WHAT IS SNAPCHAT?
A lot of people aren’t exactly sure how to use and what to create on Snapchat. Let’s demystify this social network. That is a social platform founded in 2011 by Evan Spiegel. It has more than 100 million active users. Just like Instagram, Snapchat is mobile use site, but unlike Instagram, there is no option to use it on a desktop. Snapchat users are millennials, mainly from 18-34 years of age, that spend daily 25-30 min average on the app.
As you can see, Spanchat’s audience is young and hard to engage on other networks. The main difference between Snapchat and other social platforms is that all the creative content disappears. These are so-called ephemeral messages that are onscreen for a short time and then vanish. That is the core idea of Snapchat.
IS SNAPCHAT THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU?
Right after getting familiar with a platform you should ask yourself if the Snapchat is a good fit for your business. If you are trying to reach younger demographics, then you should consider diving deeper into this platform. That could be fun and creative experience and way to engage with your customers. Another interesting fact is that most of the Snapchat users are devoted to this social site only, and are not reachable on Facebook or Instagram, for instance.
Vertical close-up photos and videos are two things that separate Snapchat from its competitors. Also, you should get comfortable with the fact that camera is a home screen, and there are options to swipe left, right, up and down to enter different possibilities. By swiping down, that gets you to the user account. From there you can add friends and see who added you to their friend's list. That is the section where you can customize your Snapchat avatar. The fun way to do it is by using Bitmoji ( the cartoon version of yourself). You may notice that there are some dots around your Bitmoji avatar. That is so-called Snapcode which provides a direct link to your profile.
THINK PERSONALITY, NOT AN AD
If you want to reach users on Snapchat, you have to embrace a playful nature of the app. We suggest using a humorous concept without going over the edge. Ask yourself if Snapchat’s idea fits your brand character. Check out the examples of the companies that are doing great on Snapchat (Gatorade, Warby Parker, GE, and even New York Times).
Unlike Facebook or Instagram, you can not scroll back through your feed for the history of published content. Also, you will not be able to see any likes. Nevertheless, the engagement is still measurable. You can measure the reach, viewability or resonance to find out what effect had your ad on brand awareness.
Besides the provided online success measurement options, you can always measure your success offline like the increase in sales that might be attributed to your ads.
REPURPOSING YOUR CONTENT
If you are already on other social media platforms, you may use the previously published content, tweak it and optimize for Snapchat use. The best way to start building the presence on Snapchat is to determine your objectives and adjust them to your overall marketing goals. Repurposing the content is essential to fit different social channels. The nature of audiences and their expectations differ from platform to platform. If you use the same material on the same way on every social network that will most probably turn your customers off.
If you swipe right, it will take you to the chat screen. In chat section, you may upload video, send a message or even have a video chat with another user.
Snapchat offers AR features called lenses for your video or photos. AR stands for Augmented Reality features that give to your creation a virtual reality touch. Before hitting the shutter button, tapping either left or right will take you to different lenses that you scroll through and pick the right one for you. You can do the same with video. Once you choose your lens, hold the shutter down as long as you record the video. By moving your finger up and down on the screen, you can zoom in and out to make the desired adjustments. If you wish to add a little bit of personality to your photos or video you may use different filters, add emoji and text.
SNAP ADS AND SPONSORED CONTENT
Here applies the same “pay to play" rule like in other social platforms. Ads on Snapchat feel more like organic and less like promotional content. Three main ad products are: Snap Ads, Sponsored Lenses, and Sponsored Geofilters.
The Ads on Snapchat should have impressive visuals, minimal text, and clear message. Snapchat has particular guidelines you need to follow and retains their approval. Because of that, the brands need to familiarize with the advertising rules and adapt to Snapchat’s request for changes close to the launch.
SnapAds are 10-second vertical videos, GIFS or cinemagraphs. You may integrate your website or app on the ad and drive your customers smoothly to another destination.
Sponsored Lenses are the most complex and the most expensive form of advertising on Snapchat. It is because you need special codes and designs for creating augmented reality concept. If you choose sponsored lenses as your advertising option, you would need to work directly with Snapchat's team or one of their approved partners.
The third type of ads and probably the easiest to create is Sponsored Geofilters. Geofilters are location identifiers and are perfect for local businesses.
AUDIENCE TARGETING
To be successful in an advertising campaign, you need to ask yourself three simple questions. Who are you trying to reach? Were your customers engaged with your message? Did outcome match your goals?
You can target your customers in several different ways. By demographic age, language, household income or to the specific geographic areas. Furthermore, you may determine your audience by the type of mobile device they use or by lifestyle categories like music, trends and nutrition preferences. You can also use the feature of Lookalike Audiences that will help you connect with the people who have interacted with your brand in previous campaigns.
Finally, if you sell product or services for a younger population, we suggest that you consider engaging with your customers on Snapchat. Download the app, get comfortable with its' features and start snapping!
