Snapchat’s on a roll lately. Earlier this month, the massively popular photo-sharing app released a new feature called Memories. Previously, users were able to save Snapchat photos to their phones, but were unable to reopen or view them again within the app. Memories allows users to re-open previous snaps or other non-Snapchat photos in the app, re-edit them, and then re-share them (to individuals or to their story). A white frame appears around photos that are being re-shared with the Memories feature to let other users know it’s a photo from the past.
Currently valued as an $18 billion social media platform, the addition of Memories means a few key things for marketers:
Snapchat is positioning itself as a top social networking platform. It’s become necessary for almost all businesses, small and large, to be present on Facebook at the least, followed by Twitter and Instagram. Most companies don’t have their own Snapchat channel, but the addition of features like Memories may change that. As Snapchat continues to grow and compete with social media frontrunners, more and more businesses will find the need to be active Snapchatters.
Memories could allow outside agencies to manage Snapchat accounts. Snapchat comes up a lot in social media strategy meetings at Transformation. Though we think Snapchat can be a good way to reach certain audiences, it would be nearly impossible for us, as an external agency, to manage a client’s Snapchat account. Snapchat features visual content in real time, and because our team isn’t usually present in our clients’ offices/workspaces, there would be no way for us to capture photos and videos that are relevant to the company. Because Memories functions as an archive, marketers are now able to collect content and post it whenever they choose, not just when it’s actually happening.
There are issues with this concept, however. Because snapchats that are sent via Memories have a white border around them, users would know that most, if not all, content is from an earlier date and is being re-posted. This removes a certain amount of authenticity from the photos, which is what makes Snapchat so dynamic in the first place.
Content designed outside the app can be shared. Brands are able to share content formulated outside the app via Snapchat. Things like print work, commercials, etc. can be sent to individual users or to My Story, instead of just photos taken from whatever mobile device being used to access the app. In this way, Snapchat can function like a paid media channel, but without users actually having to pay for it.
As for Transformation, we’re still doing our research and figuring out if and how Snapchat can be worked into the social media packages we offer our clients. Bear in mind that, like certain other platforms, a Snapchat presence doesn’t make sense for everyone. Considering Snapchat for your business? Let the experts at Transformation give you a professional opinion and help you utilize Snapchat in the smartest way for your brand!