In the world of social media, Snapchat marketing may not garner as much attention as Facebook and Twitter. But with over 10 million video views per day, the importance of this unique sharing app to your brand becomes apparent.
That being said, how does a brand utilize an app like Snapchat to the fullest?
Provide exclusive content
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Whether you’re debuting a new shade of lipstick or a new Youtube video, Snapchat marketing offers your brand the opportunity to share exclusive content about an upcoming release with your target audience. You can do this by sharing sneak peeks or quick behind-the-scenes videos. This can work well for your brand for two distinct reasons.
One, your audience feels they are getting the VIP treatment when they get to see something not available to the general public. And two, you build excitement for the release of your product whether it be physical or digital.
Broadcast live events
We have previously discussed the increasing importance of live video to online marketing strategies. Snapchat offers businesses a unique opportunity to broadcast short videos of just about anything they can dream up. Do you have a production warehouse on-site? Show your customers how their favorite products get made day-to-day.
Do a live product demonstration so they can see how a product works. Show them the soul of your company with a Snapchat of your CEO blowing out her birthday candles. The possibilities are endless, and through the story feature on Snapchat, you can take live video to another level by crafting a series of multiple short videos that engage your ideal audience.
Share promo codes and in-store sales
Because Snapchat allows you to share short-lived photos and videos with your audience, it is the perfect place to drop the occasional promo code for loyal customers. At the simplest level, this can be done with text over a photo of a product from your brand.
It can also be taken further, with customers being offered a code as a reward for watching a Snapchat story or snapping a selfie with one of your products. By taking that next step, you can get your audience to learn about a new item or show you how customers are already using your products. The latter might allow you to target other marketing campaigns in the future.
In addition to promotional codes, Snapchat also offers you the ability to share in-store sales to bring customers into a physical business. Snapchats can be sent out that feature enticing in-store deals, giving you the ability to lure in customers who might otherwise have stayed home.
Utilize Snapchat Groups
Unveiled in late December, Snapchat groups are a relatively new feature. These groups allow for a conversation between 16 or fewer individuals. Messages in a group self-delete after 24 hours. While the feature may seem more useful for socializing with friends on the app, it can still be used for marketing.
One way these groups can be utilized is for specials. This is the promo code idea taken to the next step by making it more exclusive. Reward a small group of loyal customers with exclusive early access to a sale or product. Make an impression on some random members of your audience. Either way, you’re encouraging people to interact with your brand.
Another way to utilize Snapchat groups is market research. Form your own Snapchat-based focus group. Find out what your target audience thinks of your brand and what they would like to see in the future.
Let someone else take over
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It may seem counter-intuitive to let someone else run an account after spending so much time building it up, but brand influencers can lend a lot of power to your Snapchat marketing campaigns. Snapchat takeovers are becoming increasingly popular with brands utilizing the app – and for good reason. They work.
Having someone popular within your target audience run your Snapchat means getting your word out to people who are already receptive to what you have to offer. It can also be a two-way street for both your business and the influencer as your respective audiences discover one another.
Figure out who the influencers within your brand are and reach out to them about doing a takeover of your Snapchat account. You might be surprised at the results.
Utilize Geofilters
For a physical business, geofilters can be a unique way to encourage customers to come to your location. Geofilters are tiny stickers that go over a user’s picture or video when their phone is pinged in a certain location. Any business can create and submit a filter to Snapchat for a small fee (about $5 per 20,000 square feet).
Once in place, you can invite customers to come to take Snapchats at your business. In turn, they share your business with their social circle. Geofilters can also be combined into other strategies like customer engagement for a bigger social impact.
Invite customer engagement
Deakin University/Twitter
Like any other social media channel, Snapchat marketing can give your brand unique opportunities to engage with your audience. There are several ways to do this through the app. You can invite your audience to send you Snapchats of them using your products. You can pose a question to be answered through short videos, pictures or doodles.
Contests are another way to invite customer engagement. In the photo above, a university invites students to use their geofilter on the app to be entered to win a pair of Bose headphones. Other brands have done Snapchat scavenger hunts and doodle contests for internships. It’s up to you to figure out what fits your audience and your brand best.
With that, you should have seven solid tips to help you grow your brand using Snapchat. Need help managing your other social media accounts? Here are some essential skills for a social media marketer.
