Mediaboss Marketing

Kristina: What does snapchat offer that brands need to understand?

Frdric Charles Petit, CEO and Founder of Toluna: Snapchat is becoming an increasingly important platform for brands to connect with younger consumers. There are several features that allow brands to push content out to users and it is critical that marketers understand how to use these features to engage their targeted audiences. Brands can leverage Snapchat Discover, geo-filters, and custom profiles, but not all features will help brands to engage with all Snapchat users equally. For example, our data shows men are more likely to use Snapchat Discover (50 percent vs. 40 percent of women) and older snapchat users are much less likely to view any kind of branded content (45% of baby boomers have not viewed branded content vs. 31% of millennials) It is essential that marketers dive deeper into the platform's demographics to understand these differences and build their strategy.

Kristina: What are the drawbacks to Snapchat and similar platforms?

Frdric: All platforms of consumer communication present their own unique challenges. Social media platforms in particular have a tendency to go through quick-paced changes, and often go in and out of style faster than marketers can adapt. Snapchat is not yet as ubiquitous as Facebook or Twitter, but there are substantial benefits to connecting with consumers in a more human way via Snapchat that brand managers cannot ignore.

As I mentioned, our research uncovered distinct differences between how different genders and populations prefer to interact with branded content on Snapchat - and those preferences are evolving as rapidly as the technology. To ameliorate the risk of new features and user demographics making a brand's Snapchat strategy obsolete, it is essential to research your target audience's use of the app and test marketing concepts early and often.

Kristina: How can brands use a platform like snapchat to engage, especially when the messages last a short amount of time?

Frdric: Snapchat has established its identity as a platform for sharing short, snackable content that is easy to digest. It's clear that marketers cannot just move content from Facebook or Instagram to a Snapchat profile and expect to be successful. In order to engage Snapchat users, marketers need to customize the content and test its relevance with the specific audience they expect to reach on Snapchat. Concept testing is an essential component in this process.

Understanding how consumers are using Snapchat, and more importantly why they are using Snapchat, will enable brands to make meaningful connections with their customers and deliver messages that make an impact in ten seconds or less.

Tags: SnapChat, SnapChat marketing, social marketing, social marketing trends, Toluna

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Expert: How brands can engage with SnapChat - BizReport