What is Snapchat, and why should you use it for your business?

What is Snapchat, and could the platform be interesting for companies? In the following guide, we take a closer look at the messaging app and its potential for companies.

Snapchat is especially known for its " self-destructing" messages feature, which allows users to share images and videos with friends and have them automatically disappear after viewing. This particular feature gives the app a dynamic and more spontaneous feel, emphasizing the sharing of moments in real time and encouraging authentic communication.

Discover how Snapchat could also benefit your company!

What is Snapchat? The most important facts in a nutshell

• Claim: One of the most popular mobile apps in the world with unique features.
• Number of users worldwide: 750 million active users per month (as of 2023).
• Target audience: Predominantly Gen Z, but also increasingly older users.
• Special feature: Sent images and videos can be viewed a maximum of two times — after that, the sent file deletes itself.
• Advantages: 
  • Safe, especially due to the limited function of viewing images or videos and thus limiting unwanted distribution.
  • New target groups for companies that cannot be reached on other messenger apps.
• Disadvantages: Media content is not easy to save long term if missed or already viewed.

The development of Snapchat

The messenger app was launched in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown. The idea was first hatched during their studies at Stanford University in California. A groundbreaking feature back then was — and still is today — the self-destructing messages. Because this feature encourages a more spontaneous and candid form of communication, the platform became increasingly popular among young people.

Snapchat also introduced the Stories function in 2013, which allows users to share a collection of images and videos that'll then disappear after 24 hours.

Since then, Snapchat has developed from a purely chat-based app into a comprehensive media platform on which private users, but also businesses, can present content. And figures show that Snapchat has long since become more than just a place for teenagers and young people to hang out.

The platform has increased its user base by 10% year-on-year comparison over the course of 16 consecutive quarters! Currently, Snapchat has more users than Pinterest or X (formerly Twitter).

And the target group is getting older, too! While in 2015, only about 40% of Snapchat users were over 24 years old, this number has increased to roughly 60%. This makes Snapchat more interesting as a social media site for companies, too.

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These are the core features on Snapchat

Snapchat not only has the function of self-deleting messages, but also many others, such as uploading temporary stories, filters or the "Discovery" feed. In the following, we'll present these features in more detail and the benefits they offer businesses.

Snaps and stories

With the snap function, authentic moments can be shared immediately. Snaps are images or short videos that delete themselves after being viewed twice. This temporary effect gives the snaps a sense of urgency that attracts the attention of many customers. This function is also ideal for marketing to present exclusive offers, new products or the corporate culture.

Stories make it possible to share coherent narratives over a 24-hour time frame. This makes it easy to present longer content, announcements, or campaigns. If you include suitable images and short videos, you can gain the attention of many users.

Chat features  

Of course, there's a chat feature that can be used to send direct text messages to chat with each other. These can be saved with one click, otherwise they usually disappear after 24 hours. There are also options for voice and video calls. Snapchat also has group chats. Meaning: you can create groups, just like on WhatsApp or Telegram. These can be specific customer groups or target groups for companies, for example. It's also easy to reply to stories, so customers can easily ask questions or give feedback.

Filters and lenses

The filters and lenses function is one of Snapchat's most well-known features. They're essentially creative tools that allow users to add different effects to their images and videos. Not only does this feature have an entertaining and social side, but it also offers companies the opportunity to interact with their target group, for example by integrating individual filters themselves.

There are also augmented reality effects that bring elements to life. This special function is also exciting for companies, for example to have products tested virtually or to set up engaging campaigns.

Discovery feed

The discovery feature, also known as the "Discovery" feed, is a dedicated space within the app that allows media companies, influencers, and brands to showcase curated content in the form of articles, and videos. This section offers users a wide range of information and content, which can also greatly benefit your company in increasing brand awareness.

You can use this feed for storytelling and content marketing, or to publicize events and special offers. Influencers are also active on Snapchat and can be a useful way to market and promote your product due to their high reach in partnerships.

The users of Snapchat 

Snapchat users are mainly in the younger age bracket — more than half of users are teenagers and young adults, according to statistics from Smart Home Fox in 2021 / 2022.

Snapchat's user numbers have risen steadily since its launch: Daily active users worldwide in 2023 amounted to 406 million. This might not sound like much compared to WhatsApp's two billion users, but the number of Snapchat users has more than doubled in the past three years. 

This shows the high level of interest in the platform. If you also consider that a majority of Snapchat users aren't on Facebook, Snapchat offers companies a good opportunity to build customer loyalty with new target groups from a different demographic.

It's also worth considering that in some countries, like India, that have seen a TikTok ban, Snapchat has started to attract these users. In fact, Snapchat users outside Europe and the US now make up more than half of Snapchat's daily active users. 

Early movers will also benefit from more attention for their business because there's still little to no competition (only 4% of Snapchat users are businesses). And even if the target audience is younger, this offers companies the unique opportunity to establish lasting brand loyalty at an early stage and establish a connection with the shopping generation of tomorrow today.

What is Snapchat for companies?  

Snapchat offers many different opportunities for companies thanks to its wide range of functionalities, particularly for marketing and brand awareness. Besides publishing images and videos, the variety of creative features enables a completely new experience. The filters and lenses, particularly those with augmented reality, are popular among users due to their exclusivity. Companies can use this to create special moments.

