Snapchat adds Brand Profiles to its platform
Snapchat is looking to expand its business appeal by offering brands new ways to connect with users in-app.
The social media platform is adding Brand Profiles to its repertoire, with the intention of giving brands a more established presence on the site. As explained by the company, though brands have previously only appeared in click-through adverts or on the Discover page, the new profiles ‘offer a permanent home for brands on Snapchat.’
Brands will be able to post on their story and create a Highlights reel, providing a way to exhibit their best photos and videos directly on their profile and thus contributing to their online image. There will also be the opportunity to save and showcase any Branded AR Lenses they may have created, thereby maximising the promotional value of AR experiences. A final possibility for Brand Profiles will be an optional Store experience, which will enable users to browse and purchase items directly from the app.
The platform is looking to appeal to brands by marketing themselves as a site through which to engage with younger users. ‘With 229 million Snapchatters using the app daily, this real estate for our partners is especially important in a world where our millennial and Gen Z audiences can be hard to reach and build deep, authentic relationships with on many platforms,’ a representative of the company remarked. This has something which the app has perhaps already proven through its addition of Creator Profiles, launched last year, which were again targeted primarily at younger audiences – and have proved successful. Snapchat have suggested that Brand Profiles will look similar to Creator Profiles.
It’s without a doubt an interesting move from the app, especially considering the platform has long marketed itself as a place where friends can connect and share life moments. The addition of Brand Profiles simultaneously widens the scope of the app, and possibly detracts from what many have considered its appeal (a place for loved ones only, away from the continuous stream of promotion and advertising).
Perhaps hoping to minimise this latter point, the company has decided to keep Brand Profiles within the confines of the original Snap experience – allowing brands to use tools already recognised and understood by users – as opposed to incorporating entirely new brand functionalities (with the exception of the ‘Shop’ feature.) Whether this will change as more brands turn to the app, it’s difficult to tell.
Overall, it’s an exciting addition to Snapchat’s repertoire. It’s important to note that Brand Profiles are not available just yet, and at launch, only a small group of brands will be approved to join the beta test, but upon a successful trial, this move will likely hold appeal for brands hoping to connect with younger audiences. It will be interesting to see what Snapchat does next in its move toward the business world.
(Image creds: Social Media Today)
