Why the New Snapchat Context Cards Are So Important

If you weren’t yet sold on the power of ratings and reviews, you must not have been on Snapchat this week.

On Tuesday, the app rolled out Context Cards, which allows visitors to perform a number of activities within the app, which now boasts more than 158 million daily active users.

One of those activities—you guessed it—is browsing a company’s ratings, tips and reviews powered by TripAdvisor, Foursquare and other sites.

All a user has to do is swipe up to get more information on that specific company.

The new rollout also enables users to book a ride (through Uber or Lyft), make a reservation (OpenTable and Resy) get directions or even place a call—all within the app. Just by tapping on “Get There,” users can choose between a map that shows how long it will take to drive there, or they can choose to hail an Uber or Lyft (either of which also shows wait times and occasionally the estimated ride cost). You will also see the establishment’s hours, website and physical address.

Snapchat users can access this contextual information a few different ways:

1. If you see a Snap that tags a company and says “More” at the bottom, you can swipe up to access more information about that company.
2. When you open Snapchat, you can type a company name into the search bar at the top. Once you see the venue listed, you can click on it to see Snaps or Stories about that location, then swipe up for more information.
3. Another option is to “pinch” your screen when opening Snapchat, which brings you to Snap Maps.

With the launch of Context Cards, there are naturally rumblings about advertising/paid opportunities for brands. Snapchat—which billed itself as a “camera company” last year—hasn’t divulged any information on that, so we’ll have to stay tuned for now.

The introduction of Context Cards underscores the value of discovery and search for today’s digital users. Snapchat users can now get all of the same information you would see in a Google My Business (GMB) listing right within Snapchat, allowing them to discover new brands without leaving the app.

It’s a reminder that digital users today can access all the information they need about a brand without visiting the company website.

Search is the way consumers behave today. And it further validates our position that consumer voice is the new currency—it’s how decisions are made, how brands are positioned and how stories are told.

With reviews now appearing in more places than ever before, are they telling the story you want told?