Is there a place for Snapchat in health communications?
TL;DR: When it comes to communications it is always important to make sure what you’re creating and sharing is adding value to the conversation, and not just jumping on a gimmick for the sake of it. A deep understanding of audiences and insight into their behaviour will drive successful use of the next generation of social media engagement.
When thinking about health communications,
selfie-generating messenger app Snapchat is perhaps not the first channel to
spring to mind. Yet, from photo-filters to video micro-stories, the app’s
trend-setting features are becoming increasingly embedded in how we use media.
As audiences grow and change so are the ways that they are accessing, creating
and sharing content. There is a sense
that other social media channels have been playing catch up with a new
generation of engagement behaviour.
However, social platforms are seeing shifting allegiances; a recent report
suggests that Snapchat is losing users to Instagram Stories fast and last month
Facebook also announced their own version of the stories feature. Despite plummeting viewing figures for Snapchat
influencers, opportunities for communicators to target specific audiences still
abound. There has already been some inspirational examples
of brands making excellent use of this fast-paced, highly visual and
pseudo-intimate medium. In the field of health communications there is the
potential to exploit these imitable qualities of this technology to tackle
potentially sensitive and serious topics in an accessible and innovative way,
from using a photo filter to drive disease awareness, to using video stories to connect diffuse communities.
Rather than a whimsical gimmick or millennial distraction,
should we be seeing this platform as a potential way to speak directly to
healthcare professionals, through a device that we each use every day – our
mobile phones?
Whilst it might seem like a leap to consider healthcare
professionals using an app whose core audience is below 34 years (41% of users in the US are aged 18-34) in a professional capacity, the reality is mobile
technology has already become an integral part of healthcare. Couple that with
the growing popularity of accessing and sharing micro video-based media and it
is clear that now is the perfect time for brands in the healthcare space to
think creatively about how to use this channel to connect with their audiences in
new and engaging ways.
Time-poor, interest-rich
Providing users with bite size news articles and 10 second
video clips, the Discover function hosts media outlets which range from The
Economist and National Geographic to Buzzfeed and MTV. This is suggestive not
only of the diverse interests of Snapchatters but also demonstrates an existing
demand for soundbite-style media. In essence, this function takes digital
banner ads and embeds them in media with which users are actively engaged, as
they flick through the channel’s content with the touch of a screen.
We are all familiar with how increasingly competitive communication
channels have become, as digital technology is enabling users to access vast
amounts of data at a higher rate than ever before. The attention of consumers
has become more strained and there is a parallel with the time-starved lives of
healthcare professionals. Communicating succinctly and standing out from the
crowd has never been more important – or more difficult.
It is perhaps not surprising then that Snapchat’s succinct
and visually-led way of delivering content is becoming increasingly popular. Of course, even with the highly
targeted advertising opportunities
that companies are now afforded, the Discover function is admittedly currently
better suited to reaching broader audiences than say oncologists or a
particular field of specialists that you are trying to target. However, the app’s investment in building these functions and the uptake from media outlets, including the BBC, is
telling of a growing appetite for novel digital content. Insight can still be
gained from what style of content is working well with users in the consumer
sphere and companies should be looking out for further developments down the
line.
For now what, if any, are the suitable opportunities within
this versatile and progressive medium for talking to the medical community?
Some potential considerations are:
Lack of public forum Snapchat Stories allow users to view 10 second video clips
uploaded up the channels of those they follow; this can be friends, influencers
and media outlets. Within these stories there are advertising opportunities but
there is also the option of creating your own a channel to host content. Generating a targeted list of followers is one way in which
you can get snappy content in front of your audience. This could be brand announcements or best
practice demonstrations. In effect, you are limited only by the 10 second time
limit and your own creativity.
The short-lived nature of the content and users’ fleeting
engagement could even be seen as beneficial to the field of healthcare
communications. Unlike Twitter or Facebook where commentators are able to
publicly leave messages and community management is a round-the-clock job, Snapchat
stories do not currently allow for users to comment.
Event and location
specific capabilities
Perhaps the function Snapchat is most famous for, filters
directly encourage user engagement, asking them to pose for photos and upload
to their own channels. Snapchat has been offering brands the chance to sponsor
and customise geo-filters for a while and can cost as little as $5 per day to
build and run.
For example, creating a location-specific tag for an event
and inviting users to use and share is one way to encourage event attendees to
actively engage with your brand. Snapchat will provide ‘use’ and ‘view’ rates
so that you can measure the performance of your filter. If you can incorporate
this with a measureable CTA – such as to visit a conference stand or take part
in a competition, you can potentially shape a more dynamic brand engagement,that
you can quantify.
Value in offering
multiple touchpoints Weaving digital elements effectively into a campaign
requires planning and insight in to the behaviours of the audience in
questions. However, as communicators there is huge value in orchestrating a
variety of opportunities for your audience to come across your message. Living in a connected world it is increasingly
in the digital space where the opportunities to create multiple touchpoints
exist, where brands can direct users to their other channels, work their
content across devices and create a connected user experience. As WE's recent Stories In Motion research testifies, we are living in a world of multiple devices, multiple
channels and multiple types of content. Knowing how to engage audiences with
these throughout the day is critical to brands understanding how to best design
content strategies. Brands must think beyond static content, and design their
content in a way that leverages this world of multiplicity.
In healthcare communications, the opportunities to
communicate directly to the medical community are highly regulated, but
companies who understand and work with the regulations can make use of all of
the avenues available to them.
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Is there a place for Snapchat in health communications?
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