Facebook taking on SnapChat with standalone camera app?
Facebook has been making quite a big splash every time we turn around and it seems they’re gearing up for another cannonball.
The latest rumors point to a camera app “similar to disappearing photo app Snapchat,” according to The Wall Street Journal. The project aims to jumpstart the “increasingly passive behavior on the social network,” by encouraging users to share more photos and videos. The app is supposedly in its early stages of development.
Zuckerberg seems to be confronting the engagement issue head-on. Reports state that overall sharing on Facebook was down 21% when comparing mid-2015 to the same time frame in 2014. Additionally, there has been a drop in general status updates and sharing of personal photos when comparing the first quarter of 2016 to the same time frame in 2015. With new social networks popping up constantly, Zuckerberg is making every effort to ensure Facebook never becomes the next MySpace.
Considering Facebook’s recent acquisitions, the move may not come as a surprise. Just last month, Facebook purchased the video-sharing app MSQRD, which allows for users to create unique and personal videos. Don’t forget that Facebook owns Instagram, so we could see implications on several properties.
At least in part, Facebook’s strategy seems to be developing a ton of cool stuff and hoping something sticks, which is evident with the release of Chatbots. Considered by some as Facebook’s answer to online shopping, Chatbots is a service provided directly within Facebook Messenger allowing businesses to interact with interested users, completing tasks like ordering pizza delivery through a quick and painless chat. The service just launched earlier this month with 35 different partners, but Facebook is hoping for Chatbots to take off, bring in more partners, and keep its users interacting and on Facebook.
There is no arguing that Facebook is growing rapidly, but are they looking for success in the right areas? Let us know in the comments.