Snapchat, the messaging app that has won over youth audiences but confounded adults, is going mainstream. Among U.S. adult smartphone users over 35, 14% are now using the app, according to a Wall Street Journal article; the numbers jump to nearly 38% for those 25-34. The numbers will continue to climb.
The grown-up adoption of Snapchat signals that it could scale as big as Facebook, especially since teens aren't abandoning it just because their parents are using it. The one-to-one messaging at the heart of Snapchat is still private and messages still vanish. But Snapchat has been taking steps to appeal to a bigger audience, most recently with the introduction of Memories, which lets you save Snaps and Stories, all of which used to disappear once you had viewed them, then share them again.
On his Online Journalism blog, Paul Bradshaw explains what Snapchat Memories means: “Now for the first time Snapchat users can create non-chronological sequences and stories using images or video that they have not taken themselves.”
These changes are clearly designed to attract more users, and they will most likely succeed. Since Snapchat is now one of the places customers are, brands are naturally starting to get on board. Most companies, though, still haven't figured out what they can do with Snapchat, while analysts are advising caution. In a white paper, SHIFT Communications' Christopher S. Penn suggests it's too early since Snapchat doesn't provide robust analytics, making measurement nearly impossible. Others balk at the cost of paid advertising, which get close to $1 million.
There is, however, a way to use Snapchat effectively despite these drawbacks. Many of your employees are undoubtedly Snapchat users. There is no good reason not to add Snapchat as a channel for your employee advocacy efforts.
Just as employee ambassadors currently share their work-related thoughts and brand content through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, they can now share with their Snapchat connections. They can add their advocacy Snaps through Snapchat Stories. They can assemble content through Memories. Both potentially reach all of their Snapchat connections.
Of course, Snapchat is not a tool for simply sharing the same content employee ambassadors post to Facebook and Twitter. You can't simply share a URL that links friends to company content or add a YouTube video. Snapchat is a different beast altogether. Take the time to learn how it works, then provide training and other resources to your -- For more information read the original article here.