At this point we’ve all heard of the image sharing, popular mobile app Snapchat; especially after the latest news that many of it’s stored photos were leaked onto the Internet. But what exactly is this trendy platform and how can it be beneficial to marketers? Here’s the lowdown on this millennial dominated mobile app and how it may be useful for your business:
Many people believed Snapchat to be a temporary fad when it was first launched in 2011, however it’s quickly become a platform worth recognizing. Facebook tried buying it, Instagram tried copying it, and these failed attempts have only fueled Snapchats popularity. It currently has a user base of over 100 million monthly active members and is valued at $10 billion dollars. Not only that, but it turns out college students post more frequently on Snapchat than on social media powerhouse Facebook!
What is it?
Snapchat is a mobile app that allows you to share photos and videos that disappear after a short period of time. In this way it differs from other popular photo sharing platforms like Instagram and Tumblr, where photos are shared either with all followers or publicly. A “snap” (Snapchat photo) is only available for a certain time limit, less than 10 seconds, once the user opens it. However the new Snapchat Stories feature allows snaps to be viewed for up to 24 hours, making it a great tool for businesses who have an urgent call to action or want to generate excitement. For a cute demo on how Snapchat works check out their promo video.
Who is on it?
Engaging a younger audience with any kind of marketing strategy can be extremely difficult, but Snapchat makes it inexpensive and effective. This platform is dominated by the 13-25 year old demographic, who make up 71% of Snapchat users. Females make up 70% of users although the number of male users is steadily growing. So if your target market happens to be teenage girls, this is definitely the platform for you.
So how can a business use it?
Snapchat still seems very foreign to most marketers, thus only a few businesses (in relation to Facebook and Twitter) have added it to their mobile marketing strategy. Which in turn, could play to your advantage since there is far less competition on Snapchat than other said sites. Brands like Taco Bell have found a way to make their snaps irresistible to users and have an 80% open rate on the snaps they send! This is practically unheard of for any other marketing method, from email to Facebook.
So how do they manage this? They showcase new products and photos that millennials can relate to. Not only this but they use the popular texting language utilized by the 13-25 year old demographic, with certain abbreviations and even emojis.
The combination of “real life” photos and fun text makes Snapchat a special part of the millennial lifestyle.
Here are a few other ways you can use Snapchat to market your brand:
- Send exclusive rewards or promotions
- Preview new products
- Show behind the scenes clips
- Provide video answers to consumers who “snap” questions about your product
- Create a fun giveaway
With its growing popularity, it’s only a matter of time before more and more brands will start adding Snapchat to their mobile marketing mix. Do you think Snapchat is right for you? Are you already using Snapchat for your business? We’d love to know! Leave a comment with your thoughts below.