First Instagram, now Snapchat, what do I do with my visual content now?
It seems there is always another social media platform popping up and our answer continues to be the same for our clients. Take a serious look at the target audience of each platform and determine where your customers are before you make your decision about where your company should have a presence.
We’ve talked about Instagram, which is a photo and video-sharing platform that allows you to seamlessly create, upload, enhance and share photos on numerous social networks within minutes. Over 90% of Instagram users are under the age of 35, making it a prime platform for entertainment and media brands focused on the 18-34 year-old market. In recent years, Snapchat, another photo sharing platform, has become known for targeting an even younger target market with their primary users spanning from 13 (Snapchat Kidz ) to 29. Given that teens are the largest demographic on Snapchat and they spend between $200 billion – $300 billion in the US (Fox on Stocks), many brands are utilizing this platform to capture this market. Some of the larger brands that have had success on Snapchat include Taco Bell, Karmaloop, and 16 Handles.
So, how do you decide which platform to utilize for your visual content in promoting your brand? Here’s a quick look at some of the differentiating attributes of each platform that warrant consideration:
Snapchat |
|
| Does not allow user to upload photos taken from camera roll outside the app | Does upload photos taken from their camera roll outside the app |
| Has a feature that allows users to add personal drawings or notes to the photos and videos they send | Does not allow drawings or notes to photos and videos |
| Does not have a feature to change lighting or coloring of photos. | Has filters for images and videos allowing users to change the lighting or coloring of photos |
| Users can set a timer for between 1 and 10 seconds for how long they would like their image or video to be viewable to those who view it. Or If Snapchat users wants to share a picture or video publicly with all of their friends, they can add that picture to their Snapchat Story. This means the image or video will be available for an unlimited number of views over a 24-hour period. | Does not have a timer. Images remain on Instagram until they are manually removed by user. |
| Snapchat users can also add a line of text to their images and videos | Users can add a message or comment to the bottom of the image, but cannot write directly on it. Apps, however, permit users to create montages with photos and words and then upload to Instagram, which users often do. |
| .On Snapchat, the new Story feature means that there may be content waiting for you that was not explicitly shared with you as a personal snap. Depending on how active your friends and followers are, one stream may be more active for you than the other. For most people, Instagram (Andrea, not sure this is supposed to say Instagram or Snapshot. If Instagram, then shouldn’t it be in the next column?) will provide a more continuous flow of new content. | On Instagram, there is a continuous feed showing all of the images and videos shared by the users you follow. |
The platform you choose largely depends on who you are trying to reach. You can’t have a strong presence on every platform out there, so when selecting the one that works for you, do your homework and make sure you have a consistent presence. As we’ve mentioned before, having a consistent presence is the most important thing you should do. It’s better to have no account, than a dormant one!
Do you use Snapchat? Share your experiences with us!
