When we talk about talking selfies and stories on our socials, which side are you on? Instagram, Facebook or… Snapchat? When Facebook attempted to buy Snapchat recently, they were rejected despite a whopping bid of $3 billion. In response, Facebook leveraged on their acquisition of Instagram to compete against Snapchat, by launching Instagram stories or what’s widely known at Instastories.
Talk about life’s regrets.
With the purchase, Instagram’s platform soared in terms of the number of users and ads, while Snapchat struggled to keep up. Facebook also launched Facebook Stories to add options for the avid social media users. From there, Snapchat started to look more and more like an Instagram copy instead of the other way around, as they struggled to innovate to pull ahead of its ‘successor’.
Until now.
Snapchat recently launched a gaming platform, similar to WeChat, in an attempt to improve user engagement and move ahead of their rival. They released a series of Snapchat filter games and Augmented Reality (AR) games that users can play on the platform.
Most notably, the AR Tennis game against Serena Williams is a clear sign that Snapchat’s advanced AR technology is going to become their selling point.
Y’all seeing this? Get your chance to battle @serenawilliams – you wont win 😂 but try your best and share your high score. pic.twitter.com/sXuxtImgJI
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) July 2, 2018
Credit: Alexis Ohanian Sr.
Snapchat games provide an additional tool for businesses to adapt. (YAY!) That is always welcomed for creative people (*wink wink*) to adapt for marketing.
Does Snapchat still matter?
Well, it really depends.
Snapchat numbers have risen steadily over the past year, with more and more youths adopting the platform. We’ve to admit, they’ve got really nice filters. Heh. This means any strategy or business targeting youths have to take Snapchat into serious consideration.
Incorporating gaming has given other platforms (aka Facebook) a boost before and it should do the same for Snapchat.
What can businesses do with this information?
Consider playing around with Snapchat’s functions and ads viewing if you are unfamiliar with the platform. Businesses can also start looking into adapting filters and AR games to help their own cause.
Do keep the demographics of Snapchat in mind while developing and utilising them and tie in to your branding. It will be a waste of marketing dollars otherwise.
If you want to utilise them, and you are having trouble with incorporating into your brand, consult an agency to help you.
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It’s always nice to see your digital marketing efforts get viral on social media and reach a wide audience in a very short period of time. However, chasing viral marketing may lead to your downfall in this digital age.
Virality is often dictated by the STEPPS factor – Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. Due to the widespread content, the things that trend these days can range from heartfelt stories to a simple photo of an egg.
Yes, a stock image of an egg went viral on Instagram and beat Kylie Jenner’s record for the number of likes. If this piece of news does not dissuade you from pursuing virality mindlessly, here are 3 more reasons to do so:
The digital marketing industry has seen massive changes over recent years and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rising factor. Because of the expansion of AI, we are able to study and identify consumer trends when crafting marketing strategies. This is vital, as an effective partnership between AI and digital marketing results in a boost for performance and revenue.
In line with the AI rave, Facebook has acquired the genius startup, GrokStyle. Yes, the social media goliath has acquired the entire team behind the savvy invention. By emerging with a one-of-a-kind invention, Grokstyle has helped multinational corporations communicate with its consumers effectively. Their point-and-search functionality earned recognition when it was added to Ikea’s mobile application, Place.
Beyond enhancing its AI inventions, the social media platform is on a roll to get new technology to contribute to their AI capabilities. Brands and companies can continually adopt new technology to always be ahead in engaging its audience while exploring and tapping into new territories for digital marketing in the near future.
To fully maximise the use of existing social media features, speak to professionals who can craft a thorough strategy just for you.
So how should I utilise AI in my marketing strategies?
AI has evolved to be beneficial to many industries, as seen by Facebook expanding on AI’s creative abilities to enhance their consumers’ experience. How about you?