Tuesday Tidbit: Facebook inspired by the Snapchat selfie – what marketers should know

If you've been on Facebook for awhile now, chances are you've been part of this trend, whether or not you realized it. Overall sharing has dropped, in fact it "fell 5.5% between mid-2014 and mid-2015, with sharing of personal posts — like people's own thoughts and photos — falling 21% during that period" (Social Media Today). What does that mean for you as a marketer?

Well, right now, it's mostly a matter of asking the right questions. Facebook is testing out a feature where they will take on a similar role to Snapchat: A user can open up their account and have the option to take a selfie, right within the app. Again, like Snapchat, Facebook is also investing in virtual reality and augmented reality features to include filters, so a selfie gets taken to the next level.

We won't see this change quite yet as Facebook is still just testing it in Canada and Brazil (Ad Age). Nevertheless, we can start thinking about what this indicates about our audience and draw some conclusions for our next steps. 

1. They are increasing their engagement on Snapchat – climbing 27% this year alone and predicted to grow even more (eMarketer) – while decreasing how much they share on Facebook (as seen above in the intro paragraph's Social Media Today stat).

"Snapchat has tapped into a key change in consumer behavior: The desire for intimate one-to-one or one-to-few communication as opposed to broadcast-style sharing across an entire network. This desire is particularly strong among millennials and younger consumers who don’t have strong ties to the traditional social networks,” – as discussed in eMarketer. 

3. It could also be concluded users prefer humorous, somewhat self-deprecating ways to share (Snapchat filters) rather than simply posting plain photos or sharing status updates (Facebook). 

4. Facebook is being seen as a place to stay in touch with people and the world in general (see 10 Reasons People Use Facebook) whereas Snapchat is where more frequent bursts of engagement occur.

5. Facebook is seeking to become more and more personalized and engaging – not just a place for your organization to post status updates, share your blogs and promote events, but rather a fun and quick way to share personality.

With these five points in mind, how can you meet your audience where they are online? Think about whether or not you should jump on a new Facebook filter for your next campaign and use these selfies on your Facebook page. Or, you could hone in on a Snapchat strategy, drawing your audience to a separate platform that is no doubt, growing.

If you need help deciding, contact our digital strategist and let us know what your predicament is. We'll look at your audiences and determine where your best venue of engagement lies.