Snapchat has gone from being a simple photo and video-sharing app to a marketing tool that cannot be ignored. Since its start in 2011, the app has over 100 million daily active users and 400 million snaps per day. Believe it or not, Snapchat is one of the fastest growing social networks. The self-destructing concept is no longer for just smartphone savvy-teens but also provides marketers and brand managers with a way to produce daily stories and content that engage and excite their audiences.
What is trickier however is using snapchat to connect with a buyer persona. By now, most of you are aware that snapchat puts a limit on how long a video or photo is available for others to see. For example, a video or photo will disappear as soon as a few seconds go by, never to be seen again by the recipient. This means that us marketers need to make the most of every second they get on the app, which requires a certain amount of strategy.
Understanding Your Audience
Any marketer or business professional will tell you that you must understand your audience before marketing any product or service. Since its commencement, the Snapchat platform has always encouraged casual and informal communication through the use of videos and photos. Even though they aren’t typically documenting professional behaviour, they have connected millions of people around the world. That being said, it’s critical to observe the overall casualness of the app.
When you or your marketing team is creating a strategy for Snapchat, you need to settle on a tone of voice that will be used across the board. Ideally, the language you use should be easy-to-understand, and your posts should have a sense of fun. If you’re just starting out on Snapchat, take some time to do your homework. Browse through other accounts and follow other people to get a better idea of how they use the app.
You can also use Snapchat to provide special content to your audience that they might not receive on other digital platforms. Think of something unique to surprise your community of followers. At a Valentino show for Fashion Week in Paris, actors Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson took it a step further and re-interpreted their Zoolander roles for a runway walk-off. They even had a “Blue Steel” geofilter at the fashion show. The use of Snapchat at Fashion Week made consumers feel included in an exclusive world, and by doing so, they felt like they were part of the event. Reprised
Embracing the Time Limit
While some may perceive the self-destructive nature of Snapchat to be a hurdle, marketers can do wonders with this aspect of the app. The number of second you choose to display your photo of video can be seen as an ideal opportunity to offer teasers and previews of an upcoming event, behind the scenes, product or service to your snapchat followers.
The app can also be used to create contests. For example your company can ask their followers to send you pictures of them using your product with the incentive of winning a reward. The trick to getting the most leverage out of Snapchat is ensuring that you are always looking for ways to engage with your customers. Doing so can keep people coming back for more, giving you additional opportunities to roll out your marketing strategy.
Get Going with Video
Videos are a key component of the Snapchat, although they also disappear once they have been viewed, marketers can use them to reach out to people who are interested in getting a sneak peek of their office culture, product production, and everything in between. Marketing teams can use video to provide more valuable content to their followers. Although they say a picture is worth a thousand words, you can actually verbalize the message you’re trying to convey to your audience through a video. More importantly, you don’t need to be a professional to make a splash. Remember: Snapchat is all about being casual and relatable.
Portraying Your Personality
Like with any type of social media, Snapchat gives you a chance to portray the true intentions and mission of your company, whether it involves providing a service or a valuable product. Ideally, the media that you share over the app should give people a better idea of your business and what you have to offer. You should always be working to inject personality into your photos and videos to help people connect to your brand on a personal level.
Lauren Musat
Current student in the Master of Marketing program at the University of Sydney Business School
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