Like many other apps, Snapchat started off as a fad. The entire purpose of Snapchat is to provide something temporary: a photograph, a video, a message that’s there one second and then gone forever. But considering the air of impermanence permeating both its foundation and its industry, Snapchat has done a pretty good job of maintaining its value. A few weeks ago, Snapchat launched Discover, a new media hub feature with the potential to turn the app into a marketing destination. Here, we examine just a few of the ways Snapchat is brilliantly positioned for success with its new addition.
- Advertising. Brands have been using Snapchat in some capacity for a while now, but Discover could make Snapchat a vital part of the advertising industry. Discover allows users to watch media content (refreshed every 24 hours) from partners such as ESPN, BMW and CNN.
- Appropriate timing. Snapchat is the perfect offering for this age of short attention spans. The app practically demands engagement by requiring that users press and hold on their content to view it. But what it doesn’t do is force content down its users throats; people get to choose what they view on Discover. It allows impatient users to see the ads they want in the way they want to see them; i.e., quickly and painlessly.
- Audience. With around 100 million active monthly users, Snapchat offers brands an appealing channel through which elusive young millennials can be reached effectively.
What’s interesting is that, as opposed to its platform, Discover’s content is not based on social media. Its content is curated by industry experts. Snapchat already has the manpower and the capital to back Discover; now, it’s only a matter of whether the feature’s traditional method will appeal to Snapchat’s very modern demographic. But as long as the app continues to evolve as it has, something tells us that Snapchat will do just fine.
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Image by Maurizio Pesce is licensed under CC BY 2.0.