“I don’t get Twitter.”
“Show me the ROI of a post on Facebook or Twitter.”
“Why would anyone want to post something about their lunch in 140 characters or less?”
These are very common statements I hear from fellow marketers. Quite frankly, in the past I have been guilty of thinking the same myself. However, knowing what I see to be the truth each day, my response to these types of statements includes:
“You don’t need to “get” Twitter to understand that 300,000,000 million users is not something to ignore, especially since these users eat.”
“The ROI of a tweet is like measuring the ROI of one celery seed in a 200 acre celery crop.”
“Why anyone would post anything to social media networks is well documented in the study and history of human behavior. We seek to connect and share; social media provides that ability.”
Enter Snapchat.
I completely understand the hesitation and the reluctance to believe a picture or video taken on a smartphone that disappears in 10 seconds is revolutionary. But as Allison previously shared, I also know that 100 million daily active users and 56% YOY growth is not be ignored. And the biggest eye-opener for me? 71% of Snapchat users are under 34 years old.
It doesn’t matter what I personally think is cool, valid or worth my time. As a marketer, it’s my responsibility to understand the likes, interests, habits, etc. of the buying audience I am trying to connect with. It’s also my responsibility to make sure I understand how younger and wiser generations are responding uniquely to the ever-changing digital environment that is our reality.
I’ll admit it. Snapchat wasn’t easy for me to wrap my head around, but since my teenage daughter was actively using it, I needed to understand it. Then I realized more than half of DMA team used this app on a daily basis and about a year ago I asked one of them for a quick tutoring session. I’ve been using it ever since. Why?
- I am learning on a daily basis how the two most powerful buying generations are communicating (together these generations have over $250 billion in purchasing power, directly and indirectly).
- I am connecting with a group of people I care about on their terms – not mine, therefore earning trust.
- I enjoy the authentic nature of Snapchat. It’s less “doctored/filtered” than what I see on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For instance, if you want to see some “chin shots” of me, then follow me on Snapchat. J
- I am laughing and feeling special each day due to the personal nature of the platform.
- I am also learning a lot on the Discover page from iconic brands and various news outlets (that can afford to be there).
I am not urging you use Snapchat, I am simply suggesting that you not write it off as just the latest social media trend.
With the barriers most brands face at this time, Snapchat is really a tool for studying human behavior. This is a requirement for effective marketing, in my opinion.
The field is crowded in social media; very few social platforms will be able to enter society and have a huge impact. Snapchat will be the Facebook of this decade.
