Over the summer, news leaked out about a curious new product development from Google. According to tech insiders, the search giant is hard at work on a new platform that will rival Discover—one of the more popular features on Snapchat. It’s called Google Stamp, and it’s likely to become one of Google’s core products.
But what do we know about Stamp—and perhaps more to the point, what can we speculate with regard to its impact on content marketing?
Everything We Know About Google Stamp
Start with the name. Stamp is a portmanteau of the words story and AMP, the latter referring to the accelerated mobile pages technology that has turned online publishing on its head. And there you have, basically, the whole point of Stamp: It’s conceived as a publishing platform, intended to catch fire with mobile users.
The development of Google Stamp began shortly after Google’s failed 2016 bid to purchase Snapchat outright, so it’s no big stretch to assume that it’s intentionally imitating some of Snapchat’s more popular features.
The intended launch date for Google Stamp hasn’t yet been revealed—but we do know a few things about what it will do. Essentially, it will work like Snapchat Discover, allowing mobile users to swipe between various pieces of content—content that might include written text, video, and still images.
But if the technology functions in a similar fashion to Snapchat, there is a major difference—and that’s user intent. Most people don’t view Google as a social network. (Remember Google+?) Those who come to Google are searching for products, services, or answers to their questions—which begs the question of how this new platform will really be used, if at all.
The most likely scenario is that Stamp will be seen as a way to discover products or services—basically, a way to engage consumers who are at the top of the sales funnel. And that brings us to the question of content marketing.
What Will Google Stamp Mean?
Right now, it seems like Stamp will be open only to very large enterprises—at least at first. Don’t be surprised if it’s ultimately opened up to lower-tier content creators, though, and provides new avenues for companies looking to publish consumer-centric content.
In essence, all this shows that the line between search, advertising, and content creation is getting increasingly blurry—and that engaging customers might mean straddling the line between all three. Google Stamp might well become a significant new avenue for companies looking to position their products and services as solutions to consumer problems—in the most engaging manner possible.