In late March, Facebook rolled out a series of new features to compete with the increasingly popular Snapchat. Most notably, Facebook now has Snapchat's (and Instagram's) "disappearing stories" functionality, allowing users to add a series of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours.
For brands that haven't had much success with -- or simply haven't tried -- Snapchat, this new Facebook development presents an opportunity to capitalize on Snapchat's appeal, while remaining within an already popular audience platform.
Below, five communications executives from Forbes Communications Council weigh in on the impact of Facebook's disappearing stories on social media strategy.
1. Non-snapchat users are now your hottest commodity.
It's a great opportunity to leverage a multifaceted approach to connecting audiences that don't use Snapchat. The shift from text and link-focused sharing to the storytelling visual communication format will allow companies to develop and create content that bridges real-time engagement with newsworthy content, creating memorable experiences that surprise and delight their customers and prospects. - Tami McQueen, 31south
2. Consumer brands now have new opportunities to grow their current audiences.
"Disappearing stories" open up new opportunities for brands to grow current audiences on a proven platform. We'll see brands using creative like flash sales and launch teases to improve their current content strategies. Few brands could successfully use Snapchat; its lack of ability for outbound activity gave Snapchat little value for companies where traffic, sales and leads are valuable KPIs. - Kriselle Laran, Zeno Group
3. Marketers will get to test more strategies.
Facebook’s "disappearing stories" allow us to reach our fans without having to put money behind them, which gives us the opportunity to test new types of content at a lower risk. While our audience is most engaged by educational content, we could supplement that with new forms of content, such as games or customer spotlights that might not need the same permanency, plus leverage influencers more directly. - Sarah Nunes, Vistaprint
4. You can increase limited time offers.
We know from Instagram Stories that we can use the disappearing factor to increase engagement. Embedding links into posts on these stories encourages engagement because fans know that the post will disappear. If they don't click now they may forever lose out. As a result, this is a great place to post limited time offers. - Nicole Hanratty, 1.800.NoCuffs | The Kavinoky Law Firm
5. You now have a new way to creatively tell your brand story.
We regularly do Snapchat takeovers with our private investigators to show potential clients how the process works. We do know our ideal customer is often not on Snapchat, but are active on Facebook. Being able to utilize this successful marketing strategy on Facebook is a game changer for us. We can creatively storytell to the audience we want to capture. - Jennifer Mellon, Trustify
