Snapchat For Business: A Viable Marketing Option?
Posted on: Monday, May 23rd, 2016
Many have often seen the small yellow icon in the app store, but its users don’t see repeat content. Snapchat is an app that was designed to erase a message after it has been viewed by the recipient. It’s seen extraordinary growth over the last few years.
Snapchat 101
In 2011, a relatively unknown app hit the Apple App Store. This iOS-only application, Picaboo, was the brainchild of Stanford student Evan Spiegel, who was intrigued by the idea of an impermanent image. Two months later, the app got a facelift and a new identity and came back as Snapchat.
Eight months after the project launched, users were sending 25 images per second. Recent numbers show that more than 9.000 snaps or images are now being sent each second; a realistic and accurate look at the company’s rise to fame. There are more than 100 million daily active users, Spiegel has said.
It’s growing among marketers, as well. In 2014, only one percent of marketers were using Snapchat; newer numbers show that in 2016. 22 percent of marketers were going to begin advertising on Snapchat.
With the company’s recent announcement of Geofilters for advertising and a concerted effort to increase reach for marketers, expect to continue seeing an increase in the use of the app.
Meet the Millennials
Overwhelmingly, Snapchat is used by members of the millennial generation. Individuals born between 1980 and 2000 make up almost three-quarters of Snapchat users, and 30 percent of all Millennials are using the app.
From the live stories to the custom geofilters, this age range wasn’t necessarily born into the information age but has wholeheartedly embraced it. Businesses looking to reach this demographic have seen tremendous success with creative campaigns that engaged users and encouraged feedback.
Snapchat and Your Social Media Strategy
If reaching the millennial generation is your company’s prime goal, Snapchat may be the app for you. There is a wide variety of ways to bring the company into your marketing plans,
- Real-time Event Publicity:
Snapchat has found tremendous success with its stories, where more than 500 million ten-second clips are shared each day. Show off trade event happenings, live features and speakers, and product launches.
- Give Sneak Peeks
Some brands have created communities of followers who love the advanced news they receive. From fashion designers and actors to restaurants and sports teams, followers appreciate the one-of-a-kind information they find within the app.
- Go Behind the Scenes
Show your followers raw products and services in a fun, engaging manner. Let each of your employees have a turn updating the company Snapchat account and show off your company culture.
- Stay Lighthearted
Keeping your content whimsical, playful, and fun is the best way to keep followers happy and engaged.
Even with its recent growth in popularity, it may take some time for this relatively new app to gain momentum and expose its true potential for business marketing. However, if the increase in personal users of Snapchat and rise in popularity is any indication of how it will be accepted and utilized by business owners in the future, it could very well become a vital part of any digital marketing strategy. Have you tried Snapchat for personal use, or even began using it as part of your digital marketing strategy? We would love to hear from you! Please share your experiences and insights on this app in the box below!
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