Thanks to PopSugar, Snapchat users will soon be able to easily shop the items they see in Snapchat stories. The media company developed Emoticode, an e-commerce app for Snapchat that their brand ShopStyle will be the first to use
The quest to monetize Snapchat
Exciting changes have been taking place at Snapchat; as SODP recently reported, The Washington Post will have a daily edition on Snapchat Discover that updates with breaking news throughout each day. Other brands have hopped on the Snapchat bandwagon, from Time Inc. to Buzzfeed — and now, Popsugar’s e-commerce move has expanded the use of Snapchat to drive customer engagement and revenue even further.
By making it nearly effortless to buy the things we see on Snapchat stories from bloggers and brands, Emoticode is poised to make Snapchat — and those participating — a lot of money. And with a current worldwide daily user base of around 158 million, there’s no telling just how much the app could bring in.
A video demonstrating how Emoticode works can be viewed by anyone interested in the process. Basically, an emoticode is an emoji that’s also a URL. When a blogger or brand includes one of this linked emojis in their story, all users have to do is take a screenshot to save the link. After a screenshot is taken, it’s sent to the app. From there, the user can review each screenshot they’ve saved, and click through to the product page where the item can be purchased.
Advantages of the new Snapchat Emoticode feature
According to Verity Beard of ShopStyle, the Emoticode app is an ideal addition to Snapchat because it plays on what users are already doing — taking screenshots. She explained that with the new app, it will be easier to measure Snapchat sales as well as the impact of influencers. With more accurate tracking, Snapchat can make further modifications that will not only boost their bottom line, but also the earnings of bloggers and retail brands on the platform.
Will you be using Emoticode to shop on Snapchat? If this technology becomes available to various publishers, how might you leverage it to boost revenue?
Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at vahe@stateofdigitalpublishing.com.
