Here we go again.
Earlier this week, I was catching up on some reading, and saw that Snapchat just expanded their advertising. (If you want to learn more about that, click here.) I do not currently use Snapchat, and really don't have much interest in it from a personal level — but as a marketer, I feel compelled to learn more about it, especially when I look at the overlapping demographics between Snapchat users and apartment dwellers.
This morning I realized that a while back, I had a very similar opinion about Facebook, and Twitter. I initially signed up for both of those networks thinking a) I don't really know that I will ever use these platforms personally, and b) I have no idea whether these will be applicable to my professional life. Same goes for Pinterest, and Instagram. And lo and behold, today, I use all of those channels personally AND professionally. Facebook, in particular, is a massive part of our marketing mix — nearly all of our properties have Facebook pages, and we also run a significant number of micro-targeted campaigns to help drive traffic.
When I think about Snapchat, I can't help but wonder whether this is another case of deja vu all over again: even though I don't understand the appeal of the platform yet, that doesn't really matter. Companies and brands are doing some really interesting things with custom geofilters, and more importantly — connecting with their customers in a way that is timely and relevant.
The blessing (or the curse, depending on your mindset!) of being a marketer is that you are constantly required to adapt. That takes an enormous amount of time, energy, and testing, to make sure that your efforts are actually having the impact you desire. So, even though I am not sure that I will ever be a mass publisher of Stories on Snapchat, I have officially signed up. If you're on Snapchat, find me at @sarasgraham: over the next few months, I am going to attempt to get my feet wet, and welcome any and all tips.
This morning I realized that a while back, I had a very similar opinion about Facebook, and Twitter. I initially signed up for both of those networks thinking a) I don't really know that I will ever use these platforms personally, and b) I have no idea whether these will be applicable to my professional life. Same goes for Pinterest, and Instagram. And lo and behold, today, I use all of those channels personally AND professionally. Facebook, in particular, is a massive part of our marketing mix — nearly all of our properties have Facebook pages, and we also run a significant number of micro-targeted campaigns to help drive traffic.
When I think about Snapchat, I can't help but wonder whether this is another case of deja vu all over again: even though I don't understand the appeal of the platform yet, that doesn't really matter. Companies and brands are doing some really interesting things with custom geofilters, and more importantly — connecting with their customers in a way that is timely and relevant.
The blessing (or the curse, depending on your mindset!) of being a marketer is that you are constantly required to adapt. That takes an enormous amount of time, energy, and testing, to make sure that your efforts are actually having the impact you desire. So, even though I am not sure that I will ever be a mass publisher of Stories on Snapchat, I have officially signed up. If you're on Snapchat, find me at @sarasgraham: over the next few months, I am going to attempt to get my feet wet, and welcome any and all tips.
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