Snapchat Adds Event Creation
A dedicated feature for coordinating meetups is officially rolling out to users. With this update, users can create a Plan by adding a title, date, and time. Once the details are set, organizers can invite up to 200 mutual friends to join the gathering.
These Snapchat Invitations are designed to arrive directly through individual chats. Within these messages, friends can easily RSVP to the invitation as Going, Maybe, or Can’t Go.
According to the platform, there is already plenty of planning happening inside Snapchat on a regular basis. According to the company, 35% of recently surveyed U.S. Snapchatters between the ages of 13 and 24 said they use group chats to make plans and organize events.
The app's utility as a communication tool has a strongly documented history. In an article published on August 8, 2016, author Eryn Underwood noted that the social media messaging app was already being used by 150 million people daily. This massive daily audience made the platform a key resource for improving event communications.
Much of this communication centers around its core media functionality. Since the introduction of its signature feature, “Stories,” in 2013, Snapchat has allowed users to share sequences of photos, videos, text and more. These sequences, which are called “snaps,” are sent directly to all their friends at once by adding them to their story. Once posted to a story, these snaps remain visible for 24 hours before disappearing.
The broader adoption of the platform reveals a highly significant market reach. According to Snapchat’s CEO Evan Spiegel, more than 25% of UK Smartphone users are now on Snapchat. The user and engagement numbers across the application are notably high. Every single day, a massive 1 billion Snapchat stories are viewed by audiences.
Additionally, the platform tracks 10 million active users who are actively generating 400 million snaps a day. Despite these impressive figures and being an ideal platform to drive a sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), utilizing Snapchat as a platform for marketing events is still relatively new.
Understanding the primary user base is crucial for event organizers utilizing the app. A 2016 report published by Statista reported that 61% of Snapchat users are 18-29 years old, an age group also known as Generation Y. Currently, Generation Y makes up 21% of the entire UK population. That specific demographic block represents a staggering 13.8 million people.
If you’ve been on Snapchat, it’s easy to assume that there’s not much more to it than turning yourself into a cute animal for 10 seconds. Users often associate the app primarily with sending photos with witty messages to friends that will quickly disappear and be lost forever. However, the company maintains the philosophy that life’s more fun when you live in the moment.