Back in 2016, when ‘Facebook’ pulled a xerox maneuver and directly ripped off Snapchat’s ‘Stories’ format, it seemed that Snapchat might struggle with staying relevant in the evolving Social Media landscape. Fast forward six years later and the opposite couldn’t be more true – Facebook became Meta and is hustling to win back younger viewers, while Snapchat enjoys sitting on a cozy throne; crowned as the king of AR effects.
Snap Back!
Snapchat stuck to its guns, doubling down on its key use case of connecting friends, fuelling the development of its industry-leading AR tools and features. Such a plan has allowed Snapchat to maintain relevance while building stronger foundations for the future.
Now, Snap’s connective capacity has it well placed to boost its appeal to ad partners, with its focus on spreading optimism and joy facilitating new opportunities. As Snap explains:
“Snapchatters come to the app and actively engage, sharing as much content as they receive. This spirit of sharing and connection creates a natural home for brands to enter the conversation, providing an opportunity to enter directly into a Snapchatters’ inner circle and begin to establish a relationship with them. And with Snapchatters 30% more likely to make a purchase on social media compared to non-Snapchatters, it’s more important than ever for your brand to be present on Snapchat.”
With this, Snap shares new insights into how users feel when using the app, as well as where brands fit in the overall process. To start, Snap says that some 95% of users agree that Snapchat helps them stay connected with their close contacts. Likewise, around 87% agree that they can fully be themselves on the app. In this Snap-commissioned study, Snap was ranked as the ‘Happiest Platform’. The focus on positive interactions reaches over to brands well, with up to two (2) Snap users agreeing that they ‘enjoy seeing brands in the app’. 82% of Snapchatters actively engage with brands.
Snap’s evolving AR tools also play a part in this, with users that use branded AR elements increasingly likely to make big purchases. Just this week, Snap showcased its latest AR tools for commerce, along with the evolution of its AR ad options. Based on these insights, these elements could well provide benefits to businesses looking to connect with the Snap audience.
The Wrap
Despite having a relatively ‘younger’ audience, Snap’s users are getting older. If Snapchat would continue evolving with its user’s needs, then that’ll likely contribute to It becoming an even larger advertising consideration over time. Meanwhile, its development of AR could also help ensure that Snapchat is in the best position to capitalize on its opportunities.
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