If you follow social media news you should know by now that Snapchat is making waves. At lot has changes since I first wrote about it. First they didn’t sell out for close to a billion. Then they got hacked. Now they are killing it again with the launch of Snapchat stories and Snapcash. The time is right for Snapchat marketing.
More and more brands are jumping all over Snapchat and for good reasons. It is super interactive.
Snapchat Stories
Snapchat stores are a collective narrative of your day. They consist of individual snaps strung together to give a preview of your day. They only live for 24 hours and then they are deleted in true Snapchat fashion.
Snapcash
Snapcash is a new way to send money via chat. I haven’t used it, but it is a joint partnership with Square so I’m sure it’s legit. It could be a good way to send rebates and money to your fans for contests or what not. I’m not exactly sure, but I’ll be thinking about other ways to take advantage of the new feature.
Brands Using Snapchat
There are a lot of brands getting in on the snapchat game. Big players like the NBA and McDonalds are using Snapchat to get in front of millennials and it seems to be working. You can see a few case studies and examples here. And here.
What really caught my eye recently is that PitchPerfect is promoting their Snapchat page at the end of their movie trailer. What used to be Facebook & Twitter is now Facebook & Snapchat. To me this says a lot. Of course I started following Pitch Perfect and what they are doing is really engaging. They are asking their friends to get involved and by doing so they can create Snapchat stories that include the snaps from their fans. This is the 15 seconds of fame and people love it!
Here’s an example.
The first image is the first call to action. Then comes the cookie recipe and then the second call to action. Once people submit their cookie pics they will show up after the Snap us. I think this is so clever.
PS – Pitch Perfect is one of my all-time favorite movies. Judge me, I don’t care. 🙂 If you guys are listening, can I PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go to the premier. 🙂 I’ll snap the whole thing, I promise. 🙂
How Is It Different Than Instagram
Instagram also serves it purpose in the image marketing game. But snapchat is a bit different. The users want to see real authentic moments and not just beautiful photos and staged moments as is common on Instagram. It’s important to remember that if you want to succeed on social networks you have to act as the users. Don’t impose what you think will work or what you want to share, see how the real audience is using the network and build from there. Another thing that Snapchat has that Instagram doesn’t is the disappearing images. It plays into the moment of excitement, sneak peek mentality and event the idea of being caught. If you can play on those emotions, Snapchat will do well for you.
Best Way To Use Snapchat As A Business
From what I’ve seen, the best way to use Snapchat is to create stories that your fans can add to. It gets them involved and it plays into the fan loyalty. Everyone wants a chance to be seen, you can give it to them. I also like the idea of using Snapchat for flash sales.
Should You Invest in Snapchat?
If you are marketing to teens and young adults, then I think this network should be a top priority. But make sure you do it right and follow the rules set forth by the community.
