Snapchat has been metaphorically dead for ages.
No one uses the app anymore unless it’s to annoy their partner with real-time updates of every meal they eat in a day or to send some cheeky pics, if ya know what I mean.
But about a month ago, new life was breathed into Snapchat that was reminiscent of it’s glory days #neverforget.
The release of three new filters which transformed users into a baby and into the opposite gender sent the entire world into a frenzy. Meet Chris, my ruggedly handsome alter-ego with a jawline that Clark Kent would envy:
Suddenly, people worldwide had reason to use Snapchat again and those who no longer had the app were re-downloading it just to try the filters. I made jokes about it being a clever marketing ploy; a way for Snapchat to get back in the game and give Instagram a run for its money (Instagram is where it’s at these days).
Of course, I had no solid proof this was the case, but I was pretty damn sure. And today, friends, I present you with the closest thing to proof I have: evidence.
Turns out Snapchat’s download rate doubled thanks to the new filters. The monthly numbers tipped over 40 million in May.
Figures from Sensor Tower and provided to One Zero show daily downloads doubled in May thanks to the new filters. That’s a rise from around 600,000 a day to around 2 million on some days and a whopping total of 40 million downloads for the month.
The numbers are impressive for two main reasons:
- They’re HUGE.
- They prove things have been completely turned around.
Snapchat’s impact in the social networking world has suffered the last few years, being over-shone by competitors with more user friendly interfaces and bigger investments backing them (@Mark Zuckerberg).
Filters and lenses were pioneered by Snapchat before other rivals copied the idea and made the OG irrelevant (@Instagram). Even Facebook has a ‘stories’ feature now (granted, no one but my mum uses it).
Snapchat’s baby and gender-swap filters were a great way to re-grab people’s attention and increase those downloads. But it’s what Snapchat does next that is of most importance: a good marketing plan is worth nothing without good follow through.
So come on Snapchat, I’m rooting for you.