Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: Snapchat

To advertise to students effectively, you must understand how they consume content of all types. This post continues our exploration of the social media habits of college students by platform. Learn whether or not Snapchat ads are worth the investment.

How prevalent is Snapchat use among young adults?

Some recent Pew Research statistics provide valuable information on the social media habits of college students with regards to Snapchat.

• 65% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 use Snapchat. .
• 42% of Snapchat users have some college education. This is higher than usage among both individuals with no college education and individuals who have earned a college degree.
• Snapchat usage is unaffected by users’ locations or political affiliation.

In addition:

• There are 800 million monthly active users on Snapchat.
• 405 million people use Snapchat every day.
• Snapchat is one of the fastest growing social media platforms. Usage is predicted to increase by 27% in the next four years.
• Snapchat is projected to reach 49.5 million Gen Z users by 2025.
• Snapchat users open the app nearly 40 times a day.
• 90% of Snapchat users report feeling happy, comfortable and connected while using the app.
• Compared to other social media platforms, Snapchat is the most likely place for people to share purchases they love or fun shopping moments.

Is Snapchat an effective way to advertise to students?

Absolutely! Snapchat ads can reach 75% of the 13-34 year old population in more than 25 countries. Snapchat users are 45% more likely to recommend a brand after watching an ad on the platform. And audiences are 34% more likely to buy items advertised on Snapchat than other platforms.

+ Engage Gen Z and millennials with social shopping.

Snapchat covers all stages of the customer journey, from awareness, to consideration, to conversion. Businesses can target the app’s users based on their interests, behaviors, location, and more.

 Advertising on Snapchat can be used to:

• Introduce customers to your brand
• Announce new products or launches
• Help customers learn more about your products or services
• Generate new leads
• Drive traffic to your website or app
• Drive desired website and app actions

As you advertise to students on Snapchat, you can also:

• Upload customer lists to re-engage customers, or reach highly-targeted groups with third-party Custom Audiences.
• Use Snapchat's Lookalike Audiences feature to identify users who are similar to your existing customer base and expand your reach.
• Reach Snapchatters who have visited your  website, previously engaged with your ads, or have installed your app.

"Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will."

– VERNON HOWARD

What are the most effective ways to use Snapchat for university advertising?

• Layer geo-targeted Snapchat ads on top of your OOH university advertising efforts to increase target audience awareness and engagement.

• Create high quality ads, including copy, CTAs and visuals. Weak social media ads create negative emotional responses. 

• Use video and strong visuals. Video and visual content resonate well with users and generate strong engagement.

• Use Snapchat Ads Manager to launch ads, build reports, and optimize your efforts.

• Set up a Snapchat Store to allow users to go from discovery to purchase without ever leaving the platform.

• In addition to conventional Snapchat advertising, use influencer marketing to grow your young adult audience exponentially. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA HABITS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: YouTube

Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: Facebook

Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: Instagram

See our complete guide to advertising to university students.

Here at MSS Media, Inc., we’ve been providing Education, Government, Real Estate & Lifestyle clients with succinct, optimized, and successful marketing solutions for more than 15 years. Consider MSS Media, Inc. a full-service, one-stop shop for all your Media and Public Relations needs. Your goals are our motivation. And our mission is to propel your message, further and faster, to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. If you found this blog post helpful, please share!