The White House Has Joined Snapchat

Unique to Snapchat, Story Explorer has become more than a personalized user perspective and is now used by media outlets, brands of various kinds, and as of today – the White House. Over 60 percent of smartphone users, age 13-34 in the United States, use the app, as the White House noted in its post.

The first post from the official account was a shot of the Oval Office with a bowl of apples in front and the word “Snapchat!” posted over it.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says President Obama will reflect on his achievements and look ahead.

If you needed another indication that Snapchat really has entered the ranks of the elite social media networks, here it is: now the President of the United States even has his own account.

The White House has joined Snapchat, marking the Obama administration’s latest move to reach a younger generation of Americans through social media.

And the really great news is that the majority of The White House’s content won’t delete after a number of seconds, unlike regular Snapchat photos and videos, due to Government regulations. The story function, which is where the White House posted their first message, is viewable for up to 24 hours after its been posted. Through the White House YouTube channel, viewers around the globe can get a sneak preview of Obama’s final address.

“WhiteHouse” is the official account name.

In place of a typical to-do list for Congress in the State of the Union address – a non-starter as Obama enters his lame-duck phase – the president will speak in broad strokes about what he feels the USA can and should aspire to in the future.

“Obama will always be known as that president that opened the floodgates of social media”, said Erna Alfred Liousas, an analyst at Forrester Research.