Most people who use Snapchat probably don’t think of it as much more than a pleasant, amusing distraction- the puppy filter is a mood-booster, sure, but it might not strike you as a key commercial concept. But imagine, for a second, the endless waves of content and data swirling across Snapchat, and how valuable it must be. Helpfully, Snapchat themselves analyze and publish trends in that data- from the serious to the nonsensical- so we can all see what’s catching the public’s interest.
Snapchat has become a key marketing tool in recent years, and by releasing monthly trend reports, marketers can capitalize on their social media posts and make content that people will click on. For example, in January, global trending topics included ‘Happy Australia Day’ and ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse’. Savvy marketers could tailor their content to similar holidays or astrological events to maximize engagement.
Similarly, trending entertainment included ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ in the U.S., and ‘The Ted Bundy Tapes’ and ‘Sex Education’ in the U.K, all programs and shows that came out recently and received viral attention. Meanwhile, the top trending slang in the U.S. was ‘big chungus’, meaning ‘anything too large or oversized’- doing nothing to dispel Snapchat’s reputation as a meme-filled playground for young millenials.