Facebook-owned mobile messaging application WhatsApp has adopted its own version of Snapchat's stories feature, also recently appearing on Instagram, allowing marketers more platforms to cater to social media users.

Marketers flock to platforms with organic content, as there is no ad-spend and the experience creates a more intimate bond with consumers. Snapchat?s Stories feature is one of the top features in creating the organic, intimate bond marketers are always looking to make, and now Whatsapp has introduced its own version. 

Snapchat introduced its Stories feature as a way for consumer to post content for all of their followers to see, expanding its capability beyond just sending to photos to certain friends. This allowed brands and marketers to adopt their own strategies for Snapchat, allowing users to follow for giveaways, coupons, behind-the-scenes content and more. 

Soon after, Facebook?s Instagram adopted its own version of Stories as well and now its WhatsApp messaging app has just launched its own version. 

While originally, WhatsApp only allowed a text-only status update, it has now expanded to its first photo and video capability. 

Users will be able to post photos and videos in real-time, as well as adding doodles and text. 

The experience is very close to Snapchat?s Stories, but for marketers this is another platform to connect with consumers. 

With Whatsapp messaging features that can usher in commerce capabilities, its new photo statuses can usher in more consumers. 

The news that WhatsApp started allowing business to communicate directly with users reflects how popular messaging app reimagined traditional marketing and unlocking one-to-one engagement opportunities for brands.  

WhatsApp became a free service as it launched tools that enable business to communicate directly with users while avoiding introducing third-party ads. With Facebook Messenger and WeChat also focused on serving as a go-between for businesses and consumers, marketers have been closely watching this space develop so they can take advantage of what is shaping up to be a significant new marketing opportunity on mobile, especially now with its new statues features (see more). 

Macy?s, GE, E! network, Mountain Dew and Sephora were just a few of the many marketers that originally flocked to Instagram?s new Stories feature, which offers better visibility compared to Snapchat. 

Instagram thickened the competition with Snapchat by introducing a feature that allows users to record video and pictures, which appear at the top of selected newsfeeds for only 24 hours, whether they follow the user or not. Brands immediately embraced the intimate feature, hoping to gain back the attention they might have lost after the photo-sharing application changed its algorithm (see more).