For most business owners, the idea of Snapchat marketing is pretty foreign, and maybe even a little silly. Isn’t that the photo app that high schoolers use to talk to each other? Snapchat may have gained popularity through these users and this function, however it is now used by all ages and for a number of different functions: connecting with friends, following accounts of interest, and even staying on top of local and global information. The time-limited and location-based features of Snapchat makes it conducive to a targeted and real time marketing strategy. While there are many ways to use Snapchat for business, this post will cover the two main features of Snapchat that apply to a marketing strategy: My Story and Geofilters.
Snapchat Marketing with My Story
For some social media platforms, increasing engagement involves commenting and direct messaging with followers. However, most businesses aren’t using Snapchat to exchange individual snaps with their followers. Rather, they are using My Story, which is an album that your followers can follow and view throughout the day.
What is My Story
My Story is an album where the photos and videos you add stay public for one day only. As soon as you add your first photo to your Story, the countdown begins. After 24 hours, any photos or videos in your Story will erase and the Story will reset.
Marketing Benefits of Snapchat Stories
My Story is like an album or slideshow that contains picture and video. This makes it a great place to present diverse content for your fans and followers. My Story albums erase themselves every 24 hours, so you can also use it to put some urgency into your offers. In addition, since the content is short-lived, you can worry less about posting professional high quality images, and focus more on quick and real media. Consistent and transparent engagement with your audience can help to strengthen your reputation and your brand messaging.
Snapchat Story Marketing Strategies
There are a number of ways to leverage your Story in your Snapchat marketing strategy. Here are some ideas:
• A holistic view of your business: Use a mix of photo and video to show a mix of products, services, deals, information, and culture.
• Daily customer interactions: If you have a brick and mortar location and you interact with clients daily, such as with a hair salon, your daily story can consist of snaps of each of your clients. With this strategy, content is getting created as quickly as the day goes by.
• Team-focused: Concentrate your Snapchat Stories on office culture. Follow daily routines, funny moments, common activities, and other aspects of your business that show its human side.
• Pick a central theme: Pick one specific aspect of your business to focus on using Snapchat Stories. You might only run promotions through Snapchat, or post photo and video only of customers using your product or service.
• Choose a new theme each day: Use national holidays and fun observances for your themes, or create your own custom daily themes, related to your business, offers, or culture.
Related: 2017 Marketing Calendar
• Diversify: Assign a new team member to the Snapchat account each day, to offer diverse perspectives and angles.
• All access: Give everyone access to your business’s Snapchat account, so that they can post content to your Story daily.
Snapchat Marketing with Geofilters
Geofilters is a feature offered by Snapchat that distinguishes it from other social media platforms. Geofilters are a unique way to communicate time and location through your brand voice.
What are Geofilters
A geofilter is called such because it incorporates location and decoration. The “filter” refers to the illustrations or text that get placed over an image. The “geo” refers to its automatic placement over the snaps when in a specific location during a specified period of time.
Marketing Benefits of Geofilters
The text and illustration capabilities of Geofilters allow you to make eye catching content for your followers. While you create the filter, it can also be used by others, making for user generated content that is easy for the user to generate! Geofilters take some time to create, and require approval by Snapchat according to specific parameters. However, they are great for boosting engagement as well as increasing your visibility in your area and utilizing location based marketing. With a Geofilter, you can even get your employees posting to their accounts with your Geofilter, further promoting your business to their networks.
Geofilter Marketing Strategies
Geofilters make for great real time and location based marketing tools. For example,
• Include your logo, business name, and/or location in your Geofilter.
• Create On-Demand Geofilters for specific locations (like a certain radius around your store) or events (location and time frame).
• Run a Geofilter contest, where entrants send you snaps using your product or service with the filter applied.
Snapchat may not be the most widely used social media marketing tool right now, but its general usage is growing. In fact, it has already surpassed Twitter in monthly active users. Start getting familiar with these Snapchat marketing strategies so that as the platform grows, your business can too.
