Snapchat can’t compete with Facebook, or Instagram, on total audience, they know that. But where Snapchat can be competitive, according to Snap Inc., is on engagement, providing reach to a dedicated, responsive audience which brands can’t get to via other platforms.
That’s the focus of a new report published by App Annie, which looks at Snapchat’s unique audience by comparing Snapchat’s active user base and the time they also spend in other social apps.
As you can see from this chart, a large proportion of Snapchat’s US audience (aged 25-44) is simply not accessible in other apps.
As per App Annie’s data:
- 40% of Snapchatters do not use Facebook on a given day
- 48% of Snapchatters do not use Instagram on a given day
- 63% of Snapchatters do no use Messenger on a given day
- 81% of Snapchatters do not use Twitter on a given day
- 92% of Snapchatters do not use WeChat on a given day
That gives Snapchat some significant points of variation – Snap Inc. have published the expanded findings of App Annie’s report, looking at use in different regions.
Snap Inc. have actually taken their comparison further, targeting Facebook, and Instagram Stories specifically, in terms of comparative reach.
“By advertising on Snapchat, marketers can expand their footprint and reach an audience they may not be able to reach elsewhere on a daily basis. And a look at respective public Ads Manager tools shows that, over a multi-week campaign, roughly 88 million people in the US can be reached with Snapchat ads — more than the 74 million on Instagram Stories, and almost half of Facebook’s 190 million mobile audience reach. When we narrow the age range down to 13 to 24 year-olds, Snapchat ads can reach roughly 47 million people — about 9 million more than Facebook, and over 15 million more than the Instagram feed.”
It’s an interesting comparison to consider – while most advertisers would be well aware that Snapchat still holds something of a lead among younger audiences, the unique sway of Snapchat’s 178 million user base provides additional incentive for investment, another element to consider when planning out your ad buys.
And with Snapchat recently rolling out an improved, self-serve ads platform, making it easier to create and purchase Snap ads, the accessibility of the option is greater than ever.
As noted, Snapchat can’t compete on total audience, and most headlines would suggest that Instagram Stories is now the superior option to consider, in terms of reach and usage (now up to 300 million daily users). But Snapchat does have its own advantages to consider – it won’t be for all businesses, but it’s worth considering the potential of Snap, and the opportunity it provides to reach specific markets.