July 2, 2015: Snapchat announced on Wednesday that new, user-friendly features were being rolled out in its latest update. Have no fears, Millennials; this doesn’t necessarily mean your parents will ruin this app just yet. It does, however, hint at a broadening of demographics and future possibilities for this rapidly growing network.
We’ve covered the popularity of the “private network.” Direct messaging – along with native ads –continues to thrive among the younger generation. But it isn’t clear that this generation will play nicely with all-encompassing social media, preferring, instead more direct connections with each other. What is clear, however, is that these networks need to provide brands with connections to their audiences. Snapchat is one of the apps that is testing ways to make everyone happy by providing marketers with ways to conduct less invasive ad campaigns to reach such audiences.
What are the new features?
- Updated Snapcodes: A “snapcode” is Snapchat’s clever QR code tool allowing users to add friends by simply using their in-app camera to snap a photo of the codes. Users can take advantage of new features within this tool, including personalization (you can add a selfie to your code!) or by screencapping a QR code from another app/website (i.e. after the new update, you no longer need to be physically with the person to add their code). This feature will be cool for celebrities and brands looking to grow their audience.
- “Add Nearby:” This feature — sure to be a hit at parties – lets you add users that are nearby (as long as they have the “add nearby” feature open as well). No more typing in screen names and searching! This feature also eliminates the need to have a person saved as a contact in order to add them as a friend.
- Tap to View: This update gets rid of the infamous “hold to view,” replacing it with a simple tap. It did get annoying to hold your finger down for those 100-second snaps! Some users, however, will likely ave to get used to the change. Tap to View might seem like a silly update to some, but it could hint that longer-form content may be coming to the app.
Whether or not you’re on Snapchat, you have to admit that it’s growing and has a lot of potential for marketers. If your user base is open to it, Snapchat could be a creative way to deliver content to your loyal customers that decide to “opt-in” by following you or taking other positive actions.