From Snapchat’s humble beginnings in a fraternity house in 2011, it has become a top contender in the social media market. With an estimated value of $800,00 and between 250 and 300 million snaps being sent everyday, it doesn’t look like they are going to lose momentum any time soon. Snapchat has a hold over teens and young adults that is unparalleled, and marketing and advertising gurus are starting to notice.
Companies have had success in marketing with Snapchat because it allows for a personal and direct picture message to be delivered to the followers. Because the pictures disappear after ten seconds, it seems like it would be problematic, but many have used this feature to their advantage by offering coupons, promoting contests, and giving brief peeks behind the scenes of the business. However, Snapchat have also provided a solution to the 10 second problem by in
corporating stories to the app which allow for snaps to be viewed multiple times within 24 hours.
Some brands that have utilized Snapchat to reach out to their consumers include Taco Bell, Rebecca Minckoff, and the New Orleans Saints football team. Each of these brands have had success in reaching a target audience of teens by snapping previews of products or news that has not been released to the public on a larger scale. Taco Bell, for example, introduced a new product, the Beefy Crunch Burrito, through Snapchat. These kinds of pictures make the viewers feel more involved in the company and can boost brand recognition.
Because Snapchat is not too crowded by advertisers yet, it could be the ideal time for your business to get in the game. To gain a respectable following on Snapchat, it’s best to cross promote the Snapchat username on all your companies other social media sites, and reward the consumers by offering quality content. It could be argued that Snapchat is on its way to becoming the front line of not only social media, but marketing and advertising to the teenage demographic. It might not be right for every business, but it might be worth keeping and eye on because only time will tell what’s next for Snapchat.
