The latest social media fad that utilizes user-generated
content is Snapchat. According to the Snapchat website, “Snapchat is a new way
to share moments with friends. Snap an ugly selfie or a video, add a caption,
and send it to a friend (or maybe a few). They’ll receive it, laugh, and then
the snap disappears. The image might be a little grainy, and you may not look
your best, but that’s the point. It’s about the moment, a connection between
friends, and not just a pretty picture.”
I will admit that I have yet to jump into the Snapchat
frenzy, but I have seen how popular it is. I can’t go through a Friday night
without having to have my picture taken by one of my friends or roommates for a
Snapchat sent to somebody else. While this may seem like a silly app right now,
with it’s growing popularity it is hard to imagine that businesses won’t try to
cash in on this fad as well. Here are a couple ideas I have with how businesses
may try to cash in on the new app:
- Limited-Time Offers: Companies often like to promote their products and services through offers for a limited time, so why not advertise through a medium that has a limited time as well? Advertisements through snapchat would be a new and innovative way for consumers to learn about deals, and may create a sense of urgency for them to cash in on the deals.
- Promotional Give-Aways: Many companies give away coupons in order to promote their brand, products, or services. Businesses may begin to use Snapchat as a means to give away coupons. They may tell their consumers to Snapchat a picture of themselves using their product, or something of that nature, and then they will send a coupon to those who do it.
- Guerilla Marketing: Wikipedia defines guerilla marketing as an advertising strategy in which low-cost unconventional mean are utilized to promote a product or idea. Snapchat can be an outlet for companies to send out creative, and even weird advertisements in such a way that will get consumers talking about your product, as they will have to since they can't look at it whenever they want.
You raise some interesting options for businesses. The question is if Snapchat will become a fad. At some point the developers need to think about how to monetize the App. Having businesses sending self-destructing images to users is an interesting idea indeed. You have to get users to opt-in first. Since the picture self-destructs within seconds the real question is what content to post. Coupons would not be possible since by the time the person gets to the business the photos is deleted. I could imagine certain type of announcements leading to offers on the Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of linking announcements to other sites such as Facebook. By directing them to an existing platform they would not only be generating buzz by using Snapchat, but also increasing traffic to another platform that would help them increase their brand awareness. Thanks for your thoughts!
DeleteHow long do you see Snapchat being a popular creative tool for the public? Vine is the newest app that everyone is talking about and is very similar to what Snapchat does. Will Snapchat become old and "not cool" or will their users stay loyal?
ReplyDeleteI honestly would say it's pretty hard to say at this point. If I was to give an honest guess I would say it might be a bit of a fad, and if businesses want to cash in on it they should sooner rather then later. The reason I say this is even though Snapchat is technically seen as a social networking tool, I almost would consider it more of a game. It is a fun thing to do between friends, but there is no real lasting connection for it, as in Facebook where you can use it to keep tabs on friends who you haven't seen for a long time. This leads me to belie that it might not last. What do you think?
DeleteAs an avid user of Snapchat I really think this idea can catch on. Also, the buzz of Snapchat is still pretty fresh and I could see it being popular. Just recently I had an experience where I found out Taco Bell had Snapchat. I soon thereafter starting snapping away. Several hours after I had sent them a picture I got one back with a picture of their Beefy Crunch Burrito which is being re-released May 22. It was a fun way to get the word out about the comeback of one of their top selling trials and I think more business could adapt this method.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I definitely see with the rising popularity that businesses will begin to utilize it. As Brenden asked above I think it becomes important to consider how long will Snapchat remain popular. Luckily for businesses Snapchat is a very cheap (Free!) way for them to advertise, so there is no risk in utilizing it, even if it decreases in popularity.
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