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fied its interface to highlight shared
content better and adopted an algo-
rithmic feed. Notable to marketers,
a study by Influenster and Adweek
found that Instagram was the most-
preferred social media site/app for en-
gaging with brand content among U.S.
female social media users, named by
81 percent of respondents.
All the while, the even younger
Snapchat has exploded during the
past two years. It has arguably
become the top social media des-
tination among U.S. teenagers and
is already a core component of the
social strategies of leading brands
such as Taco Bell, Coca Cola and
Louis Vuitton.
“What began as a tool for young
people to connect with their friends
with erasable content is now used
by 150 million people every day, and
not just to engage with friends,” said
Simply Measured researchers. “For
many people, Snapchat is a destina-
tion for news, trends and entertainment
from brands, especially on Snapchat’s
Discover feature.”
Among teens, in particular, it is
quickly emerging as a top network.
As recently as Spring 2015, just 13
percent of teens surveyed by Piper
Jaffray listed Snapchat as their favored
social site. By Spring 2016, the num-
ber jumped to 28 percent, just topping
Instagram for the number one spot and
distancing Snapchat significantly from
mainstay Facebook and Twitter. Keep
in mind, however, Snapchat advertis-
ing, although customized by Snap Inc.,
can be relatively expensive.
Elsewhere, the mighty YouTube is
losing some luster among social media
marketers, largely due to leading
social networks, including Facebook
and Twitter, adding more and more
video capabilities and the emergence
of short-form micro-videos. A recent
Trusted Media Brands study, for ex-
ample, found that 65 percent of media
executives prefer social media for
video advertising over video-specific
options such as YouTube. Nonethe-
less, if should be noted that YouTube
remains wildly popular among young
adults, teens and pre-teens, particularly
young boys who follow the growing
band of YouTubers the way previous
generations followed television stars
and sports heroes. A recent survey
by Microsoft and the National Cyber
Security Alliance found that YouTube
was far and away the most used site
among U.S. Internet users between
the ages of 13 and 17 years old, at
91 percent penetration.
Websites/Apps Used by U.S. Teen
Internet Users, June 2016
YouTube
91%
Gmail
75%
Snapchat
66%
65%
61%
Kik Messenger
52%
Skype
43%
40%
Tumblr
24%
Source: Microsoft; National Cyber Security Alliance
Fall
2016
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Inside
Outdoor
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