Snapchat, the company, may be suffering through a bad month on Wall Street but Snapchat, the app, is doing very well among U.S. teens. According to data published by RBC Capital, Snapchat has surpassed Instagram as the choice social media platform among teenagers. Snapchat has even managed to catch up to Facebook, the most dominant social media network overall.

The recently published report notes that 79 percent of teens (between the ages of 13 to 18) surveyed said they use Snapchat. This is a higher percentage of usage than for any other social network. Instagram got 73 percent among the same group, while Facebook only got 57 percent.

Snapchat was also chosen by teens as the choice social network they would use if they were “trapped on a deserted island.” Snapchat snagged this honor in the previous year’s survey as well. However, in 2016, only 28 percent of teens chose Snapchat for this question, while this year, 44 percent of teens did so. It strongly indicates that the popularity of Snapchat is still growing among Gen Z.

The report’s findings are very useful for small businesses that try to target teen audiences. Teens are the future of retail. In five years or less, these teens would comprise a major segment of the consumer market. Brands interested in engaging with these teens and establishing a loyal audience would most benefit from these findings.

Though companies do understand that social networking is crucial for engaging with younger buyers, most do not choose the right social media platform for the target audience, says Global Resources LLC consultants. This survey indicates that companies should focus their attention on Snapchat, not Facebook or Twitter, for reaching teen audiences.

Advertising and driving engagement on Snapchat can be a bit tricky. Most people over 25 do not know how Snapchat works or have never used it. Teens mostly send messages on Snapchat, according to the survey data. They also popularly use the app’s “Stories” photo messaging feature. This is where most advertisers build their campaigns.

To learn more about how your small business can reach younger buyers on Snapchat, request a consultation from GR-US.com.