How did Snapchat get its first 30,000 customers?
Snapchat is a social media platform that has taken the world by storm. With more than 300 million monthly active users, the multimedia messaging app has become a popular way for people to share pictures and videos with their friends and followers. But how did Snapchat get its start, and how did it get its first 30,000 customers? In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the strategies that Snapchat used to build its early user base.
Building a Minimal Viable Product
One of the keys to Snapchat's early success was its focus on building a minimal viable product. Rather than trying to create an app with a lot of features right out of the gate, Snapchat's founders focused on creating an app that allowed users to send and receive disappearing images and videos. This approach helped Snapchat launch quickly and start building a user base, without getting bogged down in unnecessary features or functionality.
Leveraging Early Adopters
Another important strategy that Snapchat used to build its early user base was to leverage early adopters. These are the people who are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest technology and who are willing to try out new products and services before anyone else. Snapchat's founders recognized the importance of early adopters and actively sought them out. They focused on targeting college students, who were known for being tech-savvy and always on the lookout for new social media platforms to use.
Creating Buzz with Exclusivity
In addition to targeting early adopters, Snapchat also created buzz around the app by making it exclusive. In its early days, Snapchat was only available to users who had a verified .edu email address, which meant that it was only accessible to college students. This exclusivity helped to create a sense of hype and anticipation around the app, and made people feel like they were part of an exclusive club. This sense of exclusivity helped to generate word-of-mouth buzz and encouraged people to try out the app for themselves.
Listening to User Feedback
Another important strategy that Snapchat used to build its early user base was to listen to user feedback. In its early days, Snapchat was constantly evolving and improving, based on feedback from its users. For example, Snapchat originally only allowed users to send images that disappeared after a few seconds. However, users quickly requested the ability to send longer messages and videos. In response, Snapchat introduced longer message times, which helped to keep users engaged and using the app.
Focusing on User Retention
Finally, Snapchat's early success can also be attributed to its focus on user retention. Rather than just focusing on acquiring new users, Snapchat's founders realized the importance of keeping users engaged and coming back to the app. To do this, they introduced features like filters and lenses, which allowed users to personalize their photos and videos. They also introduced Stories, which allowed users to create longer-form content that stayed on the platform for 24 hours. These features helped to keep users engaged and coming back to the app on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Snapchat's early success was due to a combination of factors, including building a minimal viable product, targeting early adopters, creating buzz with exclusivity, listening to user feedback, and focusing on user retention. By leveraging these strategies, Snapchat was able to build a loyal user base and establish itself as a major player in the social media space. Today, Snapchat continues to evolve and innovate, introducing new features and functionality that keep users engaged and coming back for more.
