D’Andrea Willis | @dandrea_willis  

Ever wonder if the person you’re sending a message to is actually lol-ing? Or have you ever wanted to see someone’s real-life reaction of an outrageous video? The possibilities are endless with Dumbstruck, the new rival to Snapchat.  I use the term "rival" because this new innovation gives Snapchat a challenge with its ability to simultaneously record a user's reaction while they are viewing a message.  The way it works is simple, User A sends a video or photo (they can add text or doodles to add a personal flair to the message), User B then receives the message. However, in order to view it, they must acknowledge access of their front camera to begin recording their reaction.  User B’s message and reaction will be saved in both users' phone for 24 hours.  For a more permanent archive, the message/reaction can be posted to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or saved for later usage (such as a website).

So, how can businesses use Dumbstruck? 

In addition to other advantages, Dumbstruck has one value in particular that will be useful in social media marketing.  This is the value of human emotion.  The two-way communication system allows for businesses to add a personal touch to their brand image.  By preserving real-life reactions from their audience, customers or employees, a business will increase their credibility and transparency.

For example, if I was implementing marketing for a cupcake bakery, I could develop a Dumbstruck message of one of the employees frosting a red velvet cupcake, after sending this Dumbstruck message to various cupcake enthusiasts (over half of the population), their reaction would probably include an array of yums, eye-widenings, and looks of awe.  Not only would this give me instant feedback on my cupcakes and their infinite beauty, but I could post these reactions to my other social venues. Other creative ideas include funny remixes/songs with the reactions or a collaboration video or picture collage.

Overall, Dumbstruck has more permanency in the content, allows for more fluent two-way communication, and takes the emotional value of social networking to a new height.

So Snapchat or Dumbstruck?  You don’t have to choose! They each have their benefits.