” section, more available outside Snapchat. They could also create a new revenue source for money-losing Snap, which has seen its user base declining and executives leaving the company.
But such changes to Snapchat could trigger backlash from users who value their privacy (cue, Facebook).
Only Snapchat photos and videos shared to “Our Story”, which shares the snaps publicly to a wider audience and not just a user’s friends, would be affected and users would still have the option of deleting those stories it seems.
The changes would come in response to feedback from Snap’s four partnerships with news discovery platforms that help media companies spot, analyse and republish public breaking news content on Snapchat, sources said.
The news partnerships are part of Snap’s “Stories Everywhere” initiative, launched last year to push content to more places outside Snapchat.
Initially, public stories would disappear after 30 days but now remain viewable for 90 days, according to Snap’s support website.
Some partners have said that the disappearing and anonymous nature of public stories makes them difficult to work with.
Some news organisations will not embed Snapchat stories into articles because the content eventually disappears, while others will not use them because they are unable to verify anonymous users’ Snapchat videos.
One source familiar with the news partnership said Snap is already talking with one partner about making public posts last even longer and to make some content from celebrities permanent.
Under Pressure
Snap’s stock has been under pressure as investors question the company’s plan for profitability. Snap shares closed last Friday at some 60% below their March 2017 IPO price.
Allowing user content to be more valuable for partners has helped Snap’s rivals boost revenue.
Twitter was one of the first social media platforms to sell access to public posts or tweets and reported US$108 million in third-quarter revenue from non-advertising businesses like data licensing.
Twitter sells access to more than 500 million daily tweets to customers including analytics firms, news organisations and financial institutions that use trending tickers and stories to place trades.
“Snap does not currently charge for access to public data, but could earn more advertising revenue if snaps embedded outside of Snapchat last longer,” said Debra Aho Williamson, a social media marketing analyst with research firm eMarketer.
“The advertising would be visible for longer, and I could see advertisers paying more for it,” Williamson said.
Facebook recently implemented strict restrictions that have in turn made Snap’s content more valuable, according to industry sources.
