Here’s Why Snapchat Is Worth The Investment

With 10 billion daily video views and an entirely new suite of product features, there’s no stopping the power of Snapchat in 2017. The Ghost has undergone a lot of big changes over the last year from re-branding itself as a camera company to offering targeted marketing, mid-roll ads and a big Stories update offering more control for its users. Known for its disappearing messages, users can now save their favorite “memories” from disappearing forever. With its format in a fluid, experimental state, is Snapchat still worth the investment this year? Signs point to a resounding YES.

Reinventing The Selfie

Selfies got a little bit stranger (and a whole lot more fun) with the addition of brand-exclusivity to Snapchat lenses last year, offering brands a unique way to connect with audiences in a way that screams to be shared. Video game brands, in particular, have found Snapchat lenses to be an effective marketing tool.

New Ways To Discover

Once dedicated only to photo sharing, brands took marketing to a whole new level last year with the first 360-degree video ad (Sony: Don’t Breathe) and the first multi-level video game ad (Gatorade: Serena Williams’ Matchpoint). Of course, disappearing messages are perfect for limited-time offers, exclusive deals and teasers for new products. When Toyota says “let’s go places,” that includes music festivals—the car manufacturer was a major presence at 2016 Lollapalooza with an exclusive, pop-up concert accessible only through a Snapchat geo-filter.

“Memories” For A Bright Future

Now that Snapchat creators can import of content from other sources, it is easier to repurpose content created elsewhere. While this may mean Snapchat loses some of its immediacy, this feature allows users to create more professional work that can more effectively hit product messages. The ability to repost existing work back into Stories will also provide a longer shelf life for influencer content.

When it comes time for your brand to get social, don’t forget the Snaps. Despite the hefty price tag of Snapchat’s sponsored filters and other options, these new ad products have earned their reputation as the preferred method for creating memorable moments with millennials. As a result, the value of Snapchat views was adjusted accordingly and value per engagement was added in the latest Ayzenberg fourth quarter EMV report.

What does 2017 have in store for Snapchat? In addition to the introduction of Spectacles in limited quantities through their dispensers, the newly-titled Snap, Inc. will keep rolling out new, disruptive formats for advertising that will help prove to consumers, creators (including those who dabble in influence marketing), marketers and also investors. More news out of Venice, CA is certainly to be expected with Snap’s big initial public stock offering scheduled to be one of the most prominent in early 2017.