Social media titan Snapchat released its latest app update earlier this month, and the feedback has been brutal on social media, with influencers like Kylie Jenner voicing their displeasure.
With 128.5 million followers on Twitter and Instagram, Kylie Jenner is a trendsetter who can easily sway what is considered cool and what isn’t within Snapchat’s key demographic of 18-34 year olds.
Late last week, Jenner tweeted, “Soo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me… ugh this is so sad.”
A day later, Snapchat’s shares have tanked by as much as 7.2 per cent, which equates to a $1.7 billion dollar loss.
Of course, the tweet didn’t do as much damage as the actual update did, but social media expert and CEO of leading social media agency WebiMax, Ken Wisnefski, says it certainly plays a role.
“We are finding more and more that our client’s target audiences are more likely to make or not make a purchasing decision based on the guidance of a social influencer than ever before,” he said.
“Paid ads still work, but they aren’t as effective as driving a positive or negative narrative with the masses. It’s critical that businesses take the time to reach out to influencers and build relationships that will help improve their bottom lines.”
Kylie Jenner, for better or worse, has incredible power when she takes to social media. If she had a positive reaction to the SnapChat update, Wisnefski believes that users of the app would be much more forgiving to the change.
According to Wisnefski:
- Social influencers can be found in nearly any industry and building positive relationships with them is critical to the growth of any brand.
- Snapchat’s shares tanking serve as a stark reminder that every business must ensure that when there offerings are updated they meet the desires and needs of their audience.
- Taking advantage of the incredible audiences, social influencers have on their social platforms and blogs is one of the most natural and cost-effective ways of growing brand awareness and driving sales.
