Snapchat isn’t just for selfie-crazed millennials anymore. Hot on the heels of Facebook and Twitter, it is currently the third most popular social media platform. Not surprisingly, brands are now exploring the app as a way to combat clutter and other saturated mediums. But before trying your hand, check out these 5 tips to developing a successful Snapchat campaign.
- Offer Exclusive Content – It’s no surprise that consumers love the idea of having access to information others don’t. Snapchat’s method of self-destructing messages highlights this idea, making it difficult to share content. Heineken capitalized, rolling out their Heineken’s SnapchatWho campaign that ran during the Coachella Music Festival in 2014. The brand sent out clues to followers hinting at a secret act that would performing on their stage. Followers who guessed correctly got confirmation, granting them access to the privileged information. The campaign earned Heineken a spike in followers as well as substantial social media coverage.
- Be Genuine – Consumers now have an increasing desire to form relationship with their brands, negating earlier push marketing tactics. This is forcing brands to engage with their audience.Audi reached out to its followers with their random, yet comical snaps during the 2014 Super Bowl. Their efforts went beyond product promotion, and instead connected with followers over simple humor. Their efforts paid off big, as their “Twitter account gained 2,500 new followers, their Facebook fan base increased by 9,000 and Snapchat acquired over 10,000 people in 48 hours.”
- Be Relatable –With all social media, it is important that brands are able to find a way to relate to their consumers. For marketers, this means understanding and promoting what is popular with the target audience. The World Wildlife Foundation did this successfully when they backpacked on the ever popular “selfie.” The WWF sent snaps of animals captioned “Don’t let this be my#LastSelfie.” The campaign achieved great success and struck a meaningful chord with consumers.
- Create a Storyline –Everyone loves a good story. Snapchat’s “My Story” feature allows users to post content that lasts for 24 hours, as opposed to the 1-10 seconds traditional snaps. Users can link together snaps to develop a story. Taco Bell developed a snap story around the MTV music awards. They featured a celebrity assistant on his hunt to get the new Locos Tacos, which weren’t out yet, for his boss. The successful campaign was part of the social media marketing strategy that helped them earn Marketer on the Year in 2013.
- Embrace Snapchat – Yes, even B2B companies should be giving it a try. Oftentimes companies shy away from social media platforms for fear that their brand isn’t “young” or “cutting edge” enough. Many have passed up on this rising channel due to its younger demographic, old school marketers, and a lack of presence on the app. While the majority of users are between the ages of 13-25, Snapchat may be missing the audience some B2Bs are targeting. Additionally, many old school marketers are adverse to the app due to their lack of familiarity with it. Although all of this may be true now, the rapid growth of the social media platform should have it on every marketer’s radar. With the lack of presence of B2B companies on Snapchat, marketers have the ability to roll out something new and creative – a huge advantage in a world full of clutter.
