Snapchat, so named for the time-sensitive messages it mediates between smart phone users, added an update on Thursday allowing users to extend chats to a day, according to a Snapchat blog post.
The appeal of Snapchat, a cell phone ap developed by Stanford Students, is that is allows cell phone users to send messages that will automatically be deleted soon after the they are read. Over 350 million photos are exchanged each day via snap chat, according to a statement 23-year-old CEO Evan Spiegel gave to Tech Crunch. The company is valued at $860 million, despite not making a cent of revenue, reported Forbes.
With Snapchat Stories, the basic concept of the original ap is extended to a day, according to the company's blog post. Snaps are pieced together to create a daylong "story"; each individual snap that comprises the narrative fades into oblivion every twenty four hours.
"Snapchat Stories add Snaps together to create a narrative," the blog post reads. "When you add a Snap to your Story it lives for 24 hours before it disappears, making room for the new. Your Story always plays forward, because it makes sense to share moments in the order you experience them."
"Your Story never ends and it's always changing," the blogger goes on to write. "The end of your Story today is the beginning of your Story tomorrow. And each Snap in your Story includes a list of everyone who views it."
The addition of stories may also be a way to generate more ad revenue, Tech Crunch speculates. Creating a long narrative, Tech Crunch points out, makes for better advertising space.
In line with Snapchat's new marketing directive, the company collaborated with lesser known bands and musicians through a series of commercials hyping its Stories update. See below for one version featuring the song "Over and Over" by Smallpools.
For directions on how to use the ap, see Tech Crunch's story here.
Snapchat released the update on Android and iOS on Thursday.
