When it comes to their dealings with technology
platforms, publishers need every bit of good news.
Snapchat may have given them something to smile about with its new Paperclip feature. It allows users to incorporate links to external Web
sites into messages and content sent within the app.
Paperclip, unveiled by Snapchat earlier this week, enables users to attach links to third-party mobile Web sites to videos or images in
private messages or as part of a Snapchat Story.
Among other possibilities, the Paperclip feature would allow publishers to include links to additional pages in content distributed via
Snapchat. The same capability could benefit brands pursuing branded-content publishing strategies. Before, brands could include links only in paid ads.
The recipient just has to swipe up on
the video or image to access the content, which then surfaces in Snapchat’s proprietary in-app browser.
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That’s considerably more convenient than the previous workaround, which required
them to send “Snapcodes” to their contacts, who would then have to scan the QR code to access the content.
In a reversal of the usual dynamic, it would appear
Snapchat is borrowing a page from Facebook’s Instagram, which recently unrolled the ability to include external Web links. However, Snapchat goes further, as Instagram links are currently
limited to its Stories feature, and then only for verified users with more than 10,000 followers.
Paperclip is just one of a number of features unveiled by Snapchat this week. Another is
backdrops, which allow users to overlay various patterns onto portions of their snaps.
Snapchat also recently bowed Snap Maps, which let users track their friends’ locations in
real-time. Smartphone users can virtually scan their physical surroundings and see where friends are posting snaps and stories.