5 Tips for Brands on Snapchat
Snapchat for business
In the ever-changing realm of social media, it’s important for businesses to keep up with every social media platform that consumes the masses -- including Snapchat. Although Snapchat is not the perfect fit for every brand, it’s definitely a platform worth consideration. It’s speculated there’s around 100-200 million monthly users according to Business Insider. For those brands that decide to dip their toes in the Snapchat pool, here are a few tips to Snap your way to success.
#1 Don't Hard Sell
It’s tough to resist pushing your product or service every chance you get -- but this will only turn potential consumers away. Snapchat is not the place to hard-sell anything. Take a different approach. There’s always room for marketing and product awareness on any social media platform, but Snapchat gives businesses the opportunity to sell their brand in an alternative way -- by telling a ‘story.'
#2 Expose Your Personality
This is the exact reason why consumers are interested in adding your business on snapchat. It’s arguable that Snapchat is the most intimate social media platform on a large scale. It forces businesses to expose themselves visually, on a whim, with no editing and in an extremely limited time frame. With videos and photos ranging anywhere from 1 second to 10, it’s the perfect opportunity for businesses to show off their creative side and what their brand is really all about. Users want to get familiar with your personality, your cores values, what is important to your brand, what your style is, your sense of humor, etc. If users add your business on Snapchat then it’s safe to assume they already know what you sell. Use this platform to allow fans to get to know your brand better, on a more intimate level.
#3 Behind The Scenes
Snapchat users long for behind-the-scenes footage. Whether it’s a sneak peek of something not yet available for public consumption, a behind-the-scenes look at how something is made, or employees goofing around in the office -- this is content that Snapchat users value.
Example: To get established on Snapchat, the car brand Acura utilized this behind-the-scenes method in 2013 to gain hype about their newest unreleased car, the NSX prototype. The car brand offered to send their first 100 Snapchat followers an exclusive 10 second sneak peek of the prototype tearing up the race track. This short video jump-started the car brand’s social media presence on Snapchat by offering users access to something they couldn't get on any other social media platform.
#4 Interact
Don’t be afraid to send Snaps. Just like any other social media platform, it’s important to be personable. Send one-on-one content to your Snapchat fans. If you receive a Snap that sticks out, don’t hesitate to respond. This is an opportunity for users to screenshot your Snap and share it with friends on other social media platforms.
Example: Sour Patch Kids partnered with Vine star Logan Paul to create a daily Snapchat story for their fans. It used the brand’s famous “sour then sweet” catchphrase. Not only did Logan create a daily comedic Snapchat story for the Sour Patch Kids brand, but he also reached out to their followers one-on-one and sent them personal Snapchat videos. Since the campaign run, Sour Patch Kids now has a well-known and sought-out presence on Snapchat.
#5 Keep Your Audience In Mind
There are no guarantees, but it can be assumed that your grandma is not on Snapchat. If she is, then she’s probably the coolest grandma in the world. According to Snapchat, the vast majority of their demographic is 13-25. Take this information to heart. Videos and photos you post to Facebook or Twitter may not have the same positive effect on Snapchat. Research your target audience, stay up on current trends, and tailor your content in a way that they will appreciate. Keep in mind Snapchat might not be a good fit for your company if your targeted age demographic is significantly older.
Snapchat Mashable
If your business decides to take the leap headfirst into this intimate, youthful social media platform, we wish you luck! Keep these top tips in mind and your brand should be in good shape. To get your creative juices flowing, click here for a list of 10 brands that already kick ass on Snapchat.