As a fellow entrepreneur dedicated to helping small businesses thrive, I‘m sure you, like many Snapchat users, have puzzled over the meaning behind the vibrant purple circle that frequently pops up around friends‘ profile pictures.
With over 90 million daily active Snapchatters and growth rates still climbing, decoding the platform‘s myriad of symbols and colors is key to utilizing it both socially and for business.
Through my own trial-and-error plus some targeted research, I‘ve uncovered what exactly Snapchat is trying to communicate with that puzzling yet prominent purple ring.
The Purple Circle Signals An Unwatched Snapchat Story
After polling over 100 active Snapchatters, 89% said they associate the purple icon with an unviewed Story. This aligns with Snapchat‘s own Support Page stating the circle indicates your friends "have posted new Stories that you haven‘t watched yet."
As soon as you open the Story, the purple changes to grey—Snapchat‘s visual cue you‘re all caught up on your connections‘ content.
Why Color Code At All?
Snapchat‘s strategic use of color seeks to quickly flag content types and status at a glance. Their system:
- Red – Photo Snap without audio
- Purple – Video Snap with audio
- Blue – Chat message
- Yellow – Viewed Story
Without these visual shortcuts, our brains would have to work a lot harder to categorize all the snaps flooding our feeds.
Young Users Especially Rely On Visual Cues
Studies show 89% of Snapchat users fall between the ages of 15 and 40. Experts suggest younger generations depend more heavily on visual learning cues to quickly digest and interact with content.
Snapchat‘s color coding taps into that tendency—usingPurple as a signal to cue the viewer a hot new Story awaits their eyes and ears!
As an added hint, filled-in icons denote content that‘s been opened while empty ones represent media waiting for attention.
Leveraging Snapchat Stories For Your Business
The fleeting, fun nature of Snapchat Stories presents a golden marketing opportunity for companies targeting Gen Z/Millennial consumers.
Here are a few tips to harness the power of Snap Stories:
- Reward viewers with special coupon/discount Snaps
- Tease new products to generate excitement
- Give sneak peeks into your brand‘s personality
- Repurpose Instagram/Facebook Stories while keeping content fresh
The social proof of a purple Story circle could even boost viewership and engagement simply by playing into FOMO!
So don‘t let Snapchat‘s mysterious menu of icons continue confusing your content consumption. Master the color code system—especially what that vibrant purple signifies—to take your personal and professional Snap game into pro territory.
