Using Snapchat and Instagram to Market to the Young Consumer

When it comes to digital marketing, most strategies for almost all types of businesses cannot overlook Facebook and Twitter. But the astute marketer also knows that there is no one-size-fits-all theory when it comes to choosing a particular social media network to reach the target audience of various different kinds of businesses. In fact, the media consumption preferences of consumers vary widely amongst people of different age groups.

Digital marketers are especially concerned about the media consumption habits of young consumers kids and teenage boys and girls. These target audiences not only influence the purchase decisions of their respective families, but in most cases make buying decisions themselves.

Moreover, marketers are keen to make a mark on the young psyche and influence them such that they turn into loyal customers. So it is only natural that marketers would be interested to learn about the specific social media channels frequented by this specific group. And it is not Facebook. Neither is it Twitter. The young people of today seem to prefer Snapchat and Instagram as hang out platforms.

The Appeal of Snapchat

Snapchat is the latest social networking channel to have caught the imagination of kids and young adults. In fact, the huge appeal of this social media channel rests on its novelty factor. Snapchat users can share photos and videos with their friends and acquaintances on the network but what they send out is deleted within seconds!

Now some marketers may balk at the mere thought of their carefully-crafted marketing material being obliterated within seconds of the user receiving it. But they can also not disregard the fact that Snapchat already has more than eight million active users with numbers growing by the day.

The out-of-the-box thinkers amongst the digital marketers have, however, figured out how to interact with their audience on Snapchat. For instance, retail marketers are already toying with the idea of using this social media channel to offer sneak peeks of new collections. They believe that this will entice the interest of their target audience and actually get their products talked about. Similarly, video game manufacturers can engage with their gaming audiences on Snapchat by releasing hints periodically.

The Marketing Potential of Instagram

Unlike Snapchat, Instagram has been around for some time but its ability to reach out to young consumers is very recent. Instagram is a photograph-sharing social media site and according to many marketers, it offers a much simpler way to communicate via images than Facebook or Twitter.

Marketers feel this is the sole reason why kids and young adults are now veering towards Instagram in large numbers. Thus, it is time brands realized that they need to rethink their digital marketing strategies. Instagram enables its users to join together based on their passions and interests. Brands should make every effort to reach out to these focused communities with their marketing messages.

Young consumers have the reputation of being fickle individuals who hop from one social networking platform to another with alarming (to marketers, that is) frequency. Yet they are active enough on Snapchat and Instagram to make it worthwhile to engage with this prized and coveted target audience group on these two platforms.