Snapchat has launched a new Dynamic Stories feature that will create and serve a publisher’s news content automatically to users on the social media app.
With Snapchat competing with more popular rivals such as TikTok, Instagram and Twitter for content and users, the platform has decided to lower the barrier of entry for bigger publishers and make it easier for them to post regularly.
Around 40 news publishers have decided to partner with Snapchat to make use of the new service.
They include CNN, The Washington Post and ESPN in the US, The Mirror and The Independent in the UK, and Marie Claire and Femme Actuelle in France.
The new service, which is currently being tested in those three countries and in India, will use a conversion process involving an RSS feed.
This will see a publisher’s content converted to Snapchat automatically when it is published online.
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, said giving publishers the power to incorporate the app into their existing workflows will enable them to post content on a daily basis.
The automated process will be especially useful for smaller content creation teams – if and when the service gets a broader rollout for other publishers.
Snapchat said the service will also be beneficial for its users as they will be able to consume more credible and relevant information within the “Discover” section of the app.
It added: “Whether it’s breaking news from credible sources on the war in Ukraine or the latest in pop culture or fashion, Dynamic Stories helps Snapchatters learn about the world as it happens.”
Dynamic Stories will only use written text for now, though video could be added in the future, while vertical video advertising will also be available within the service.
