Snapchat is a very popular social media site that attracts millions of people every day. With Snapchat, you are able to upload pictures and video clips, similar to Instagram, except for a few unique differences. As popular as this social media app is, though, many marketers fail to put it to use when it comes to branding.
Snapchat Features:
One of the most popular features on Snapchat is the wide variety of filters that allow you to change your appearance and sometimes even your voice. You can also put text, stickers and doodles on your images within the app itself, which separates Snapchat from other picture sharing sites such as Instagram. Your pictures and videos only show up on Snapchat for 24 hours, so that encourages people to check the app more often. You may also download your snaps for use on other social media sharing sites as well.
Many marketers are beginning to jump on the Snapchat bandwagon and are having great success in building relationships with their audience. Here are some tips for using Snapchat for branding your business.
Have a Snapchat Contest
One way to encourage more people to follow you on Snapchat so you can brand your business with a big following is by holding contests. These should be done exclusively on Snapchat, though you can announce them on your other business and personal social media accounts to draw interest. Your type of business will determine the type of contest you want to have. Contest usually work by having people send you pictures or videos of their choosing, and you pick the best one, though there are many ways to choose the winners for the contests.
Create Custom Filters
Snapchat is really all about the filters. When someone finds out they can put a cute puppy dog face on their own face or wear a flower crown that also smooths out their facial features to look more angelic, they are encouraged to use the app more often. You can use this to your advantage by creating some custom filters that people are able to use for their own Snapchat accounts. For example, someone who owns a jewelry and accessories business could have a custom filter made that adds a little crown, earrings, or other accessories to the person’s picture. They will be more willing to follow you when you have some fun filters they can use. When others see people using your custom filters, it will entice them to follow you as well.
Take Them Behind the Scenes
Snapchat also works great by using the video feature. You can get short video clips and post them to your Snapchat so that your followers can see what you are up to. Take people behind the scenes of what you do on a typical day, whether you take a video giving them a quick tour of your home office, show them a super quick tutorial, or simply take them along with short videos all day in a Snapchat “Day in the Life” video series. These are such short clips that people enjoy watching back to back. Don’t forget to take snaps during events, too! Most people don’t have any idea what goes on during those types of gatherings, so they will be excited to see what all the fuss is about!
Complete a Video Series
Following along with this same theme, you can create other video series with Snapchat. Since the videos are gone in 24 hours, it really motivates people to check your Snapchat on a regular basis to see the latest videos and not miss anything. The video series can be done in short clips to make up a longer tutorial about how to use a product you are promoting, show clips of a new product series you are coming out with, or even be a mini documentary series about how you started your business. Like other social media sites, it is really up to you to be creative here.
As you can see, there are many ways to implement Snapchat into your marketing strategy. It’s a fun, friendly, and popular way to be accessible by your followers and establish relationships that encourage sales and partnerships.
