The company might not play up it’s naughty reputation, but everyone knows that Snapchat is a favorite for sending titillating messages. The wild success of the disappearing, for your eyes only, dispatches reflects the unanswered need for more privacy and control over our online content. And the wish for some things to go away when we decide it’s time.
Let’s all act like grownups for a second and say that Snapchat isn’t the best tool for business purposes. Let’s ask ourselves: “Is there a way for us to limit and control the availability of content similar to the way that Snapchat does, but with more… professional concerns in mind?
Minder Your Own Business
Minder is Beta startup worth a look. This application allows users to decide whom has permission to view content while establishing geographic and time restrictions as well. Creators keep ownership and control over their content, and can better manage its distribution.
Publishers choose contacts with whom to share files – documents, videos, pictures, etc. This content is brought into Minder via cloud-sharing services such as Dropbox and Google Drive. A location is set where content is available and restricted outside. An interactive map shows where viewing is permitted.
A range of dates and time duration are also determined in advance by the publisher, further limiting content consumption. Sharers decide when content is available and for how long.
This setup equips publishers to manage materials as they like. Minder (created by StoryCloud) seems particularly well suited for projects such as sharing promotional materials – designed to have a limited shelf-life, perhaps targeting specific regions. It will be interesting to see how the location restrictions are used to greatest effect. The potential to reach an intended community on set terms is there.
The huge advantage of content vanishing in Minder fashion is that it isn’t destroyed permanently. (We’ll assume boldly that we’re dealing with content here that’s important enough for creators to keep.) Take content off the table when you want, but only delete files if you choose to do so.
Another benefit of Minder is that it includes analytics. Monitor who’s opening content, number of views, length of views and more. This is important for publishers who need a more sophisticated understanding of traffic…
It’s one thing for a magician to make something disappear and another for him to bring it back as designed. Visit minder.storycloud.co to sign up for Beta and to find out what other tricks they have up their sleeves.
