We see that almost everyone from all age groups is on Snapchat for most part of the day. Sharing their daily activities and documenting various aspects of their lives.
Now you must be wondering if only we could make use of this huge crowd to promote our business in a different more grasping way.
Fret not, the Social Media Gods have heeded to your plea, courtesy of Social Media Examiner. Here are some tips and tricks to get you started!
#1: Stage an Influencer Reveal
Global fast-food giant McDonald’s (username: mcdonalds) isn’t just about a famous redheaded clown selling toys with a meal. Professional athletes like LeBron James gave users a behind-the-scenes look at the rollout of the new bacon clubhouse sandwich.
McDonald’s partnered with professional athletes to promote a new sandwich.
Although McDonald’s didn’t share the results of the promotion, it went well enough to continue. The promotion was pushed to Twitter where users were asked to follow back. To date, McDonald’s has over 3 million followers on Twitter.
Takeaway: You can apply this same philosophy with Snapchat to give your customers a look at what goes on behind the scenes at your company. Even if your marketing budget is only a fraction of what McDonald’s is, buyers still like feeling as if they know the story behind your company.
#2: Support an Account Takeover
The popular young women’s clothing retailer Wet Seal (username: wetseal) launched a Snapchat campaign, which was quickly taken over by a Snapchatter named MsMeghanMakeup.
Meghan has over 300,000 followers and her influence was quickly felt as a halo effect over Wet Seal’s campaign. The boost propelled the clothier to 9,000 connections in two weeks and over 250,000 views of the holiday “story.” Wet Seal was named winner of the 6th Annual Shorty Awards, which honors the best in social media.
Wet Seal benefited from a Snapchatter noticing its campaign and generating a halo effect.
Takeaway: To get your message seen, you can let an influential Snapchat user take over your account. You may not have connections with 300K+ followers, but even local authorities with hundreds or thousands of fans can improve your Snapchat reach.
#3: Share Promo Codes
Frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles (username: love16handles) used Snapchat’s instant photo feature to amass followers and promote their frozen treats. They were also among the first brands to use Snapchat for coupon offers.
The yogurt company earned new customers by promoting specific store locations and times, and when people snapped photos of themselves or their friends eating 16 Handles yogurt, they instantly received a coupon code for between 16% and 100% off. The catch: They only had 10 seconds to show the cashier.
Takeaway: You can get your followers involved with Snapchat-exclusive coupon codes or other exclusive promos. Make it fun and your brand’s reach is sure to grow!
#4: Give VIP Access
In the past, it took several weeks for photos from New York Fashion Week to trickle down from photographers to magazines, and then from newsstands to consumers. Now, with Snapchat, followers can watch the fashions unfold almost instantly.
Snapchat can be used to instantly share updates from major events as they happen.
Lucky Magazine’s editor-in-chief, fashion brand Refinery 29, and many others shared snaps of models strutting down the catwalk, allowing them to deliver images of the iconic fashion show to people in ways never dreamed of before.
Takeaway: You can use Snapchat to give your followers a VIP look at your events and promotions that they’ll likely never have a chance to attend in person. It’s a fun, easy way to bring new life to established events.
#5: Feature Your Followers
Mobile and online food ordering brand GrubHub (username: grubhub) launched its first Snapchat campaign in 2013, becoming a finalist in the 7th Annual Shorty Awards. They featured their own weekly content, stories gathered from user-generated content, giveaways, and promotions.
The results included a 20% increase in followers after the launch of the Snapchat giveaway. The campaign was one of many factors that contributed to its Wall Street debut in a public offering.
Takeaway: Don’t let your Snapchat feed become too self-serving. Make your feed about your followers, offer them value, and engage them in the content creation process.
#6: Demo Your Product
The world’s biggest online retailer, Amazon (username: amazon), used Snapchat to give a personality and voice to Alexa, the company’s female-voiced Echo speaker. In a clever use of social media, Amazon employed Snapchat to give clarity to the product, which confused consumers when it launched, as well as to promote Echo.
Amazon used Snapchat to give personality to a cutting-edge product.
Thanks to its campaign, Amazon gained 6,100 mentions in just four hours. It demonstrated that Echo was off to a promising start.
Takeaway: If your brand releases new technology or products, use Snapchat as a guide for new customers. It’s a clever way to use Snapchat and introduce new products and engage with potential customers.
#7: Partner With Influencers
Sour Patch Kids (username: sourpatchsnaps) is a big hit among the Snapchat demographic, which is also the company’s target audience. Mondelez, the company behind the brand, worked with social media personality Logan Paul to produce content for chats.
Over the course of five days, Paul documented childish pranks pulled on unsuspecting people, with the pranks dubbed “sweet” or “sour” to highlight the brand’s flavors. The brand encouraged fans to post and promote the next story. The campaign earned Sour Patch Kids 120,000 new Snapchat followers.
Sweet and sour pranks highlighted Sour Patch Kids flavors.
Takeaway: Work with an influencer whose follower base is similar to yours to share snaps that coincide with your brand’s image. In the case of Sour Patch Kids, pranks and general silliness work well, both in terms of supporting the company’s identity and in engaging the brand’s followers. Your results may vary.
#8: Address Relevant Issues
Historically, soap brand Dove (username: dove) appealed primarily to older women until it reached out to younger women using Snapchat. Over a period of two hours, 30 women chatted with psychologists and other ambassadors on Snapchat to share ideas and thoughts about self-esteem issues in a campaign to help boost young women’s self-images.
The resulting snaps earned the brand 75 conversations and 130,000 views, leading Dove to say that they’ll continue to measure both engagement and reach (conversations) as part of their campaign metrics going forward.
Takeaway: When it comes to Snapchat, don’t be afraid to be real. Authenticity is essential on this hyper-social network.
#9: Give Exclusive Previews
Business Insider reported that Acura (username: acura_insider) used Snapchat to build excitement for its racecar-like NSX. The automobile manufacturer sent 100 followers an exclusive preview of the new car. The first 100 new followers got this 6-second video of the speeding luxury car.
Acura was named a finalist in the 6th Annual Shorty Awards after successfully integrating Snapchat into its campaign. It created a lot of buzz for the car, which the company repurposed on Instagram, Vine, and Twitter.
Takeaway: You can reward your top customers and fans, too. Share exclusive information with a limited audience. It works whether you’re an international auto manufacturer or a local “mom and pop” store.
#10: Promote Events
iHeartRadio (username: iheartradio) used Snapchat to document and share its iHeartRadio Music Festival.
