The messaging app Snapchat has 150 million daily users, and undergraduate and graduate students are a large part of those users. In fact, Snapchat has become more popular than Twitter, according to recent statistics.
The messaging app was once bigger than Facebook. However, other Facebook apps like Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp have kept Snapchat in second place. Snapchat has made big gains since they have added selfies and short videos to their features.
A recent survey by Sumpto, a marketing company with a following of 50,000 college students, found that 77 percent of college students use the messaging app daily. Interestingly, only two percent of graduate and undergraduate students use Snapchat for sexting, according to the survey.
So how are undergraduate and graduate students using Snapchat? Other studies found users to be on the app for approximately 30 minutes per day. How are colleges and HR managers using the app to find potential students and candidates?
Undergraduate and Graduate Students Use Snapchat to Communicate
The survey produced by Sumpto found some very interesting percentages behind college Snapchat use. Interestingly, most undergraduate and graduate students use the app 70 percent more on Friday and Saturday.
Another shocking fact behind college student Snapchat use is that sexting actually decreased by two percent since the app was launched, from 83 to 81 percent. Finding creativity more important, users say they use the app more for creativity and communication.
In fact, most undergraduate and graduate students use Snapchat 37 percent of the time for creativity, and 27 percent of the time for keeping in touch. And photos are still big on the app with 73 percent of college students saying they use the app for photos more than half the time.
Snapchat is a Powerful Recruitment Tool for Universities
With 150 million daily users, Snapchat is most certainly a great outlet to reach certain demographics. A survey by comScore found that 73 percent of all Snapchat users are Millennials.
Universities have taken notice and they have begun using the messaging app to reach potential undergraduate and graduate students. In fact, 64 percent of users are between the ages of 18 and 24. This makes it second to Facebook for social media popularity among students.
Campus recruiters are using geofilters, graphics overlaid to images, as a marketing tool to attract potential students. Drake University used geofilters during a commencement ceremony and they were used 2,200 times with more than 100,000 views.
HR Recruiters are Using Snapchat to Find Potential Job Candidates
HR recruiters are not only using social media to check out potential job candidates, they are using it to find employees too. This may be the most challenging hiring period in four years, according to the Harvard Business Review. And connecting with undergraduate and graduate students is vital for corporate.
Snapchat and other social media platforms essentially represent virtual networking. HR recruiters are able to share their company’s corporate culture on the messaging app via photos and now short videos. And the candidates they seek will see these, and they can engage if they want.
Using social media apps like Snapchat also allow corporate to be more lite and approachable. HR recruiters can easily address Millennial concerns and add humor to the virtual mixer.
Undergraduate and graduate students are getting a lot of benefits from using Snapchat. They are using it to be more creative, to connect with friends and family, and also getting useful information for their future. Universities and HR recruiters are tailoring marketing around college students, and they are benefiting in a big way.
About the Author
Guest Blogger – Vera Reed