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Annie Beard, Account Manager

August 13 2016

Should Your Brand be on Snapchat?

If you’ve been paying attention to the impressive Snapchat stats lately, then you know that it continues to be the hottest social platform and an invaluable resource to a brand’s overall marketing plan. Snapchat averages over 150 million users a day, recently passing Twitter, and brands are quickly beginning to jump on board and create Snapchat strategies. While Snapchat isn’t a great fit for all brands, those with young audiences and compelling visual opportunities should be considering the platform as a way to continually engage their audience. If your brand is thinking about utilizing Snapchat, keep in mind the following tips:

Plan Content. Snapchat is just like any other form of content – it has to be planned. While a lot of posting will be real-time, time sensitive and reactive due to the 24-hour limit on Snapchat’s stories, there should always be enough content planned in advance to ensure that your brand is posting useful content throughout the day on a regular basis.

Offer Exclusivity. Unlike Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and blogs, Snapchat does not use hashtags and is less searchable. Give people a reason to follow you and to continue following you. How? By offering exclusivity to something they can’t get anywhere else – not even on your other social platforms. Previewing new products, hosting contests and giveaways and sharing behind-the-scenes content are a few ways to keep your audience coming back for more.

Abandon the Hard Sell. There’s a time and a place for hard selling, and Snapchat is neither. Rather than pushing your product or service, be authentic and engaging. Social media marketing has blurred the lines between social interaction and advertising, but Snapchat’s main user group, Millennials and Gen Y-ers, can see right through hard selling and often are turned off by it. Find a way to connect to your audience on a deeper and more genuine level.

Tell a Story. It’s called a Snapchat Story for a reason. Be sure to utilize the 24-hour limit with memorable and useful stories that truly capture your brand’s personality. With Snapchat stories, you have the opportunity to create “mini-episodes” where each post builds on the last. Use geofilters, stickers and other Snapchat features to tell your story in an entertaining way. Plan these out ahead of time and get creative!

The biggest takeaway? Humanize your business. There is plenty of opportunity on Snapchat, and brands are just beginning to scratch the surface.