Create a company profile on Snapchat

If you want to use Snapchat for your company, the most important step is to create a company profile. To do this, the first thing you need to do is create a Snapchat account in the app. Snapchat offers companies the opportunity to register directly on the business page. Once you've done that, you can get started! It makes sense to fill out the profile with a profile picture (such as your company logo) and background image, as well as contact information, before you really get the ball rolling.

The right content strategy  

As content is king on Snapchat, a good content strategy is particularly relevant for your company..

First off, you should gather information about your target group and identify exactly who you want to address and tailor your content to their interests and behaviors.

You should also emphasize your authenticity by uploading spontaneous and realistic content. Unlike on Instagram, overly staged and too professional looking images or videos are often off-putting to Snapchat users and don't suit this impromptu platform.

Interactive elements are also a good way to make your profile seem more appealing. You can develop a bond with your audience through polls or games — and call-to-action elements in your snaps encourage interaction. These are just a few of the many different ways you can expand your content strategy.

By partnering with Snapchat, you can also use the platform's Discover feature to introduce your brand to a broad audience. The advantage of this is that you can be discovered by a higher number of users.

Obviously, Snapchat Ads are also a good choice because Snapchat enables lots of different special and interactive ad formats, such as sponsored lenses and geofilters.

What are sponsored lenses and geofilters?

Sponsored Lenses are interactive 3D objects or effects that Snapchat users can add to their pictures or videos by using their front camera. You can use this to promote your brand or to kick start a viral marketing campaign by, for example, including brand elements.

Geofilters are relatively similar, only that they're overlay graphics or illustrations that users can add to their snaps when they're in a specific geographic location. Your company can create geofilters for specific locations, events, stores, and much more. What makes them so special is that they're limited in time and space, which makes them suitable for events or on-site marketing campaigns.

For example: You can configure geofilters for an in-store event during festive season, so that users can only use geofilters provided by you for their snaps while in your store. This shows other users where they are and, because of this, it's a pretty fun and interactive event marketing feature. You can also freely customize the filters and even add branded elements.

Influencer marketing on Snapchat

Unlike other messenger apps such as Telegram or WhatsApp, Snapchat also has many elements of a social media platform, so there are also many influencers and content creators. You can use this as an efficient strategy to improve your brand awareness. However, this requires a lot of planning and a few steps to achieve the best possible results.

First, you should identify relevant influencers. To do this, you should always ask yourself who fits your target demographic and your brand, and whether their Snapchat presence is both authentic and appealing. Building a relationship is important for collaboration as well as defining clear goals for your influencer campaign.

Are you looking to increase your brand awareness, drive more traffic to your website, or promote the sale of a specific product? This is relevant information that you should share with influencers. Encourage influencers to use sponsored snaps or brand takeovers, or to offer exclusive deals or contests for followers. You should also give influencers some creative license.

Track the performance of the influencer campaign using Snapchat analytics tools and other analytics to evaluate whether further collaboration makes sense. Well-known analytics tools are Snaplytics and Delmondo for larger companies or Mish Guru, which can be of great help when it comes to content.

Sell through ads

It's also possible to encourage users to sell through Shopify integration. For example, you can connect a product catalog and also engage in social commerce. 

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What limitations does Snapchat have for companies?

Snapchat lends itself very well to being used as a marketing platform due to its many capabilities. However, as a company in particular, you should also consider the following aspects in advance:

• Snapchat only has limited analytics options: Compared to other platforms, the data available might not be as detailed, making it more difficult to pinpoint the success of marketing campaigns.
• Rapid evolution of trends: Snapchat rolls out frequent updates to the platform, so businesses need to constantly adapt to keep up with the latest trends and features.
• Limited organic reach: The platform uses an algorithm to display content — so if the target demographic doesn't regularly interact with the business, it results in limited organic reach.
• Not a sales platform: When it comes to conversational commerce, Snapchat offers you fewer options than other messenger apps. You can only direct users into the sales funnel by using ads.

What is Snapchat and its potential for businesses?

Snapchat is a diverse and popular social media platform with a growing number of users and a young and engaged audience. What makes Snapchat special are the many different features and possibilities to present your brand and build up reach. Even if Snapchat can't keep up with the user numbers of Instagram or TikTok, the instant messenger offers an enthusiastic target audience and a high level of attention for your company.

Snapchat is characterized in particular by being "spontaneous" and genuine. People who circulate on this platform live for the creative spirit and the idea behind it of sending pictures and videos of themselves or their everyday life at any time and as candidly as possible. The Lenses and geofilter functions only spice up the already exciting lifestyle on Snapchat. For young people, this messaging app is a glimpse into the future. Companies that engage with it will also better understand the expectations of future consumers in the digital space.

However, there are also limitations, such as the constantly shifting and evolving trends. The self-deletion of snaps can also be a disadvantage. If it's important to you that users have long-term access to this information, a platform like Instagram is more favorable.

The bottom line is that Snapchat is a particularly appealing messaging platform for marketing and brand awareness and can be a good extension of marketing strategy for companies, for instance in combination with other messaging apps.

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