Yo has added a Yo Store to its one-word messaging app, in an attempt to move beyond the initial gimmick of its concept.

The Store enables users to select from a range of 150 publications, brands and personalities in order to receive notifications when new content is posted.

This feature is already being used in a wide variety of ways – by publications such as Huffington Post and USA Today are deliver daily news digests; and by sports teams including the Miami Dolphins to keep fans updated. On top of that, Capitol Records is promoting its latest music videos; Showtime TV show Shameless is notifying fans that the programme is about to air; and Starbucks is directing users to their nearest branch.

The launch echoes Snapchats rollout of the Discover feature last month, and similarly looks like it could be an early move towards monetisation. To encourage more brands to get on board, Yo is offering a self-service dashboard. This is currently free, but with a pitch that says it grants brands “access to the lock screen of your subscriber’s smartphone?—?the most valuable real estate in the digital world,” its not difficult to see Yo attempting to charge for this in the future.