A new way to showcase branded content? Snapchat’s new Discover tool adds written storytelling to the mix.

It appears 2015 may be the year when content marketing takes off on Snapchat – thanks to a new tool the social network introduced this week.

The new addition is called “Discover” and it’s bringing content to the forefront on the mobile app – which is the third most popular social network among Millennials.

Described as an “channel guide serving up disappearing content alongside brand advertisements” by TechCrunch, this is the first time the social network has introduced a way for brands to produce written, news-based content.

Snapchat said the new tool is “the result of collaboration with world-class leaders in media to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first.”

When users click the Discover Icon, they currently can see 11 brand channels that each contain a story for the day. Depending on the channel, it can range from fashion tips from Cosmopolitan, to nature photos from National Geographic and a daily recipe from the Food Network.

Snapchat Discover Examples

While Discover is currently exclusive, if this feature becomes available to all brands, it would provide another outlet for any company to share its most popular lifestyle content. The application is more obvious for B2C brands that appeal directly to consumers, but creative B2Bs could use the channel to share articles that have a personal appeal to professionals. And brands that have an archive of lifestyle content will have it that much easier when and if Discover becomes available to everyone.

The benefits of brand storytelling

Depending on a brand’s target audience, Snapchat could be a great resource to get on your audience’s “fun side.”  The brand storytelling trend took off last year, and marketers looking to bring a human element to their content efforts are choosing stories to lead their efforts.

We reported on a study of side-by-side Facebook campaigns that showed brand storytelling lives up to its appeal. A test group  received a brand “story” rather than a straight-CTA approach, and it resulted in significantly higher conversion rates.

Here are two examples of brand storytelling we love

Snapchat has become a social media marketing not-so-secret weapon and brands looking to reach a Millennial audience can’t ignore its benefits. While the Discover tool isn’t available for all brands yet, this new product demonstrates Snapchat’s effort to appease advertisers and bring brands to the network’s forefront. With tools like Discover, brands will not only be encouraged – but also rewarded for bringing a human context to content.

Learn more about the new Discover tool here:

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Molly Buccini is Brafton's community manager. She joined the team with a background in digital journalism and social media. She's a theatre nerd, pop culture junkie and lover of summertime.