The Evolution of SnapChat: From Ephemeral Messaging to Dominating Social Media

Snapchat has disrupted the traditional photo-sharing landscape by focusing on fostering authentic and emotionally-driven conversations. The concept of ephemeral messaging, where content disappears after a set time, has gained immense popularity since the app's launch. As a result, other social media giants like Facebook and Instagram have developed their own versions of Snapchat's beloved features, intensifying the competition to stand out.

Snapchat is a messaging app that allows users to send photos, videos, and text messages that disappear in a matter of seconds. Currently, the app boasts approximately 150 million daily users and a staggering 800 hours of video consumption per second. To put this into perspective, it's like watching every episode of "Game of Thrones" 13 times every second. In addition to messaging, Snapchat offers features like Stories, Memories, and stickers to enhance the user experience. This has made it particularly popular among teenagers and Millennials, with a survey revealing that 26% of people aged 12-24 consider Snapchat their top choice, second only to Facebook.

The app, initially launched as Picaboo in 2011 by co-founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, who met at Stanford University. However, it wasn't until October of that year when the first version of Snapchat was introduced to the iOS App Store, generating little buzz. One of the app's biggest concerns was the ability for users to take screenshots of messages, thus defeating the disappearing effect. To address this issue, the developers created a notification feature that alerted users if someone had taken a screenshot of their message.

By October of 2011, Snapchat was also available on Android devices, which significantly boosted its user base. The following month, the app hit a milestone of 20 million snaps sent per day, equivalent to 25 snaps every second. By December, the number of daily snaps had surpassed 50 million, and a new feature was introduced, allowing users to effortlessly record and send 10-second videos.

In 2013 and 2014, Snapchat continued to innovate with the launch of Stories, enabling users to share a collection of snaps with their friends for 24 hours. This feature was quickly embraced by brands and users alike, providing a more comprehensive insight into daily activities while maintaining the disappearing aspect. The app also added a chat feature, "Our Story," "Geofilters," and started offering advertising options for businesses.

With a user count of 75 million, Snapchat began providing more opportunities for advertisers to reach the vast audience. This included the launch of "Discover," a page featuring short-form ad content from various publishers and channels. The app also introduced "Tap to View," allowing users to view snaps by tapping once, instead of holding their finger on the screen. Additionally, sponsored "Geofilters" were made available to advertisers looking to increase brand exposure in specific locations.

In conclusion, Snapchat has revolutionized the way people communicate and share media. With its unique features and constant innovation, it has solidified its place as one of the top social media platforms. As the competition continues to heat up, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking updates from Snapchat and its rivals. In 2016, the app made history with its first sponsored filter in partnership with McDonald's, offering users a variety of lenses to change their appearance in selfies. This marked a significant milestone for the app, which now sees an astounding 6 billion videos watched per day, just three years after introducing video recording capabilities. And while the launch of "Memories" may have altered the spontaneity of Snapchat, it also sparked curiosity and left marketers unsure of the platform's direction. But as competitors like Instagram and Facebook continue to vie for user attention, one thing is for sure: Snapchat is here to stay.Instagram introduced their own version of "Stories" and Facebook enhanced their photo app with filters and stickers. Meanwhile, SnapChat went through rebranding as Snap Inc. and launched their "Bitmoji" feature, allowing users to create personalized avatars for their snaps and stories.In response to user feedback, SnapChat released a "Story Playlist" feature in October, allowing users to select a specific group of friends whose snaps would automatically play. The company also experienced a successful year, with eMarketer predicting they would earn $1 billion in advertising revenue. The introduction of their API also made it easier for ad sales.In November, Snap Inc. filed for a $25 billion IPO, demonstrating their commitment to growth and expansion. In the same month, Instagram debuted their own ephemeral messaging feature to keep up with SnapChat. The final innovation of 2016 for Snap Inc. was the introduction of group messaging in December, making it easier for users to send disappearing messages to a specific group.As the popularity of ephemeral messaging continues to rise, we can expect increased competition between SnapChat and Instagram. With social media advertising surpassing TV ads, platforms like SnapChat will likely continue to innovate and provide non-disruptive ads to their audiences. What is your favorite feature on SnapChat? Share your thoughts in the comments below!