When you create a story on the new ‘Shared Stories’ section, you can choose people who can contribute to the story, which will then be visible to both of your connections. This provides the potential for expanded exposure and engagement, which may be particularly useful for brands.
Snapchat released a statement on the new feature: “Shared Stories is a new iteration of Custom Stories, a product that previously allowed Snapchatters to create a Story and add friends to view and contribute. Now, with our new and improved Shared Stories, Snapchatters who’ve been added to the group can add their friends as well, making it easier for the whole soccer team, camp squad, or group of new coworkers to get in on the fun.”
This increase in engagement has been fuelled by TikTok, where users are invited to both consume and contribute equally. The emphasis on sharing is something that has elevated TikTok’s success, so other social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram are looking for ways to follow suit.
The Shared Stories function is a good move by Snapchat as it could encourage a new wave of sharing and creating on the app, as well as more collaboration between users.
In terms of brands, this can be a great way to encourage influencer collaborations and increase community engagement massively by encouraging more user-generated content. There are a lot of opportunities for businesses to make use of this update to increase engagement and grow audiences.