Facebook Messenger?s Snapchat-inspired Day is putting brands at a disadvantage by allowing users first dibs and preventing businesses from use, which could have allowed brands to create a stronger bond with consumers due to the organic experience. 

The feature allows users to take photos and post them to a 24-hour Day slideshow that their friends can scroll through, hewing closely to the standard set by Snapchat Stories. With the addition of possible advertisements in the future, Day could be the platform?s first source of revenue.

?We have begun testing a way for you to share these photos and videos ? as they happen ? by adding to your Messenger Day, where many of your friends can view and reply to them,? said Stan Chudnovsky, head of product for Messenger. ?You?re always in control of who can see your day ? share it with everyone, or choose specific friends and family members on Messenger. 

?Since everything you add disappears after 24 hours, feel free to add as often as you want. Millions of people around the world have already used Messenger Day to show what they?re doing, how they?re feeling and to invite friends to join them for activities ? or just to chat,? he said.

While other social media platforms have the legacy of being one of the biggest names when social media first came to the forefront, such as Facebook and Twitter, is it Snapchat that has really stolen the spotlight in many young consumers? minds.

There is something about the ephemeral photos and images and the immediate intimate connections that users can make that has captured the attention of many younger consumers.

Under this new paradigm, many social media platforms have begun copying some of Snapchat?s strategy, mainly through its Stories feature.

Facebook Messenger is the latest to take a page out of Snapchat?s book with the addition of Day, a feature that lets Messenger users take photos and add them to a slideshow that disappears after 24 hours.

Facebook is hoping that this new feature will not just let users see what their friends are posting, but also actively make plans to meet up thanks to custom frames and messages that can be attached to the photos asking friends if anyone would like to join, or other calls to action.

Most notably, Facebook told TechCrunch that these slideshows may see the possible addition of advertisements in the future.

That addition would make it even more like Snapchat Stories in addition to being Facebook Messenger?s first revenue stream.

The introduction of Messenger Day is important for two reasons.

For one, it closes the gap between Snapchat and Facebook by offering more features that align with what Snapchat users want.

Facebook has made similar inroads with Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) introducing its own Stories feature (see story).

Secondly, it will be the first attempt to monetize Messenger fully, if ads are allowed in the future.

Facebook had previously tested ads on Facebook Messenger to a small sample of users, but this feature has yet to be rolled out or even announced for full rollout (see story).

For now, Facebook is not allowing brands to post Days, a rare example of a platform blocking brands from creating organic content, ensuring that Day remains a space free from commercial action until Facebook can nail down exactly how it wants to monetize the feature.

?Of course it?s up to you if you want to share your day with everyone you talk to in Messenger or just your closest friends and family,? Mr. Chudnovsky said. ?You can customize how you share by tapping the ?more? icon and then choosing ?Everyone Except? or ?Custom.?

?If you share something to your day that you decide you want to take down, just tap the image at the top of your inbox, then tap the three dots at the bottom right hand corner of your image, and then select ?Delete.??