Live Snapchat Feature: Trumping Live Tweets?

With an array of social media platforms covering live content, how does the one set itself apart from the rest?

Example of Live Snapchat Feature

Photo courtesy of skift.com

 

Our society is filled with filters, hashtags, selfies and clever captions. However, the Live Snapchat Story feature has the unique sense of real time coverage, with no particular structure and editing. Snapchat is a relatively new social media platform, especially for the business community. With over 100 million users, Snapchat’s CEO Evan Spiegel continues to curate innovative features for the platform. Live stories are visible for all users, featuring events taking place all over the world.

Alright, Snapchat covers the Republican debate in Iowa, or the SAG Awards, so what? Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms also cover these events for followers. However, Snapchat takes on a more interactive approach.  Live posts feature content from beginning, middle and end, creating a sense of atmosphere for the viewer. Whether it be backstage or in the crowd, Live Snapchat Stories capture different moments from particular events. Perhaps you saw Mark McMorris win his sixth gold medal at The Winter X Games from his brother’s Instagram, but did you experience the live footage from a crowd member on The Winter X Games Live Snapchat Story? The interactive nature of Snapchat offers a glimpse into live event from anyone attending. This gives more of an outsider quality rather than a social media intern compiling the best content behind a cubicle.

In regards to live coverage, Snapchat also compiles content into a more collective system. While Tweets also produce live content of an event, the posts begin to saturate your feed, making for a more overwhelming play-by-play, mixed with tweets from Kim K about Saint West’s organic, cold pressed baby food (heaven forbid you miss that!) Live events on Snapchat are condensed into a single post, giving the viewer snippets of the experience from beginning to end.

Snapchat continues to update its content based on the interests of its viewers, offering a competitive edge against other social media platforms. Live stories draw more attention to users, with up to 20 million viewers daily. Snapchat users are drawn to the interactive element of Live content, making you feel like you were actually there.

Heather Doan