Snapchat could become the next go-to social media tool for brands to market to college students, according to a new Sumpto survey.
- Nearly three-quarters of the survey’s respondents — 1,650 U.S. college students — said that they would open a Snapchat message from a brand that they already knew.
- Even more surprising, almost half of the survey’s respondents said they would open a message from a brand they did not know.
- Over two-thirds of college students said that they would add a brand that they already follow on another social network as a friend on Snapchat.
Sumpto's survey results should be taken with a sizeable grain of salt. The college students who fill out Sumpto surveys are at least in part attracted by the company's giveaways to "influencers," (including free clothes and snack foods) and so are predisposed to be open to brand marketing.
Nonetheless, it's clear big brands are beginning to adopt Snapchat to market to young people. In a recent infographic, Sumpto highlighted how McDonald's advertised their new Snapchat feed on other social networks, and used Snapchat to launch a new product (sending out a collection of photos and video known as a Snapchat "story," which only disappears after 24 hours).
The respondents were open to a variety of brand messages on Snapchat.
- 69% were inclined to open a picture from a brand.
- 67% wanted to receive discounts or promotions from a brand.
- 58% were likely to purchase a brand’s product or service if they sent a coupon.
Download the charts and data in Excel.
Here's a look at that data on respondents' willingness to follow a brand (provided they already follow the brand on another social network):
A majority of students said they were interested in receiving pictures, discounts, and coupons from brands on Snapchat:
