Snapchat – or Snap Inc, as it’s now called – is gathering pace in the social media arena. It’s estimated that 150 million people use the app worldwide, over 60% of which are under the age of 25.
That’s a powerful statistic when you consider how many platforms compete for young consumers’ attention, so it’s no wonder brands are waking up to the value of Snapchat for influencer marketing.
But why is it that users are so much more responsive to influencers here than elsewhere?
Let us explore its attraction for young male audiences:
Instant
The next generation of social media users have been brought up from birth with the world at their fingertips. It’s only natural that they expect instant updates from their peers and brands, shared with them in real-time as they happen.
And, because the images or videos disappear, there’s an irresistible feel of exclusivity to the whole concept. For brands and influencers, this is incredibly powerful; users engage with snaps because they want to be in the know – the fear of missing out drives interaction.
Relevant
Birds of a feather flock together. Fresh, forward-thinking brands know exactly where their customers are hanging out, reinforcing the appeal of Snapchat to young male audiences as names like Ladbible and Adidas dominate the platform.
Whether that’s getting behind-the-scenes footage at a festival or football match, or funny snaps from influencers about their day-to-day lives, users receive relevant updates in real-time.
They can do this in two ways: by following the brands and influencers they care about, or browsing the featured, live and sports Stories compiled by Snapchat itself. This smooth functionality cannot be underestimated as a key driver of engagement on the platform.
Authentic
Few teenagers and young professionals have the time or inclination to craft perfectly composed Instagram shots, yet this is the pressure that many face when posting updates on the platform. In a similar vein, they may be wary of how authentic posts by their peers are, which may have been heavily filtered before reaching their eyes.
This is what’s so compelling about Snapchat; male influencers like Stuggy have built their audiences on the premise of authenticity. For this reason, our recent influencer campaign with Stuggy to promote messaging app Yubl received 120,000 views, resulting in an impressive 4,000 app downloads. These statistics are a clear indicator of how effective Snapchat is for targeting young male audiences and driving conversion.
Of course, as the underdog on the social media scene, Snapchat still has a little way to go before it reaches the levels of sophistication seen on Facebook and Instagram. However, therein lies its attraction – an unfiltered, relevant and real-time view of the topics that males under 25 care about.
And that’s exactly why our influencer marketing agency thinks it plays a pivotal role for interacting with our clients’ target markets.