Snapchat Explained: The App Gen Z Loves and Brands Are Chasing
Snapchat has successfully adapted to changing social media trends by taking a unique approach that sets it apart from other social media platforms. While most other social media platforms are focused on long-term, static content, Snapchat encourages users to communicate in the moment with brief messages and ephemeral content. This reflects a trend of using Instagram to express oneself through creativity, with users creating custom filters and adding graphics to enhance their Snap stories, while younger users have responded more positively than older users to Snapchat.
What Is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging application where users can send pictures, videos, text messages, and voice memos, while also using the web for more traditional messaging (SMS). Most Snaps will only remain on the sender’s phone until they are “seen”; at that point, they will disappear from both devices. Snapchat is focused on casual, spontaneous, one-to-one communication and ephemeral content rather than on establishing permanent digital copies of each user’s photos, videos, and texts.
This focus has allowed Snapchat to create an atmosphere of less pressure to create “Instagram-worthy” content than other platforms. With the addition of new functions like “Snap Originals” and “Highlights,” as well as the ability to send images using the web, users can now create their own Snap stories and have a platform to share them with friends.
The History of Snapchat: a Brief Overview
Snapchat was founded in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown when they were college students. Founded on a simple premise of allowing people to share pictures that disappear after being viewed, Snapchat has transformed itself from a photo-sharing app to a full-blown social networking application.
As a social networking application, Snapchat incorporated several features as part of its expansion:
- Stories have been adopted by many platforms across the globe.
- The use of filters and lenses.
- The incorporation of augmented reality capabilities (AR).
- The Discover content section and Snap Map feature.
Snapchat is now part of Snap Inc. and has become one of the most popular apps for millions of users, primarily the younger generation (Gen Z).
Why Do Gen Z's Love to Use Snapchat?
There are many reasons why Gen Z’s prefer to use Snapchat compared to other social media apps. Here are just a few of the more popular reasons:
- Less Pressure, More Authenticity
When users send content to their friends using Snapchat, that content only lasts for a limited time before it automatically disappears. For this reason, users do not feel as much pressure to portray themselves as perfect and can be themselves more authentically.
- More Private & Friend-Centered
Snapchat emphasizes one-on-one communication between users and their friends rather than one-to-many communication (like most other social media platforms). As a result, the user experience on Snapchat tends to feel more personal and authentic.
- A Creative Way to Express Oneself
Snapchat allows users the ability to express themselves creatively through playful filters, Bitmoji avatars, and more. Users can display their emotions, moods, and personalities in a playful and lighthearted way.
- Fast and Casual Communication
Snaps are quick to send and view, matching Gen Z’s preference for fast, visual communication over long text messages.
Key Privacy Features of Snapchat
Privacy is an important aspect of Snapchat’s value to its client base.
Self-Deleting Messages
All messages and snaps contain a self-destruct function, removing the risk of long storage life for Snapchat’s data.
Screenshots Notifications
Snapchat provides enhanced transparency by notifying users about any pictures taken of their snaps or contacts in chat.
Personalized Privacy Controls
Snapchat users have customized options regarding the following:
- Who is capable of sending them a snap.
- Who is capable of seeing their “Story.”
- Who is capable of locating them through their map.
Ghost Mode
Ghost Mode is a feature of Snapchat Map that allows users to hide their current location from other people
What Distinguishes Snapchat from Other Social Media Platforms?
Snapchat has many elements that make it different from other platforms:
Snapchat Stories
Stories allow users to post memories from their day and then delete them after 24 hours, giving people access to up-to-date memories daily.
Augmented Reality Filters and Lenses
Snapchat has taken a leadership position in augmented reality technology. Its lenses can alter the way a user’s face looks, add movement to images that would otherwise be static, and even create virtual games for users to play.
Snapchat Map
Snapchat Map allows you to see where your friends are located, provided you give consent to that friend to use it, and allows you to view events occurring in the world around you.
Bitmojis
Users of Snapchat can create their own custom Bitmojis to represent their interests, activities, and personality traits. Depending on how you use your Bitmoji, you’ll have a fun identity in the form of your Bitmoji.
Discover
This part of Snapchat is where you can find a variety of content created by creators, businesses, and publishers. It is a mix of entertainment and socialization.
How people use Snapchat today
Today Snapchat can be used for much more than just sending text messages, including
- Daily communication with friends
- Casual sharing of life experiences
- Finding out about local events
- Reading short-form content
- Creatively expressing themselves through augmented-reality features
In addition to casual users, brands and creators use Snapchat to connect with younger customers and fans in an organic, less intrusive manner.
