What Do the Eyes Mean on Snapchat? An Entrepreneur‘s Guide

As a small business owner actively utilizing Snapchat to promote my boutique, I often wondered about the meaning behind those omnipresent eyes emoji popping up under my Stories. If you‘ve asked yourself "what do the eyes mean on Snapchat?", you‘ve come to the right place.

Let‘s explore the eyes emoji analytics for optimum Snapchat marketing.

The Origins and Evolution of 👀

Before analyzing the eyes emoji specifically, it‘s important to understand emoji origins and purposes on social media.

Emoji first emerged in the late 1990s on Japanese mobile phones before expanding across platforms. They became a global phenomenon due to their universality and ability to express emotions and ideas without language.

On Snapchat, emoji took on additional functionalities to communicate engagement and relationships. For example, the 🤞 emoji denotes your "#1 best friend" while 🔥 reveals a Snapstreak.

The eyes emoji utilizes similar shorthand visual language to indicate Story views. Let‘s analyze exactly what 👀 communicates.

Decoding the Eyes Emoji Meaning

The eyes emoji appears underneath Snapchat Stories displaying:

  • Which friends viewed your Story
  • How many times your Story was rewatched

Here is a breakdown:

👀 = A friend viewed your Story

👀 5 = 5 friends viewed your Story

👀 3 = A friend rewatched your Story 3 times

The ability to see who opened a Story and how often can impact behaviors. According to Psychology Today, Snapchat eyes induce social pressure and competition among youth. However, as entrepreneurs we can utilize insights positively to improve content.

Driving Resharing and Virality

According to analytics firm Delmondo, the more a Snapchat Story is rewatched, the higher its virality and reshare rate.

Top-performing Stories generally have a 20-30% rewatch rate from followers.

To drive rewatches:

  • Post at optimal times (6-9PM weekdays)
  • Use captions and visuals for clarity
  • Create cliffhangers and suspense

Additionally, leveraging geofilters and posting consistently grow overall Story reach and engagement.

Metrics and Performance Without Eyes

Some users disable eyes emoji notifications to reduce social pressure. However, this also removes insight into which Stories resonate.

Without the eyes, rely on alternative metrics:

  • Screenshots
  • Direct messages/comments
  • Swipe ups
  • Traffic to linked sites
  • Offline purchases and inquiries

While passive views are important, actions showing real interest and conversion matter more. The eyes emoji helps complete the picture but only tells part of the story!

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

For small business marketers, the eyes emoji provides real-time feedback to sharpen content. But refrain from obsessive checking – focus on creativity first.

Ultimately Snapchat is about fun! Don‘t lose sight of that in the quest for virality.

With an understanding of eyes emoji analytics and best practices, entrepreneurs can thrive on Snapchat. This guide only scratches the surface of Snapchat‘s marketing potential – but you must walk before you can run!

Let the eyes emoji guide you to social media success. 👀👀👀