Disrupting The Status Quo
Snapchat is on the rise, especially with Generation Z, but how are marketers using this new tool to impact their existing digital marketing efforts? While many of us seem befuddled by this new platform, there’s a growing trend of users who are flocking to it, and if your brand is trying to reach this demographic, it would pay to closely monitor this trend and invest time into using the platform for familiarity’s sake.
There’s nothing to sneeze at when we look at numbers like this from 2015:
Snapchat delivers over 7 billion videos to users daily (Social Media Examiner)
8,796 photos are shared on the network per second (DMR)
32% of Snapchat users are 13-17 years of age
With these types of media exchanges happening, there’s a ravenous audience looking to consume, but can brands be part of this exchange?
Thinking Outside The Bun
Thus far, of all the brands we follow on Snapchat, Taco Bell comes out on top for the unique way it joins the conversations. It rarely pushes product and there’s always branding, but the Snapchat team from Taco Bell acts more like friends in the space, instead of a brand on Snapchat.
The two twenty-something personas who handle much of the account create specific content for the brand a few times a week in the language of their audience. They come off as so down to earth, and it’s been said they speak fluent emoji–they know how to get their message across. While Taco Bell is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it’s seeing the most engagement on Snapchat. They are using the platform to announce new products, but also to share ideas through normal conversation. For example, on Fridays the team shares their favorites for that week, including music, books, beauty products, etc. We can easily see ourselves having a conversation like this with our friends because we all love talking about the things we love.
Taco Bell has struck a chord with product, modern language, and interest in pop culture. Their audience finds it funny, engages, and promotes the brand, and we’re sure it won’t be long until Taco Bell takes the next step and starts to advertise on the platform. Only time will tell how that will impact their presence, but we think it will only help it.
Snapchat NOT For Everyone
Most brands would love to replicate some of Taco Bell’s success on Snapchat, but there are still those that don’t see the platform as a game changer. In a recent Facebook post, Robert Scoble used the platform exclusively for a week and you can his thoughts on it in the snapshot below.
On the other hand, Gary Vaynerchuk (who is admittedly an investor) has strived to find ways to push Snapchat to the limits by using it regularly to communicate with his audience and gain a new following within a younger demographic, while inviting existing fans along for the journey.
At the beginning of the year Gary outlined why Snapchat should matter for businesses in 2016. Naturally we’re quick to point out that while social media platforms are great, they still needed to be vetted, there needs to be a purpose, there needs to be a message, and a strategy needs to be in place. Still, he makes some valid points that should stretch any brand to determine how they can best make Snapchat work for them if they do fit into the ecosystem.
Can Snapchat disrupt the way your brand has done marketing? In short, yes it can. The platform is personal, real time, and very fast. Will it be the holy grail and savior for any struggle you might have in the digital space? The clear answer is no.
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