Snapchat is not dead

Written by Pascale VIGENER

March 10, 2021

Snapchat is dead. Nope, it is 100% alive. Even though media discussions are all about Reels, TikTok, or Triller, Snapchat has reached its 265 million active users daily – and numbers of users are rising continuously. They are currently in the process of exhausting its untapped potential: Be it the young target group, the innovative augmented reality (AR) lenses, or exciting advertising opportunities: Snapchat is anything but dead. And here you can find 4 reasons why and why it is relevant for marketers:

4 reasons why marketers still should care

Rising user numbers and revenues. Some people think Snapchat might still be stuck in a downward spiral and losing presence in the social media landscape. However, after a little downer in 2018/19, Snapchat is back on track and has its 265 million active users daily, which is 47 million or 22% more than a year ago- meaning brands can reach millions of potential consumers. From which 74 million people are located in Europe. Of course, the corona crisis also is having an impact on Snapchat’s advertising business; still, the advertising revenues generated have again improved significantly.

1. Young target group

But who are the Snapchatters in 2021? A newly released global Snapchat study defines Snapchat users’ behavior patterns and shows their importance for marketers. First, with a globally spending power of $4.4 trillion the Snapchat community is willing to spend more money on products or services than non-Snappers. Also, users are very open to stories behind brands and products. When it comes to personality, 75% say they consider themselves as inclusive and open to other people, cultures, and ideas. Second, they have a high affinity for technology. Being a messaging service that focuses on picture and video, it’s not surprising that 88% of the users integrate photos into their messages, emojis, or short videos. Snapchatters use augmented reality applications 3 times more often than non-users. In fact, 200 million Snapchatters use augmented reality every day. Overall, 71% of all users are younger than 34 – a big challenge, but also an opportunity for brands.

2. First mover gene

Snapchat is the inventor of stories – a feature, which evolved into a must-have for every social media app. For the upcoming year, Snapchat plans to use its innovative powers: With Snapchat Mini apps, Voice Lenses, Snapchat Local, and the announced business profiles, Snapchat is keeping its first-mover gene lively. Especially, the augmented reality is the buzzword in connection with Snapchat. Brands like BMW or Adidas achieve gigantic reach with AR effects and users already experiment with it every day for a total of 250 million minutes – creating your own lenses can turn a campaign into a viral hit. On top: With Snapchat’s newly, launched Lens Web Builder the creation has become way easier and faster.

3. Strong partnerships

Snapchat does not only believe in itself, it also focuses on cooperation. For example, with Spotify: Whether it is a single song, a playlist, a podcast, or an entire album – all can be easily integrated into Snap. Also, so that one can better endure the current lockdown, Snapchat cooperated with the WHO. Together they launched two AR lenses on the topic of social distancing: one of them informs users about the importance of hygiene measures, while the other helps them to keep the necessary physical distance from other people. With the second lens, a virtual circle is created around the user, which determines the distance to others. Hence, Snapchat is more attractive to users – always an advantage for Marketers.

4. Authentic advertising options

Why Snapchat is so relevant for marketers? Easy answer: Snapchat users spend an average of 30 minutes a day on the platform and visit it about 18 times during that time. This is very frequent compared to other social networks, as Snapchat is being understood much more as a messenger service between friends than “just” a video app. This very familiar, almost private environment for users also offers marketers good opportunities to reach users with credible ads. Companies don’t have to spend a lot of time creating perfect, professional content. Snapchat is more about authenticity, simplicity, and honesty.

As marketers, let the community look behind the scenes of your company or let influencers present your product or service with approachable, fun, and create fresh, original content. That’s exactly why users love Snapchat.

Let’s find the right Snapchat influencers for your next Gen Z campaign and contact us here.