Sophia Bernazzani says, “With the average attention span dipping to just 8.25 seconds — as short as that of a goldfish– today’s marketers are tasked with creating content that’s engaging enough to appeal to distracted consumers. With that in mind, Snapchat — a real-time messaging and multimedia app — has become an increasingly attractive channel for those looking to engage the 18-34 year old demographic and grow their brand’s social media presence. This is largely due to the fact that Snapchat content is inherently time-bound: Snapchat Stories disappear... [...]

Michael Guta says, “Snapchat is paying $110 million, with 75 percent in stock and 25 percent cash to acquire mobile contextual search engine Vurb. The deal also includes a $75 million retention bonus to keep Vurb founder and CEO Bobby Lo. Vurb touts itself as tool for helping consumers decide what to do and who they want to do it with. So obviously, if you operate a small business that might be a local destination, learning more about this new tool can be key to your marketing efforts. But how does Vurb work and how can the results users find really impact small businesses? How Vurb Works Well,... [...]

Timothy Carter says, “Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn still have a stranglehold on the social media world in terms of sheer numbers of users, but a handful of rising social stars are hoping to cement their place as the leading influencers in the industry. Among these, Snapchat may have the strongest potential: Not only does it have the capacity to build a user base rivaling those of the main channels listed above, but it’s also building enough influence to start shaping the way other platforms develop. Let’s take a look at the reasons why Snapchat has developed such a strong potential,... [...]

Jay Baer says, “At this moment, the only things more plentiful than Olympics coverage and Presidential faux pas are predictions of Snapchat’s imminent withering and demise, due to the near pixel-for-pixel mimicry of the newly launched Instagram Stories. Here’s but one doomsday account. Use your favorite search engine to turn up dozens more. It’s a convenient—although not particularly insightful—narrative to proclaim that “new thing will kill old thing.” It’s a trope as old as media itself. (While you’re searching, look for some “TV will kill radio” coverage.) Inconveniently,... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “Earlier this year, Snapchat paid more than $100m to buy Bitstrips, the company behind the popular sticker app Bitmoji. Last week, Snapchat announced Bitmoji features were properly integrated into the app. Bit-what? If you’re unaware, Bitmoji essentially allows users to create a virtual version of themselves – sort of like a personalised emoji, but bigger and more cartoon-like. This image then becomes part of customised sketches, ranging from personal greetings to pop-culture references. It’s all very silly, but also hugely addictive and surprisingly effective. When... [...]

Karissa Bell says, “Facebook appears to be working on yet another Snapchat-like experience. New screenshots of what look to be one of the social network’s many experiments show the company is working on a new feature that allows groups of friends to privately share photos and other updates that disappear after 24 hours. Called “quick updates,” the experience was first noticed by Tiffany Zhong, an analyst at venture capital firm Binary Capital, though other users have reported seeing the test as well. Quick updates lives in the main Facebook app behind the new smiley face... [...]

Patrick Kulp says, “Snapping an image of a coffee mug? How about adding a filter with a Starbucks logo to really complete the picture? That sort of scenario may soon be possible on Snapchat, according to a patent application the company filed in January of last year. The document, made public last week and first spotted by Business Insider, details the social network’s potential plans to offer special filters based on the objects its technology is able to recognize in a given image. For instance, the company explains, a shot of the Empire State Building might trigger the option of... [...]

Deep Patel says, “Most brands and companies allocate a considerable amount of time to producing content that engages their customers. However, many have overlooked one of the hottest platforms – one that boasts 100 million daily active users — Snapchat. Shaun McBride, better known as “Shonduras,” is a Snapchat icon, recognized by popular brands, social media celebrities and agencies. He has enjoyed tremendous success promoting companies on his Snapchat account. Past clients include brands such as Disney, AT&T, Samsung, Taco Bell, Red Bull and Major League Soccer. He was... [...]

Marissa Breton says, “Over the past three years, Snapchat has been slowly moving away from its original concept: a place for creating and sharing ephemeral content that disappears immediately after being shared. With the introduction of Stories in 2013, a feature that allows photos and videos to be visible for 24 hours, the app started inching away from that mission. This week, Snapchat took a giant leap away from its initial premise by introducing Memories. The new feature enables users to share content after the initial photo has been taken, allowing for a more curated (and less instantaneous)... [...]

Ben Davis says, “Are you new into an account exec or account manager role? Here are eight lessons to learn. As preface I should say, I’ve never worked in an agency, but I have been a client and also met and worked with lots of agency bods. There are many articles like this on the internet, this is just my take on common business sense. 1. Don’t shirk the groundwork Account managers (AM) must pray at the church of research. Even if you are only working on a niche project – perhaps some copywriting or a microsite – and not a brand-defining above-the-line campaign, that... [...]