Acknowledging that businesses are using Twitter’s DMs as a means of customer service and engagement, the launch aims to help drive discovery of these experiences.

Brands can disseminate the cards via Promoted Tweets or organic sharing.

The card can be embedded with image or video creatives and include up to four call-to-action buttons.

See also: 8 ways for pharma to improve the way it uses Twitter

Twitter has engaged several launch partners for this new feature including Patrón Tequila which is using it to get users to talk to its messaging bot—Bot-Tender (above). The bot creates personalized cocktail recommendations based on responses to questions around occasion, flavor, and even emojis.

Another brand, JollyChic, an e-commerce shopping app, is offering target customers in select markets a special discount coupon for purchases through a #JollyRamadan Direct Message Card.

SNAPCHAT AND INSTAGRAM

Yesterday, both Snapchat and Instagram rolled out updates to their stories functions.

Snapchat launched custom stories, a function that lets its users create a Story (images and video around an event) in collaboration with friends. 

See also: 10 ways healthcare companies are testing Instagram

Users just have to create a story and invite a list of friends to contribute. They can also invite Snapchatters by location.

Instagram, meanwhile, has introduced location-based discovery to its Explore function. Now, users will see a ring at the top filled with stories from the location they’re in. Users can also search for a location to view stories from there.

The Facebook-owned platform will also start to introduce hashtag stories to link stories by interest. Searching for hashtags now will turn up rings with stories to do with the hashtag. 

This story was first published in Campaign.