Earlier this year, we discussed Snap Chat for business. The general consensus was, and still is, that unless you are marketing almost exclusively to people between the ages of 16 and 25, who are mostly female, you are missing your market with Snapchat. This marketing philosophy still rings true. The average Snapchat user is a female teenager between the ages of 16 and 25. Companies that market exclusively or largely to that demographic have the perfect audience in Snapchat users. However, most businesses either have a wider range of clients or market to adults and business owners. These companies need to continue using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media tools. However, because the idea of stories has been a big hit for all customer bases, Instagram and Facebook listened and found yet another method to emulate the features of Snapchat for their broader audience base.
People Like Stories
One of the reasons people like Snapchat and its concept is the use of stories. In the world of Snapchat, stories allow users to take photos and use multimedia additions to share with all of their friends for a full 24 hours. Rather than getting lost in a news feed, the stories appear and are visible for 24 hours to watch as you wish when you wish. Instagram and Facebook saw how this would be beneficial to their members, especially their business member community. The answer was a launch of a series of app functions, such as Instagramโs own version of Stories, which provide the same functionality as Snapchat, but reaches the larger, more diverse, Instagram community of women ages 20 to 45, better known as the household decision makers. Facebook, on the other hand, created their version of Messenger, WhatsApp, and Facebook proper. They are now offering Facebook Direct options which, of course, is another way to offer your Story. These allow people to communicate directly to their chosen audience within Facebook, without the worry of getting lost in a news feed. They may not be as goofy as Stories, but they accomplish a more targeted campaign strategy without paying for advertising.
The Filters
Another similarity between Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is the addition of filters. Snapchat started with the idea of filters for your photos and videos and stories. Facebook, and more importantly, Instagram, found that to be something that not only individuals wanted to use, but businesses found engaging. Therefore, they now offer filters for your photos, again targeting a wider audience with the features started within Snapchat. The benefit is allowing business owners and businesses to show a more creative, fun-loving side with their social media advertising, appealing to both an older and younger generation simultaneously.
Social media is a wonderful resource to allow you a free, or very inexpensive, advertising platform. The trick is determining the best platform or platforms for your business and customer market and using it to its fullest potential. If you are ready to begin your social media advertising journey, contact the experts at Skol Marketing at (612) 787-7565.
