Snapchat: How to Incorporate it in Your Business Marketing Strategy

Odds are if you are a youngster, Snapchat is part of your everyday routine-and if you aren’t, you may want to open your social horizon to this app, as this has social media marketing potential written all over it. Snapchat is a mobile-only messaging app that allows users to send a photo or video “snap” that automatically deletes after being viewed. The sender can choose the amount of time the snap can be viewed, from one to ten seconds, and then POOF! The message is gone forever! Starting as a class project at Stanford University in 2011, Snapchat has grown from 20 million snaps sent per day in October 2012, to 200 million in June 2013, to now 350+ million per day, as announced by Snapchat Co-Founder, Evan Spiegel, at the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference on September 9th. That’s a whopping 1,750% increase in less than a year! Oh snap! (pun intended) Cool, right? But how could this possibly help out your marketing efforts? It may take some creative thinking, but it can be done!

Snapchat Marketing

Although the idea of using Snapchat for marketing is a new concept, there are a few companies that have already incorporated Snapchat into their marketing plans successfully. Here are 3:

1. Fashion – Rebecca Minkoff

In order to build anticipation for Fashion Week, fashion label Rebecca Minkoff announced that if one added the label on Snapchat, they would reveal five to ten photos of the Spring 2014 runway looks before the new designs hit the runway. “We believe the consumer is part of [fashion week], and that their inclusion is going to grow,” said Uri Minkoff, CEO of Rebecca Minkoff. “The consumer has a voice and say in [our] brand, they should get special perks even if they can’t attend the show.”

2. Frozen Yogurt – 16 Handles

Used for a promotion, frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles asked customers to take a photo while sampling a yogurt flavor and snap it to them. In return they would get an unspecified discount coupon snapped back. Since Snapchat has a time limit on snaps, the customer would have to wait in anticipation to find out what discount they received when they showed it to the cashier during their next visit!

3. Restaurant – Taco Bell

Taco Bell reached out to its Twitter followers and asked to add them on Snapchat because they were sending all of their friends a “secret announcement” the following day. The message? Taco Bell was re-introducing the Beefy Crunch Burrito. “People are obsessed with our Beefy Crunch Burrito, so Snapchat seemed like the right platform to make the announcement,” said Tressie Lieberman, Taco Bell Director of Social and Digital. “Sharing that story on Snapchat is a fun way to connect with the fans that we are thrilled to have. It’s all about treating them like personal friends and not consumers.” Tressie brings up a great point.

Why Snapchat is Different From Other Social Media

What makes Snapchat stand out is the ability to form a personal connection with the recipient. Unlike the other social networks where the posts are public, a snap is delivered and comes across as being tailored specifically to the recipient, even though the snap itself could have been sent to an entire group of people! It gives your company the ability to form a personal connection with someone. Snaps can’t be forwarded or shared to others, so it makes one feel special to receive a snap.

Innovative Ways to Utilize Snapchat in Your Social Media Marketing

Insider Marketing

Rebecca Minkoff pulled this off beautifully for the Spring 2014 collection sneak peaks, and Taco Bell utilized this tactic by letting their Snapchat friends know about the re-release of the Crunchy Beef Taco. Your loyal fans and customer base will feel special to receive such an elite snap, and this is a great way to build hype for your company!

Discounts

Just like 16 Handles, use Snapchat to send snaps including a discount coupon or code to customers. Snaps will make them feel special, and your brand will gain reputation and growth! A specific campaign you could run is a “Speedy Snap Response” where you could send out a snap stating the first one to respond with a snap back will win a discount or prize.

Contests/Brand Gamification

Brand Gamification, for those of you who have never heard the term, is basically combining a game to your website or social media communities to encourage engagement in a fun way. Think about using snaps to feature self-destructing clues or tips that a user has to gather in order to receive a prize or money off. Utilize other social media outlets, such as Facebook or Twitter, to promote and gather participants.

Events

Encourage people to send you snaps from your hosted or sponsored event. This can help you by letting you see how your fans are participating and enjoying the event, and will also encourage them to send the snaps to their friends, so they get to see how much fun they are having at your event, too!

Exclusive Messages

A simple “Hello!” or “Have a great day!” message can make someone’s day! Use Snapchat to reach out to your fans just to send a simple, personalized message. It’s a great tool to let your client base know you appreciate them and are on your mind.

Interested in Implementing Social Media Marketing for Your Raleigh Business?

The power of social media for a business is no secret. They are cost effective and can carry your message to new audiences. Snapchat, in particular, isn’t just for teens and twenty-somethings to send “selfies” to each other. The app’s growth numbers speak for themselves, and as marketers, we need to be where everyone else is. It will be interesting to see what creative marketing concepts businesses come up with as Snapchat’s usage continues to grow!