24 Oct Snapping It Up
Over the next few weeks I will be discussing various parts of the digital marketing landscape and how it can help your business. The aim is that by time I am finished marketing managers and company owners all around the world will be a little wiser on how to do digital. Let have a look at Snapchat. What is it? How does it work? How can you use it?
Generally when a social media starts off, it isn’t that useful for marketing purposes, however when it reaches market maturity the fun and games begin. They usually start off as a fun way of connecting users with their friends. Then once it grows big enough businesses are all over it like a cheap suit. Facebook started as a place for friends to keep in touch. Not anymore. YouTube used to be a tool for simple video sharing. Not anymore. Instagram … See where I am going with this.
Snapchat Marketing
So, what is the main point of Snapchat? It is a 10 (max) second self-destructing message. You can send video and pictures with annotations on it. They started with “sending that ugly selfie to your mate” Snapchat marketing means the app can be used for way more than that. Snapchat marketing is showing all the necessary features to be a successful social media channel where people can run digital marketing campaigns.
Visual Storytelling
The best marketers make the best storytellers. Great visual imagery is used as a marketing tool to build far more impact and can bring emotion to the story. Its human nature to remember a message that brings up emotion more than ones that don’t. Using engaging and strong visuals evoke big emotions, which lead to a longer-lasting message for the campaign. This isn’t unique to Snapchat.
Getting S**t done
Geordie Shore Season 6 promoted themselves by sending snaps of the cast that was exclusive to Snapchat. As mad as it sounds, users added them to start getting updates and in a strange turn of events, they went and sought out what is for all intents and purposes an advertisement through Snapchat. Doing things like this can therefore provide a unique way of gaining new and qualified engagement with customers.
Smartphone usage is heading for the 2 billion mark by the end of the year. This means that the platform for this kind of marketing is growing on a daily basis. The “story” function is a cracking way to get a longer opportunity to showcase your message over 24 hours.
C’mon the lads
Nearly 3/4 of Snapchat users (71%) are under the age of 25, the mostly are female. Those of us targeting this generation, it is the perfect playground. With a huge amount of snaps sent every day, we really need to get out there and get involved.
Discover
Their website says;
“Snapchat Discover is a new way to explore Stories from different editorial teams. It’s the result of collaboration with world-class leaders in media to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first. This is not social media.
Social media companies tell us what to read based on what’s most recent or most popular. We see it differently. We count on editors and artists, not clicks and shares, to determine what’s important.”
Time Limit: Strength that emerged from a possible weakness
How do you fit a meaningful message in 10 seconds? And then it is gone forever! Some have called this a weakness. However this can be a strong point. They offer a great platform to build up hype around a particular product or event. You can use Snapchat to get previews of upcoming products or behind-the-scenes footage, in the changing room. Brands like Taco Bell and The New Orleans Saints have used Snapchat to do this. Loads of people loved it and it gave the consumers the impression of being the only people and solidified their relationship with the brand.
Snazzing It Up
Geofilters are special overlays for Snaps that can only be accessed in certain locations. Snapchat are encouraging people to use this tool to bring their “one-of-a-kind style” to the Snapchat platform. They need to be approved by the Snapchat team and be your own work and you are away. You have a great opportunity here to get really creative.
Overall
When done right you have the opportunity to explode on this platform. It’s getting harder to get heard with so many people shouting. Don’t shout, be smart. Of course don’t stick to this alone but it’s a nice addition.
Tris
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