• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 22, 2014

With word this week that hot messaging app Snapchat will soon begin offering paid ad opportunities along with news content, a Friday panel at the Social Media Insider Summit addressed some of the benefits and challenges of newer platforms like Snapchat, Vine and Whatsapp. As one might expect, part of the appeal of jumping on one of these vehicles is as much about generating publicity as gaining new customers or brand awareness. 

“These channels are almost interesting, if you get out front, and you’re smart about it, as a PR play,” said Jason Mitchell, co-founder of Movement Strategy. When there is a channel that is getting  a lot of buzz to be one of the first marketers to do something on that channel gets you this press…and it’s good for brands to be known as progressive in the social media space.” Of course, that also confirms the cynical view that agencies and marketers are simply dilettantes chasing the messaging app-of-the-moment to appear in the-know, however briefly.

But Alex Mizrahi, social media associate, Blue State Digital made the case for using apps like Snapchat for their utility as marketing vehicles. For example, a retailer might include a promo code in snap, giving the promoted discount to the first 200 people that respond in the 10 seconds before the message disappears. It’s also away of getting results from an emerging platform that may not yet have analytics tools to support campaigns.

“You’re creating your own metric, where maybe this goes through and this works,” said Mizrahi.