Snapchat is quickly growing in its engagements and earnings every year. Its user base is increasing rapidly, especially among the youth. Businesses should take advantage of this by integrating effective marketing strategies. We would like to present you a short background of Snapchat’s growth, followed by 5 strategies to use Snapchat to market your business.
Bloomberg Technology published an article on March about Snapchat’s development. CEO Evan Spiegel shared with investors and bankers that users of the app view 8 billion videos a day. Though it has the same number of views as Facebook, video views in Snapchat increased 5 times from 2015.
Aside from that, Snapchat has 100 million users a day. These users are on the app an average of 25-30 minutes daily. He also told the audience that the appraised funds are valued at $16 billion.
Rebecca Lieb, an industry advisor and analyst, gave her insight on Snapchat. The temporality and fleetingness of Snapchat are its most enthralling marketing components. Snaps demand to be viewed as soon as possible as it expires after a while. The element of concentration and focus this app has is what makes it distinct from other social media platforms.
Along with the strategies, we suggest are businesses who applied it. Read on how they executed it. Check out how you can adopt these to your own business.
#1 Releasing behind-the-scenes footage
A behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage of an event or making of a product is a strategy to use Snapchat to market your business. You could release a series of teasers, and let your followers guess what these are about. You can let them share their answers on your other social media accounts. This can give you an idea of how engaged your followers are in your business.
Everlane has been using Snapchat to share BTS footages at the 5-year-old startup. Everlane’s Social Media Lead Red Gaskell said that people at the headquarters look for bits to share with their consumers. They want to show how their brand is built on a daily basis. As a relatively young business, they want their followers to be part of their development process.
“Radical transparency” is the company’s motto, which they have adopted for their weekly Snapchat series. Transparency Tuesday is a fun way to answer their follower’s questions about the company. 70% of the company’s Snapchats are recurring segments, such as BTS looks at upcoming clothing lines. 30% are open for spontaneous content, like that time Q&A between an employee and a supply partner.
One time, Everlane gave a series of factory tours. Many people commented on this, becoming one of the company’s biggest Snapchat stories. Their followers were so interested how their products came to develop to how they are.
Their strategy can inspire you to adopt your brand’s slogan or motto to use Snapchat to market your business. As you give your followers BTS looks of your business, encourage your followers to share their insights on other social media sites. Direct them to your other accounts to drive more traffic to other platforms.
#2 Sharing exclusive content
Whatever your business endeavor is, offer your Snapchat followers information only available through the app. Take advantage of the authenticity of Snapchat by posting real-time updates. Make your followers feel like VIPs with exclusive insider information.
During Paris Fashion Week in March 2015, Valentino featured Zoolander 2 stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. They reprised their roles as Derek Zoolander and Hansel for a walk-off in the middle of the show. This was part of the promotion for Zoolander 2 to be shown in February 2016.
Snapchat developed a custom Snapchat geofilter to let people know that the look was definitely Blue Steel. A lot of users added the backstage look at Snapchat’s story for Paris Fashion Week before others knew what was going on. At some point during the show, Zoolander took a selfie using the phone of one of the spectators. Of course, the images from the show were uploaded to Snapchat.
Snapchat users felt they were part of the exclusive event. Even if they were not there physically, they were able to receive real-time updates during the show. This is such a pleasant surprise, making the followers one with the entire experience.
#3 Recruiting personnel
Using Snapchat to recruit personnel for full-time employment or internships is a great way to market your business. Inviting people to work for your brand brings people who are interested in aligning their careers with your business. This modern approach to acquiring personnel shows that your business is coping well with technological trends.
Taco Bell is one of the most prominent Snapchat figures. It has utilized the application so well in their marketing strategies. Last year, they used Snapchat to look for 2 social media interns. These internships were for the summer at the company’s headquarters in Irvine, California.
They want people who are not only knowledgeable in social media account operations. They want people who are “obsessed with Taco Bell.” They want unconventional and creative thinkers to come up with the best content for their social media marketing. Jozlynn Rush, Taco Bell’s senior media specialist, says that they decided to post the job via Snapchat because this is one of their most successful and engaging social media platforms.
Getting personnel via Snapchat gives you a greater opportunity to find people who tech-savvy and creative. You can check on your applicant’s Snaps to find out if they have the passion you are looking for your brand. This also makes the applicants more interested with your Snaps for other relevant career updates.
#4 Providing a product/service sneak peek
Planning to launch a new product or service? Use Snapchat to reduce your follower’s anticipation. Release teasers to spark their interest. Your launch will have a greater impact if it allows time for your followers to share their thoughts and even create content about it.
Nikki Lawson, KFC Australia Chief Marketing and Development Officer, recognized the importance of Snapchat in digital marketing. They want to be updated with the latest digital marketing trends. They also want to engage with their target markets in a very interactive venue.
KFC Australia utilized Snapchat to launch their latest taco product in 2015. They coincided this launch with the announcement of their Snapchat presence. The promotion of the new double soft shell zinger taco was viewed about 3000 times within the first 3 hours.
Their snap came along with a catchy caption. This was creatively humorous enough to get noticed. Their fan base is a really engaged one, as they wanted to be part of the hype.
Your entire campaign for a product launch should make your followers intrigued. The timeliness of your launch is a great factor, as with KFC who did it along with its own official Snapchat launch. Come up with quirky, fun, and creative captions for your snaps to make the photo or video more interesting.
#5 Sending customized coupons and promo codes
Use Snapchat to give your customers a customized coupon or promo codes they can redeem upon checking out. This helps drive traffic to your website and/or your store. This will get them interested to shop around. At the same time, this keeps them excited to reveal the coupon and use its value.
16 Handles is reportedly the first to use Snapchat for a marketing campaign. This froyo joint across New England had a “Snappy New Year” promotion back in 2013. They asked their followers to snap a photo of themselves enjoying froyo at one of their stores to the business’ official Snapchat account. 16 Handles would then send a custom coupon via Snapchat as well.
Their followers had to wait in anticipation until their next purchase to know what their coupon is worth since snaps last for a few seconds only. These range from 10 to even 100%. Whatever these are worth, customers are sure they’ll be getting a great deal.
Using Snapchat this way entices their followers to become more frequent customers. Foot traffic in their stores increases consequently. You are also showing your appreciation for your avid customers. This helps build their loyalty to you as you give value to the income they bring to your business.
Depending on your current business situation, study on what deals you can offer via Snapchat. Take advantage of the time limit the snaps are available for viewing. This keeps your followers looking forward to your coupons and promo codes.
Wrapping it up
These 5 strategies to use Snapchat to market your business works because the app brings out a stronger sense of genuineness compared with other social media platforms. Pictures and videos are to be taken only with the app, with limited editing features. This brings about a stronger sense of authenticity to your business.
As mentioned several times, the short-lived snaps can be used to your advantage. This helps you give your followers a sense of exclusivity with your content. It also encourages your business to deliver quality content in such a short span of time.
