Snapchat Shines Amid Covid Crisis

Out of all the social media sites, you could make a valid claim that Snapchat might be the one most able to take advantage of the global situation with the coronavirus pandemic. All social media is receiving a boost, but this platform, in particular, is well-positioned to up its game and recent figures have suggested that they have done just that.

Snapchat recently posted a blog where they reflected on their performance. It was separated into three sections: its recent upsurge in engagements, how the coronavirus has caused its users to shift their priorities and using habits, and finally the blog focused on the resources that Snap Inc., Snapchat’s parent company, is using to keep the public informed about the pandemic.

Big gains

They stated how that as coronavirus has developed and the crisis has worsened how the number of Snaps that were being sent was at an all-time high as a result. It has exceeded the levels usually reserved for the major holidays like Christmas. Apparently, group chat engagements have also reached record highs.

It isn’t just those features on the rise, either. Remarkably voice calling is up by fifty percent based on last month. And additionally, the company revealed that these conversations often incorporated AR.

Snap games grow

Snap games are also enjoying an increase in popularity. The function that debuted last April features multiplayer games that take advantage of voice and chat features. The company has also highlighted that people are using their AR lenses far more than they have previously with an increase of twenty-five percent compared to this time in February.

In terms of the applications video functionality, people watching videos has peaked as well. Interestingly the app has seen an increase in engagement on their news, gaming and health wellness sections.

Massive rise

The numbers aren’t small either. The company revealed that it had produced almost 500 stories or shows about the coronavirus pandemic and that content has been viewed by more than 68 million people across the globe. It’s even more interesting when you dissect the demographics to see that almost half of the people classed as Generation Z in the United States had viewed Covid-19 content on Snapchat.

Ad growth

The company has seen an upturn in ad engagements too. Figures suggest that there is a whopping thirty six percent increase in people downloading apps following watching ads, with a nineteen percent increase in right swipes in march compared to the previous month. The company reported that in general news and financial sites are seeing massive increases in activity, along with trading and equity apps. Perhaps unsurprisingly the use of online stores has increased drastically with people trying to avoid going out where they can. This has seen an increase in spends in areas such as leisure and pet supplies.

Self promotion

The company said in its blog post, “Our top priority is ensuring that Snapchatters have the resources they need to stay informed.”

Snap referred to it’s Discover content platform which is proving massively popular at the moment. They were quick to highlight that they carefully curate their content to make sure it is all fact-checked and verified. They also highlighted how they were working closely with trusted news organisations and the World Health Organisation.

Mental health

Also mentioned its blog was the long-awaited arrival of their, Here for You feature. This appears when users search for topics like depression, anxiety and related topics. When they do this they are presented with a range of content issued by the WHO to provide the best possible advice that they can.