SnapChat is an application that allows you to message people through photos. The app was developed by a group of students from Stanford University, and has become a huge franchise in just a matter of two years. The app is recognized by its iconic comic ghost symbol, and has become very popular among the younger generation. There are a number of reasons why the app is gaining popularity so fast.
1. Increased usage of smartphones: The fact that almost all mobile phone users are upgrading to smartphones is a huge factor that ensures the success of the application. Pulling your phone out, taking a pic, and sending it via SnapChat is very convenient.
2. Increased engagement: People prefer things that are graphic. Visual aids often help create more engagement. There are multiple text-based systems that already exist.
3. Decreased censorship: While some people are not too happy about this, it is well-known, and much liked that the interface works in a way that allows you to send pictures, and set a time limit to how long the recipient can see them for (1-10 seconds). This means that the app is great for sexting. Other apps do not allow explicit content to pass through.
4. Maintained privacy of users: Many networking apps allow sites access to searches and other personal data so that companies can optimize their advertising by narrowing down their target groups. The self-destructing pictures that are sent through SnapChat do not get stored on the recipient's device, or on the app's servers.
5. Changing consumer demands: SnapChat is unlike any other application that has been developed until now. It differentiates itself in the mechanism through which messages are sent across. The younger generation is not as excited about Facebook as people have been until now. Though there are other sites like Instagram that work in similar ways, the engagement level in SnapChat is far higher.
6. The new thing in the market: Due to its differentiating factors, SnapChat is now being tried out by individuals of all age groups. Since it is one of the newest things in the market, it is natural that there will be an initial excitement. However, the developers of the app have done a great job in retaining the initial excitement. Even though the app has been around for over two years, the number of people using it continuously increases.
7. Increased accessibility: Thanks to the technological advancements with regard to the mobile phone industry, people are able to communicate in various ways through a single device. The applications simply give users different means of communication. Mobile phones are always readily available.
8. Pictures speak louder than words: Most people process information best through visual cues. Pictures often say much more than a simple status change or text message.
9. Sharing moments as they come: The app makes sure you do not miss out on sharing any moment with friends and family. Keep in touch whenever you feel like doing so.
10. Safe means of communication: Today, there is an alarming rate of identity theft and other problems regarding conventional social media and networking sites. SnapChat is safe thanks to its timed self-destruct, leaving no traces of an individual's identity on the servers it is connected to.