Good news, snapchatters! With Snap Inc.’s (NYSE:$SNAP) most recent update, launched on Wednesday, June 5, you are now able to link out to websites through your snaps using a feature called Paperclip. There is no doubt that this feature will help brands, publishers, and everyday users of the app drive traffic from the app to their mobile pages.
Paperclip — a feature that many users have been wanting from the company — will let anyone attach a link to a Snap before it gets shared. To access the Paperclip feature, a user will click on the paperclip icon before sending their Snap out and then they can add their link. Viewers can then swipe up to go to the external link. This new tool gives Snapchat an obvious edge against its rival Instagram (NASDAQ:$FB), which does not let users post links other than by adding it to their bio — hence all of those posts with promotional phrases like “click the link in my bio.”
Up until this point, the only way for users to add links was if a brand bought an ad and then included a way to swipe up. So who is going to benefit from this new function? First and foremost, marketers will now be able to gain more organic traffic. Second, media companies will now have a way to direct users to their actual websites. Technically, Snapchat does not allow its users to use its product for profit-making without direct consent, but it’s unclear as to whether the company will be policing to see if people are making money off of their links.
Aside from Paperclip, Snapchat released two additional features: Voice Filters and Backdrops. First, Voice Filters will allow users to change the way their voice sounds even when it’s not used with the oh-so-famous visual lens. Second, Backdrops will let users change the background of an image so that users can change the designs and colors behind them. In June, Snap Inc. announced a new feature called Snap Map, which allows users to find their friends or be alerted when they are close by.
Featured Image: depositphotos/Vadymvdrobot
