I’ll Vote, But First... Let Me Take a Selfie

​by Romana Shah

​Social media as a whole has transformed the way brands interact with customers. It has broken down the barriers, allowing brands to become more personable and approachable. However, having a social media presence doesn’t just end with creating an account. There is a lot more that needs to be done, which feeds into a digital strategy to allow brands to get more in touch with the end-customer.

One of the latest platforms which has gained traction in terms of the opportunities it brings for businesses is Snapchat. Snapchat shifted from a simple photo & video sharing app to a PR tool used by brands to gain the attention of its users. Snapchat boasts 150 million daily users, surpassing Twitter’s daily user count and despite a fall in profits earlier this month, there is no doubt it is a favourite amongst millennials. According to digital research firm Verto Analytics, 51% of Snapchat users are aged 18 to 34.

The tool has become a news outlet, creating storylines around key events which are captured by different users ranging from politicians to those in the fashion industry, giving users across the globe a first-hand glimpse of each event from different perspectives. It has also become a source of news from different publications including The Daily Mail, The Sun and Cosmopolitan; all of which use the platform as an additional channel to distribute content.
In addition, one of the most noticeable features of Snapchat is its Geo-filters.  This is a tool which allows users to flick through different screen filters that they can add to their posts. Not only this, users can create their own filters, localised to specific areas for events – weddings, birthday, and conferences.
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Social media is emerging as an increasingly important political tool to share news, debates and encourage communication between politicians and voters.  Snapchat has now entered the mix. During the US election several politicians bought space on the platform to encourage citizens to vote.

More recently, Snapchat partnered with the Electoral commission to create a geo-filter to encourage the “selfie-taking” generation to vote for the general election. Research carried out by the Electoral Commission has found that young people are much less likely to be registered to vote for election candidates than older age groups. Along with the more traditional outlets such as broadcast and print, social media is increasingly becoming an influential channel to target this demographic.
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Both politicians and businesses alike are becoming smarter in the way they engage with their audiences, using these conversations and feedback to drive their own campaigns and get a better understanding of their target market.