The Benefits of Snapchat
- Snaps help foster real communication with people and encourage a less formal way of communicating among friends by enabling people to send each other ‘snaps’ in real time, without the pressure of creating a permanent record of the communication or being judged by the public.
- Snapchat allows users to have greater control over their content through disappearing messages, screenshots, and customizable privacy settings. With disappearing messages, users can send pictures to friends that will automatically disappear once viewed. When users capture a screenshot of someone else’s snap, there is an alert to notify the original sender, thus increasing user privacy.
- Snapchat provides several creative and interactive tools that allow users to communicate in fun and imaginative ways, including digital filters, lenses, and a personalized character called Bitmoji. With these tools, Snapchat users can express themselves in ways that are more meaningful, entertaining, and engaging visually compared to the standard text-based features offered by most other messaging applications.
- Snapchat reduces the pressure for social comparison among users because the ephemeral nature of Snapchat content allows people to feel less pressure to compete for “likes” or perfectionism.
- Snapchat’s playful layout combined with its interactive elements makes for a fun and addicting social network for younger people who communicate with Snapchat on a daily basis.
Challenges of Snapchat
- Snapchat is not designed for long-form content. The primary focus of Snapchat is quick, short-burst interactions that do not facilitate detailed content creation, such as posts, blogs, or extended conversations.
- The Snapchat user interface may be daunting to new users who are unfamiliar with the gesture-based navigation process (swipes) and hidden options.
- When content on Snapchat is mostly sent in private, businesses and creators may have a more difficult time connecting with larger audiences on Snapchat than they do on public sites like Facebook or Instagram.
- Content disappears, making archiving difficult: Because snaps and chats vanish automatically, users may lose important content unless it is saved manually.
Is Snapchat Useful for Businesses?
The social media platform Snapchat offers significant potential to connect brands with customers, especially those aged 18-34. Unlike many social media platforms, Snapchat allows businesses to build relationships with customers in an authentic and engaging manner.
How to Best Utilize Snapchat for Your Business
- Building Your Brand Through Snapchat Stories
Businesses can create a story to show what happens on the job, provide updates, showcase product launches and promotions, provide informative content, and offer value via content. By using “Stories” that disappear after 24 hours, brands can create a sense of urgency around content and prompt users to engage quickly.
- Snap Ads & Sponsored Lenses
Snap Ads are like traditional banner ads that can be stored on Snapchat indefinitely or viewed for 5 seconds. These forms of advertising are presented in a visually interesting and less intrusive way to users.
- Connect With Gen Z on Snapchat
Snapchat’s user base is made up of a large percentage of Gen Z users. Businesses in fashion, food, entertainment, education, and technology can effectively connect with this demographic using Snapchat, where they spend most of their online time.
- Promote Local Business Through Location-Based Marketing
Businesses can take advantage of Snapchat’s Snap Map and geo-filters to market to local users about events, businesses, and promotions.
- Show Your Brand’s Authentic Side
Snapchat’s focus is to encourage casual, natural, and real content rather than polished, marketing-style content. This allows brands to demonstrate trustworthiness and relatability and create emotional connections with customers.
Limitations for Businesses
- Not ideal for B2B or older audiences
- Content requires frequent updates
- Performance metrics are less detailed compared to some platforms
Conclusion
Snapchat has differentiated itself in the social media landscape by focusing on providing a safe space for privacy, creativity, and meaningful relationships. The ephemeral nature of the content, along with the heightened security features and exciting AR capabilities, has made it very appealing to Gen Z.
In today’s world of social media, where much of the platform’s activity is centered on how many likes and followers you have, Snapchat’s aim is to promote natural conversations and being in the moment.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is the primary function of the Snapchat app?
As a primary use of Snapchat, you can send disappearing photos, videos, and text messages and create daily short stories to share with friends.
- Why are many Gen Z users drawn to using Snapchat?
Because they perceive Snapchat as having increased levels of privacy, authenticity, and creativity and lower pressure when compared to other forms of social media.
- What makes Snapchat safe to use?
When used responsibly, Snapchat is safe because it has robust privacy protections, automatic message deletion after viewing or a selected time, and a notification system when another user screenshots your snap.
- What is the difference between Snapchat and Instagram?
Snapchat promotes communication between its users through private and temporary messaging, while Instagram is focused on posting your content publicly and permanently.
- Does Snapchat maintain copies of your messages?
No; the vast majority of Snapchat messages and snaps will disappear forever after you view them, or they are automatically deleted after a predetermined amount of time.