Snapchat, is it still relevant?

Since its release in 2011, Snapchat quickly grew to be one of leading social media platforms in the twenty-tens. On the flip side, although Snapchat has been one of the key social apps of the decade, there has been a decline in platform’s active users in recent years. As of January 2020, Snapchat is noted to have 360 million active users, making it the 12^th most used social media platform. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube remain at the top, with TikTok quickly moving up the social ranks.

We’re diving into the realms of Snapchat to find out what we know about the platform and whether other apps might take the social media crown in 2020.

Snapchat’s User Demographic

Snapchat is no longer dominated by Millennials, but instead Gen Zs. 90% of Snapchat users are teens and young adults between 13 and 24, and Snapchat reaches a whopping 75% of all 13-34 year olds in the US. On average, users spend 30 minutes a day using Snapchat. *source.

Snapchat Functionality:

Let’s break down the core features and functions of Snapchat, how relevant they are in 2020 and how they compare with other social media platforms.

Snapchat Filters

Snapchat introduced “filters” in 2015, which at the time gave the app the winning edge in the social media stakes. Snapchat filters allow users to add objects or themes to “selfies”, such as adding dog faces, rainbow vomits or bunny ears. Fast forward to 2018, and Instagram introduced many of the filters you will find on Snapchat. Snapchat may still have the leading edge in filter functionality however, as the platform’s “browse” section makes filters on Snapchat much easier to find, and there are more filters available on the platform. That said, Instagram’s interactive question feature in Stories is a bit of a hit, which is a functionality not available in Snapchat.

What about Snapstreaks? 

Snapstreaks are a little outdated now and some might consider them annoying. A Snapsteak is given to you when you “Snap” with your friend regularly. You lose your “Streak” when you have not “Snapped” within a 24-hour window. Personally, I do take notice of my “Steaks” as I use them to make sure I stay in contact with my friends. But honestly, if I wasn’t paying attention to my “Streaks”, I probably wouldn’t log into Snapchat, which is perhaps proof that Snapchat’s Sneapsteaks feature works to keep users on the platform.

Marketing on Snapchat

Snapchat users tend not to use the platform to discover new products or services. This is a much more common practice on Instagram and Facebook, with the two platforms built to accommodate marketing campaigns. It is possible to create and manage ads on Snapchat, which appear between stories, however influencer marketing might be a better exercise for business marketing on the platform. Even so, it is uncommon for users to look at the “Discover” page to look for news stories, or random Snapchat series. Most users will be using Snapchat to communicate with their friends.

Stories

Instagram adopted “Stories” in 2016. This feature allows users to upload fleeting vertical content that disappears after 24 hours. This is akin to Snapchat’s model. Stories have been embraced by Instagram users because creating such content is easy to do. A recent study conducted by Mediakix revealed that influencers are using Snapchat 33% less and posting 25% more on Instagram Stories.  

Having said that, it is easier to find Stories by friends on Snapchat than it is on Instagram due to the volume of content posted by brands, businesses and influencers using the platform.

Messaging on Snapchat

Preferred messaging platforms largely depend on age groups. While social media users over 30 may prefer to use Facebook messenger, teens will generally opt for Snapchat as their chosen method to talk to friends.  As a teen myself, while I am not a huge fan of Snapchat in general, I will agree that I use Snapchat to chat to friends in my age group. The chat function in Snapchat is easier and more comfortable for me to use, and I’m completely used to sending a photo of my face (or bed/window/ceiling) with the message. I personally prefer the messaging functionality of Snapchat than any other social media app.

Snapchat Maps

Snapchat maps is one of the only features that is exclusive to the platform. Although there is a little controversy over the privacy of the function, with the idea that complete strangers may know your exact location, it’s easy to see why this is a concern. This feature would be beneficial for brands or businesses using Snapchat but should perhaps be avoided otherwise.

So… Is Snapchat here to stay?

Although Snapchat users have been declining, the app is unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon. Snapchat’s relevance in today’s world largely depends on a user’s age and preference, but it is apparent that a significant number of teens today still use the app, and use it frequently. We are seeing a rise in other fun video platforms such as TikTok and chatting platforms such as Discord and WhatsApp are widely used, but many users, not just in the younger demographic age bracket, favour Snapchat’s features over others.

What are your thoughts about Snapchat? Is the app here to stay or will we say cheerio to Snaps in the years to come? Join in the conversation and let us know below…

Edited by: Erica Louise