You’ve probably heard of Snapchat Vs. TikTok unless you’ve been living under a rock. And while you may be familiar with the fundamentals of these platforms, you may need to become more familiar with advertising on them. So, which platform is best for brand marketing? Here’s what you should know:

Who Uses Snapchat and What Is It?

Snapchat is a social media messaging program that allows users to send one another temporary videos and images that disappear after viewing. While this is Snapchat’s primary purpose, the app offers so much more! It also offers a “Discover” page to access interesting content from different brands and news sources. Users can use the “Story” function to post lengthier photos or videos that will be viewable for 24 hours. Snapchat then combines these Story posts and displays “Memories” with your prior year’s posts – a fantastic throwback feature! Lastly, Snapchat is a platform with interactive features that is incredibly innovative and dynamic.

Snapchat lenses, for example, can change and modify your appearance. Snapchat has geo-filters that display your current location. Snapchat Maps also allow users to see where their friends are. So, who are these Snapchat users? Snapchat is a platform that targets younger audiences as of late 2020. In reality, 75% of those aged 13 to 34 in the United States use Snapchat. This proportion decreases with age. Just 12.5% of Internet users between the ages of 35 and 49 in the United States use the platform. Ultimately, only 4% of Snapchat users are 50 or older.

Females use Snapchat more than males, with a 58% to 40% gender split. Lastly, 34% of youth in the United States considered Snapchat to be their favorite social media site in 2020. The United States has over 100 million Snapchat users, followed by India with about 75 million, France with almost 35 million, and the United Kingdom with 21 million.

Pros and Cons of Snapchat Marketing

Marketing on Snapchat has both advantages and disadvantages. Here’s what you should know:

Pros

Less competition: Many marketers aren’t yet taking advantage of all of Snapchat’s features. And because there is less competition on the app, bids are typically less expensive than on some of the major platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, where every company is trying to advertise.

There are several advertising formats to pick from: One of Snapchat’s greatest assets is its creative platform, which is supported by advertising formats. Snapchat lenses and Snapchat geo-filters, for example, are more dynamic and interesting for users.

Cons

Limited reach: Snapchat has a limited reach compared to TikTok, with only 750+ million monthly active users. While it may appear contradictory to combine the words “only” and “750 million” in the same phrase, it’s worth mentioning that TikTok has over 1 billion users worldwide.

Temporary content: While Snapchat’s temporary nature is beneficial in certain ways, it is a disadvantage in advertising because the content does not last long. Instead, you must focus on creating a steady stream of content.

What Is TikTok and Who Uses It?

TikTok is a short-form video streaming app that has swept the globe since its introduction in 2016. Yet, it wasn’t until a few years later that the app actually began to take off. TikTok has already been downloaded over 2.6 billion times and has over one billion active monthly users. TikTok allows you to edit videos before sharing them directly from the app. Following that, the app creates a “For You Page,” or FYP. TikTok provides you with appealing and engaging content based on an algorithm based on your interests and prior actions.

Entertainment, dancing, pranks, fitness, home renovation, beauty, fashion, food, life hacks, pets, and outdoor activities are among the most popular TikTok content categories. TikTok users can also explore through videos on their own using the “Discover” page, which displays trendy hashtags, sounds, and filters. You can also use the search bar to look for certain hashtags or caption phrases. TikTok, like Snapchat, is mostly used by young people, notably Generation Z and Millennials. Yet, as the app grows and attracts users of various ages, the age range on the app has been rising increasing. When it comes to users in the United States:

• 32.5% are between the ages of 10 and 19 years old.
• 29.5% of the population is between the ages of 20 and 29.
• 16.4% of the population is between the ages of 30 and 39.
• 13.9% of the population is between the ages of 40 and 49.
• 7.1% are over the age of 50.
• TikTok, like Snapchat, has more female users than male users, with a 60% to 40% gender split.

Pros and Cons of TikTok Marketing

So, let’s go through some of the pros and cons of TikTok marketing so you can make the best decision for your company:

Pros

Extensive reach: TikTok is one of the most popular social media sites in the world, with one billion monthly active users. In terms of usage, TikTok follows Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger.

International reach: TikTok is a global app that is available in 141 countries and 39 different languages. The app is especially popular in the United States, India, Indonesia, and Japan.

Cons

There are only a few formats to pick from: TikTok is mostly a video app, so you’re limited to video ads on this platform.

Which Marketing Platform Is Better?

Which platform is best for marketing based on what we’ve learned so far about Snapchat Vs. TikTok? The answer is dependent on what you’re attempting to do and what your goals are. While there is no right or wrong answer, here are some recommendations to help you create the most successful marketing approach for your brand:

• If you want to reach a larger and more diversified audience with your advertising content, you should try TikTok marketing.
• If you want to attract Millennials and, to a lesser extent, Generation Z, you should explore TikTok marketing.
• If you want to establish yourself as a “trendy” brand by using a new platform to remain on top of memes and other trends, you should explore TikTok marketing.
• Consider marketing on Snapchat if you want to develop a “serious” brand image by leveraging a platform used by news organizations and more established brands.

The good news is that you are not forced to pick between TikTok and Snapchat. You can use them both with the right strategy and best practices.

Conclusion

Both Snapchat and TikTok, as forms of social media, provide a wide range of features and capabilities to help brands in marketing themselves to their target audience. There are several ways for marketers to earn cash and create awareness, ranging from story ads to story polls. TikTok, on the other hand, provides a more simplified approach to marketing, with a more user-friendly design and more organic opportunities to interact with followers. Snapchat, on the other hand, has been criticized for being excessively complicated and making it difficult for new users to navigate the app. As a result, TikTok may be a better option for marketers trying to build their audience and connect with them.