US: The White House increases its social media presence by joining Snapchat

The White House has upped its social media game and joined Snapchat in the Obama administration's latest foray into social media.

"In light of the number of Americans who use the service to consume news and share with their friends, the White House is joining Snapchat to engage the broad cross-section of the population in new and creative ways," the White House said in a statement.

The White House's "Official Story" will kick off by giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the last State of the Union address for President Barack Obama.

The Obama Administration has become increasingly social media savvy, launching the @WhiteHouse and @POTUS Twitter accounts, a White House Instagram account, President Obama's Facebook page and a White House Tumblr account.

According to WIRED, the White House has made a big tech push ahead of the president's State of the Union address on 12 January.

The last address for Obama will stream on Amazon Video, on the White House website and on YouTube. "So, for those who've cut the cord from cable and network TV: Whether you use a smart TV, web browser, mobile device, or tablet there's a way for you to watch the President's speech as it happens and on-demand," White House chief digital officer Jason Goldman said in a statement.

The State of Union address will air live at 9pm EST/2am GMT. It will be the last for President Obama before the election in November.