If you know anything about social media, you know that Facebook is the big guy on campus. Many businesses push most or all of their social media efforts toward Facebook “just because,” but what they don’t realize is that if their target audience is younger, Snapchat is worth looking into. Now, it’s hard to pinpoint what the exact target audience on Snapchat is, but it’s safe to say that the majority of users are under the age of 34.
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat (first called Picaboo) launched in 2011 with the original intent to send photos that would eventually disappear. The app operates on IOS and Android. Initially, the app could only send photos for a set amount of time and notify the sender when someone took a screenshot of their picture. Now, the app can send pictures and videos for 1-10 seconds (or no time limit), add content to your “story” that all your friends can see for 24 hours, chat with individuals/groups of friends, add geofilters and lenses to content, add content to “memories,” decorate content with stickers and writing, and even use the “discover” section to view a variety of content from publishers like BuzzFeed, CNN, and Food Network.
Snapchat doesn’t have the same form of analytics that other platforms have, but you can always see how many people (and exactly who) have seen your story and who has opened your individual or group Snapchats.
Although the main function of Snapchat is communication, it also has the potential to give businesses new and creative tools for customer support and user experience. Collin Austin, founder of New Scooters 4 Less, uses Snapchat to create a fun and engaging environment for his customers to ask questions and stay in the loop.
“I LOVE social media, so for me to create a Snapchat account was a no-brainer,” Austin said. “I’ve used Snapchat in a multitude of ways, but customer service is No. 1.”
This is technically Austin’s “personal” account, but he gives customers his business card (which is his Snapchat code) so that they will be able to connect with him when they need to. For example, if someone’s scooter is making a weird sound that they are not familiar with, it’s easy for them to take a 10-second Snap and send it to Austin to see if it’s something that they should bring into the store.
Snapchat just happens to be the perfect platform to do this because not only does it’s primary function revolve around pictures and videos, but NS4L’s target audience is that of Snapchat’s: college students. 60% of college students would purchase from a brandif they sent a coupon through Snapchat.
Austin’s strategy is fantastic, but it means nothing if no one knows about it. That’s why he promotes it. “Our Snapcode is on everything,” Austin said. “All around the shop, on every invoice, receipt, document, etc.” If you step into NS4L, you’ve seen Austin’s Snapcode in one place or another.
Who is on Snapchat?
The easiest way to answer this question is to say “young people.”
The more in-depth way to answer this question is to show you this small infographic I made:
According to recode, 44% of teenagers asked to choose one social network picked Snapchat, with only 24% choosing Instagram and 14% choosing Facebook. On average, Snapchat reaches 41% of 18-34-year-olds in the U.S. and shares over 400 million snaps every day, according to WordStream blog.
So basically, Snapchat best caters to NS4L’s exact audience.
Why do People use It?
Snapchat is a quick, easy, and fun way to communicate with your friends and your friendly neighborhood scooter guy.
It’s also fun to create Snapchat lens and geofilters, and anyone can do it!
Why do Businesses use It?
Aside from customer support, user experience, and engagement, brands use Snapchat for a number of things. In the picture above, I’m stylishly posing in a lens provided by Chase Bank. At first glance, it just looks like a tropical setting, but if you notice the blue side tab, you’ll see the Chase logo. It’s subtle, but it’s a unique way to advertise, perhaps playing into subliminal messaging.
The Food Network, on the other hand, is much less subtle but not less effective. They have their own channel in the “discover” section of the app where they release daily recipes, quizzes, and tips. In addition to inspiring people on Snapchat, Food Network integrates their social media by creating content from their Snapchat videos and posting them on other platforms.
Not only does this increase awareness and potential for engagement, but sales as well.For NS4L, if a client sends Austin a video of their scooter that actually needs repairs, he is getting their business for being their in the first place to help identify the problem. For Food Network, if a reader continually clicks on their content, they might eventually start tuning into the television channel or purchase a magazine.
Where is Snapchat Going?
Snapchat recently released Spectacles, “the sunglasses that Snap.” This gave people the opportunity to capture and save memories from their own perspective. Even though it took Snapchat a year to release this product to the public, who knows where it will go? Maybe it will make strides in the fashion industry or the photography industry. For the low price of $129.99 you can buy your pair on Amazon and find out what the future holds.
“Discover” is the most obvious feature that has benefitted publishers. All you have to do was open the app, swipe to the right, and both your friends and publishers would be there. Now, Snapchat wants to “separate the social from the media” so that your friend’s content is on one side and the publisher’s content is on the other.
While this might not be the greatest news for most publishers, Austin has nothing to worry about. He’s not on “discover” because he uses his “personal” account for NS4L.
With photo and video content continually out-performing all other types, Snapchat has had great potential from the start. Their new features have only enhanced the ability for businesses to benefit.
Don’t mistake this article for a call-to-action for everyone. Snapchat is only right for your business if it has a particular target audience, and for Collin Austin, he has exactly that.