Snapchat

No other social network has such a young user base (70 % of them female), while Facebook's user base is getting older and older. By the way: Like WhatsApp, Facebook also tried to snatch Snapchat under its nails - but received a hefty rebuff.

But what exactly is, or rather, what can this Snapchat do? The app allows its users to send photos or videos that are only visible to the recipient for a few seconds and are then automatically deleted again. To do this, users can spice up the photo or video with a short text or drawing, creating more effects and entertaining captions. Of course, there is a small catch to the story: With the iPhone screenshot function, it is still possible to save or photograph the image with a nimble finger swipe.

Recently, large companies have also acquired a taste for Snapchat and are beginning to integrate the app into their social media marketing. How? Pioneering work is being done here, for example, by the American frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles, which distributes coupons to its customers via Snapchat. The process goes something like this: The customer is supposed to take a selfie (self-portrait) with Snapchat while consuming a 16 Handles product and send it to their user account. The company then responds by sending back a coupon offering up to 100 percent off. The user then has a maximum of ten seconds to redeem it at the checkout - otherwise it's gone forever.

While most companies are still on Facebook, 16 Handles and others are already actively using the messenger app: The American football team New Orleans Saints shares behind-the-scenes moments with their fans via Snapchat. The clothing brand Juicy Couture gives users a sneak preview of its next collection, and the fast-food chain Taco Bell also shares pictures of its latest burritos. A small disadvantage: to get the photos, users first have to follow the company's user account or add it to their friends list. Therefore, the account must first be made known on other channels, such as Twitter or Facebook.

Snapchat offers companies an optimal opportunity to reach a younger audience and thereby position themselves as innovative. On Snapchat, every company can give free rein to its creativity and innovation - everything is possible: show new products, provide insights behind the scenes, launch competitions or promote limited special offers. The snapshots go directly to the users' private smartphones, allowing them to participate in the company's plans. In this way, Snapchat, in my opinion, creates something that other social media channels usually don't entail: It gives users the feeling of something exclusive and surprising. And let's be honest: Who doesn't like surprises?

Manuel P. Nappo, Director of Studies CAS Social Media Management HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich.¨www.fh-hwz.ch/smm